Banke Bihari temple row | Supreme Court rolls back order allowing UP govt to build corridor

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday recalled its May 15, 2025 order which allowed the Uttar Pradesh government to utilise Rs 500 Cr from Shri Banke Bihari temple funds at Vrindavan in Mathura for its ambitious scheme to build a corridor around the shrine visited by lakhs of devotees every week.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi directed for formation of a committee, headed by a former High Court judge, for management of the temple and stayed setting up a similar committee through an Ordinance issued by the state government.

The court allowed the petitioners to approach the Allahabad High Court for their challenge to the validity of the Uttar Pradesh Shri Bankey Bihari Ji Temple Trust Ordinance, 2025.

Taking up the matter, the bench said, "We will modify the part of order by our coordinate bench as much as it affects the petitioners, and we will allow them to approach the HC against the Ordinance."

The court said, it would form a committee to head the management in the meantime.

The bench said it would upload the detailed order in this regard by Saturday.

"The constitution of the committee as per the Ordinance will be kept in abeyance," the bench said.

On a request made by Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj appearing for the Uttar Pradesh government, the court stayed the observations made by the High Court questioning the passage of the Ordinance.

On August 5, 2025, the Uttar Pradesh government had said the Ordinance was issued for better administration of the temple which witnesses about two-three lakh devotees every week.

On August 4, the top court said it would keep in abeyance its May 15 nod to the ambitious scheme to develop the Shri Banke Bihari Temple Corridor at Vrindavan in Mathura for the benefit of devotees as key stakeholders were not heard.

In its judgment on May 15, 2025, the SC's bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi (since retired) and Satish Chandra Sharma had approved the Uttar Pradesh government's move to develop a corridor around Shri Banke Bihari ji temple at Mathura and utilise Rs 500 crore from the temple trust fund for the purpose.

On May 19, an application was filed, contending the implementation of the proposed redevelopment project was practically unfeasible, and any attempt for redevelopment of the temple premises without the involvement and inputs of those who were historically and operationally associated with the temple's functioning was likely to result in administrative chaos.