Shri Banke Bihari Temple High-Powered Management Committee

Organisation · Vrindavan, Mathura district

For decades the temple was run under a 1939 court scheme by the hereditary Goswami sevayats. In 2025 the UP government issued an ordinance to create a state-nominated trust, then passed it as a law (assented August 2025, notified by December 2025). On 8 August 2025 the Supreme Court put the trust-formation provisions on hold, sent the challenge to the Allahabad High Court, and appointed a high-powered committee to oversee daily functioning, crowd control and development. As of late 2025 the committee was in charge and the statutory trust had not taken over; the High Court case and related Supreme Court petitions (such as on darshan timings) were pending.

How it is run

A Supreme Court-appointed committee chaired by retired Allahabad High Court judge Ashok Kumar, with the Mathura District Magistrate as Member Secretary and two representatives from each Goswami group; hereditary Goswami sevayats continue the worship.

Tips for pilgrims

The curtain is drawn every few minutes during darshan; there is no early-morning mangala aarti except on Janmashtami.
Weekends, Holi and Janmashtami are extremely crowded; check current darshan timings locally, as the committee has revised them.
Beware of touts selling 'VIP darshan'; no official paid darshan scheme was confirmed.

Temples it runs

Shri Banke Bihari Temple – Vrindavan, Mathura district