LUCKNOW: After the Supreme Court’s nod to the Banke Bihari Corridor project proposed by Uttar Pradesh government in Vrindavan and Mathura, State Governor Anandiben Patel gave her assent to an ordinance to set up the Shri Banke Bihari Ji Mandir Nyas Trust here on Tuesday.
The Yogi Adityanath cabinet had cleared the proposal for setting up of the trust last week. This Trust will be responsible for ensuring that the religious rituals, practices, festivals, puja at Banke Bihar Temple continue without any interference or changes besides overseeing the appointment of priests, ensuring security of devotees, and supervising work on the proposed corridor.
The board will have total 18 members with 11 nominated ones and seven ex-officio members, including two representatives from the temple’s traditional Goswami community. No non-Hindu will be allowed to be on the Board.
Notably, the apex court on May 15 had given its approval to the proposed corridor, which had been facing strong opposition from local people as they feel that the proposed project would compromise the religious antiquity of the place.
The apex court, however, had allowed the state government to acquire five-acres of land around the temple by spending money offered by the devotees at the temple. The land shall be purchased in the name of the presiding deity Shree Banke Bihariji.
The proposed corridor, more or less like Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, will have all public amenities, including the parking lots. The project aims at ensuring the safety of pilgrims who currently have to wade through extremely narrow lanes, as narrow as 3 ft -14 ft, to reach the temple. These narrow lanes, called Kunj Galiyan, become packed to the brim during the weekends when footfall exceed 5 lakh, leading to a stampede-like situation.
The state government came up with the idea of the corridor, keeping in mind the tragedy of 2022, when two persons had suffocated to death due to a stampede. Now, with the corridor in place, the courtyard of the temple premises would be able to accommodate 10,000 people at the same time.
The trust’s first task will be to oversee temple’s arrangements, worship, and security arrangements on the Teej festival which falls on July 27 this year.
The newly formed trust will include 18 members, comprising seven ex-officio officials, 11 senior nominated members, and a CEO will soon be appointed to supervise the trust’s operations and ensure efficient governance.
As per the plan, the corridor will connect Banke Bihari Temple with other major religious attractions such as Radha Raman temple and Madan Mohan temple while facilitating smoother routes under the larger Braj Teerth Vikas plan.
The plan also has a suspension bridge proposed over the river Yamuna, directly in front of the new corridor. This bridge will link the Yamuna Expressway side of Vrindavan to the temple, enabling pilgrims to park across the river and travel via e-rickshaws or small vehicles to the temple.