SC: “Even gods require rest”: on a unique puja matter

SC: The Supreme Court on Monday requested an answer from the authorities on a suit contesting modifications to the times of “darshan” and temple customs at the Bankey Bihari Ji temple in Vrindavan, expressing dissatisfaction over the permitting of paid “special pujas” at temples that interfere with the deity’s “resting time.”

The three-judge panel consisting of Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justices Joymalya Bagchi, and Vipul M. Pamcholi sent a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government and the temple management committee formed by the Supreme Court, listing the case for further consideration during the first week of January 2026.

Senior counsel Shyam Divan and attorney Tanvi Dubey’s arguments were also recorded by the SC. The Uttar Pradesh Shri Bankey Bihari Ji Temple Trust Ordinance, 2025, which sparked a discussion on the effects of government engagement in religious institutions, was the background against which the issue emerged.