New order in Banke Bihari temple, ban on entry before service officer
Mathura. The temple management has taken an important decision regarding the entry arrangements in the world famous Thakur Shri Banke Bihari Temple located in Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh. Under the new system, entry of any other person into the temple before the Seva Adhikari has been banned. The temple management says that the purpose of this decision is to prevent the entry of unauthorized persons, strengthen security arrangements and conduct the religious activities of the temple in an organized manner. However, this decision is causing resentment in the Goswami community. People of the society have expressed concern about the rights related to the traditional arrangements and services of the temple.
Thakur Shri Banke Bihari Temple located in Vrindavan is included among the major religious places of the country. Thousands of devotees come here every day to have darshan of Lord Banke Bihari. The number of devotees increases significantly on special religious occasions, festivals and weekends. In such a situation, maintaining security, crowd control and entry system in the temple premises remains a big challenge for the management.
According to the new decision of the temple management, other persons will not be allowed inside before the Sevadhikari enters the temple. Its purpose is said to be to control unauthorized entry before the scheduled time. The management believes that it is necessary to maintain discipline during the conduct of daily worship and religious services of the temple.
This arrangement is expected to help in limiting unnecessary movement in the temple premises and streamlining the worship related activities. However, questions are being raised regarding the way the new order will be implemented and the people who will be affected by it.
The main reason behind the displeasure of the Goswami community is considered to be the concern regarding the age-old service tradition of the temple. The Goswami families have played an important religious role in the Banke Bihari temple. These families have been associated with the worship, adornment, bhog and other religious services of Thakurji for a long time.
Due to changes in the arrangements of the temple, differences have already arisen between the servants and the management. After the present decision, once again the issue of striking a balance between religious traditions and administrative control has come into discussion.
People associated with Goswami community are concerned that the historical traditions and service system of the temple should be respected. He believes that while implementing any new system, it is necessary to keep in mind the religious beliefs, worship method and traditional rights of the temple.
However, a detailed statement from any authorized representative of Goswami Samaj regarding this special order has not been available.
Meanwhile, the arrangements for special darshan in the temple have also been changed. According to recent reports, the hosts of Sevayat Goswamis and distinguished devotees coming through administrative channels will now have to register as per the prescribed procedure. After this, they will be able to get the benefit of special admission system only on the basis of slip issued.
For this purpose, arrangements for registration have been made at gate number four of the temple. Through the new system, efforts are being made to keep records of the devotees coming for specific darshan and to make the entry more transparent. Emphasis has also been laid on maintaining smooth arrangements for the darshan of common devotees.
The biggest challenge before the temple management is to maintain a balance between the convenience of the devotees and traditional religious systems. There is a distinct tradition of darshan in Banke Bihari temple. Here the curtain is drawn from time to time during the darshan of the Lord. This arrangement is considered an important part of the religious identity of the temple.
The traditions related to Mangala, Shringar or other scheduled services held daily in the temple have special significance. In such a situation, any decision regarding entry may impact the daily operations of the temple. This is the reason why the reaction of the service community regarding the new system is considered important.
Safety of devotees is also a priority for the temple management and administration. During the arrival of large number of devotees, the pressure on the entry and exit gates of the temple increases. In such a situation, stopping the movement of people entering without permission can be useful from the point of view of crowd control.
Instructions have also been issued from time to time at the judicial level in matters related to the management system of the temple and the facilities for the devotees. Various arrangements are being made for better administration, crowd control and smooth conduct of religious services in the temple.
After this decision, it will now be important to see how the temple management addresses the concerns of the Goswami community. Dialogue between parties belonging to religious traditions is being considered an important way to resolve the dispute.
At present, the decision to ban the entry of other persons before the Sevadhikari has given rise to a new discussion between the temple management and the Goswami community in Vrindavan. In the coming days, everyone’s eyes will be on the implementation of this system and the reaction of the Goswami community.