Even as the Supreme Court has put a temporary stay on the disputed Banke Bihari Trust, the Uttar Pradesh government is expected to bring the Banke Bihari Trust Bill 2025 in the monsoon session of the state assembly starting tomorrow to replace the Ordinance issued on May 26 last.
However, the Act will be implenmented after the apex court’s directive.
According to sources, like the Ordinance, the Bill gives the Banke Bihari Trust rights over the offerings and properties of the temple. The trust will also have rights over the permanent property of the temple and the property that belongs to the temple or has been donated to the temple.
Apart from jewellery, it includes bank drafts and cheques. The board will hold a meeting in the first month of the financial year and pass the budget.
The trust will also decide the timings of the temple darshan, appointment of priests, their salary, etc. It will get the work done for the temple complex and corridor by taking advice from archeological experts, engineers, architects and reputed institutions.
The trust will have 11 nominated and seven ex-officio members. The nominated members will have three members related to Vaishnav traditions, sects and peeths, eminent persons including sadhus, saints, sages, gurus, scholars, heads of religious institutions, mahants, acharyas, swami. There will be three members related to traditions, sects, and peeths of Sanatan Dharma. No member of any Sanatan Dharma will have the right to vote.
There will be two members from the Goswami tradition serving in the temple who are descendants of Swami Haridas Ji. Among these, one will represent the Raj Bhog Sevadaars and the other will represent the Shayan Bhog Sevadaars. The tenure of all nominated members will be for three years. All nominated members will be Sanatani Hindus and believers of Sanatan.
The ex-officio members include District Magistrate of Mathura, Senior Superintendent of Police, Commissioner of Mathura Municipal Corporation, CEO of UP Braj Teerth Kshetra Vikas, CEO of Banke Bihari Temple Trust, appointed by the state government.
The government has clarified in the ordinance that no sacred or religious tradition of the temple will be violated. The purpose of forming the trust is not to violate any tradition. The government does not want to take over the properties of the temple. Rather, this property has been created from the donations and offerings of the public, so financial transparency should be maintained in relation to them.
The government has, in the ordinance, also clarified that the trust will work independently. It will not require the approval or authority of the government in any matter. (Unless specifically provided). The purpose of appointing ex-officio members of the board is not to control the temple but to seek constructive, administrative and practical advice for the running of the temple.
The Supreme Court on August 8 has put a temporary stay on the Banke Bihari Trust. It has transferred the petition challenging the constitutional validity of the ordinance to the high court.
In fact, on May 15, the Supreme Court allowed the UP government to use the temple’s funds for corridor development and acquire 5 acres of land around the temple. The condition was that the acquired land would be registered in the name of Thakurji.
After this, on May 26, the UP government issued Ordinance – 2025. In this, a provision was made to form a trust to take care of the temple. In this, the management of the temple and the responsibility of facilities for the devotees were to be handled by ‘Shri Banke Bihari Ji Temple Trust’.
But on May 27, four petitions were filed against this in the Supreme Court on behalf of Devendra Goswami, Sohan Mishra, Rajat Goswami and the traders.