Banke Bihari Temple | Devotees' Offerings Must Directly Reach Donation Box Or Online Treasury; Sewayats Must Not Interfere : Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed that every penny donated at the Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan must be deposited in the temple's donation boxes or online temple treasury, after the court appointed High-Powered Temple Management Committee alleged that sewayats' bhandaris were collecting offerings directly from devotees.

A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana directed the committee to introduce a transparent mechanism for the temple treasury.

“Let there be no doubts, and we accordingly direct that every penny of donation must come to the donation boxes or online temple treasury, and any impediment created by sewayats or anyone else shall be viewed very seriously. The Managing Committee is directed to introduce any transparent mechanism for the temple treasury”, the Court ordered.

The direction came after Senior Advocate Maninder Singh, appearing for the High-Powered Temple Management Committee, showed the Court photographs and referred to a video allegedly showing three persons standing in front of a donation box and collecting offerings from devotees in polythene bags instead of allowing the money to be put into the donation box.

The committee's status report alleges that bhandaris were intercepting donations made by devotees. It states that bhandaris were standing directly in front of gullaks and collecting money offered in packets or polythene bags instead of allowing devotees to put it in the donation boxes. It also alleges that the openings of some gullaks were being covered with flowers, plates or other material.

The report further alleges that QR codes placed for online donations had been destroyed or fully covered, preventing devotees from seeing or accessing them. Singh submitted that the committee was being accused of misusing funds even though offerings were allegedly being diverted before they reached the temple treasury.

An intervener claiming to represent the temple deity disputed the allegation concerning the money collected by bhandaris. He submitted that the cash was collected for 'bhog' and the practice was protected by a civil court decree recognising the usufructuary rights of the sewayats.

Justice Bagchi responded that the Court was not disputing the sewayats' right to receive their share. However, he said the donation must first go to the deity and the sewayat could thereafter receive the share due to him.

“First, the donation must be into the dedication that is to the deity, and from that you will get your share as a part of the bandari duties. You cannot appropriate it before the person goes to the temple. The devotee goes to the temple and gives the money into the deity's funds before you almost acting as a having a lien over the money. It goes to the deity, and then he will get the share. Bhandari or a priest cannot have a garnishing right on the devotees' donation”, he said.

The status report says that the alleged diversion of offerings directly affects the temple's earning capacity. It also states that objections to the practice had met with obstruction from sewayats/Goswamis during darshan.

The Court has granted the contesting parties one week to file their responses and objections to the status report.

Case no. – W.P.(C) No. 704/2025 and connected case

Case Title – Management Committee of Thakur Shree Bankey Bihari Ji Maharaj Temple & Anr. v. State of Uttar Pradesh & Ors.