New Delhi. The Supreme Court sought response from the UP government and the high-powered committee appointed by the court on a petition challenging the change in darshan timings and closure of Dehri Puja at the famous Banke Bihari temple in Mathura. A bench of CJI Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul Pancholi has issued notice to the defendants. The court has asked him to file his reply by January 7. This petition was filed by the temple management committee through Gopesh Goswami and Rajat Goswami.
The petition challenges the decisions taken by the committee, in which the timings of temple darshan have been changed and the traditional Dehri Puja has been stopped. The petitioners argue that this change is against the Supreme Court’s earlier order of August 8, which had clearly stated that the committee should not interfere in the internal religious practices of the temple, including puja, seva and prasad.
According to the petition, Dehri Puja is a sacred ritual which is performed when the temple is closed to the general public. Devotees believe that Dehri symbolizes the feet of the deity, and items such as fragrances, flowers and prayers are offered during this time. The petition said that stopping this ritual is unjust and violates the religious rights of the Goswami community under the Constitution.
The senior lawyer appearing for the temple committee told the court that the HPC has changed the opening hours of the temple which have been in practice for centuries. He said the new schedule affects the deity’s sleep and rest timings, which are traditionally considered part of religious rituals. These changes also led to changes in the timing of important internal rituals, including the waking and sleeping times of the deity. The CJI commented that the deity is not allowed to rest even for a minute. This is the time when the deity is exploited the most. Only those who can pay the hefty amount are allowed special puja.