Vrindavan Today | Bureau Report
September 8th, 2026, Vrindavan : The 19th meeting of the High-Powered Management Committee constituted for the management of Thakur Shri Banke Bihari Ji Temple in Vrindavan was held at the Laxman Shaheed Smarak Bhawan in Vrindavan on Tuesday.
The meeting was chaired by Justice Ashok Kumar (Retd.), former Judge of the Allahabad High Court, and focused on a range of issues concerning temple administration, sanitation, festival preparations, live streaming of darshan, preservation and use of donated religious articles, floral decoration, and banking-related matters.
A major item on the agenda was the process for clearing the outstanding payments of sanitation workers from the previous period. The committee also discussed preparations and necessary arrangements for the upcoming festivals and religious occasions in Vrindavan, given the large number of devotees expected to visit the temple.
The committee considered an application from Prasar Bharati regarding live streaming of the darshan of Thakur Shri Banke Bihari Ji. Members also deliberated on the formulation of an appropriate advertising policy in connection with the proposed live broadcast.
Another important issue concerned complaints that several valuable articles donated by devotees for the service of Thakur Shri Banke Bihari Ji had not been used this year in accordance with tradition. These include a gold and silver swing (hindola), chariots, a silver Shesh throne, gold and silver boats, an elephant-trunk throne, and Surya Prabha and Chandra Prabha thrones. The committee discussed the matter in detail.
The meeting also considered a proposal to continue floral decoration at the temple on a regular basis, with a view to enhancing the devotional atmosphere for devotees visiting the shrine.
The committee further reviewed the status of compliance with directions issued during its previous meeting with bank managers. It also discussed the work undertaken by banks for the benefit of the temple and devotees since the committee assumed charge, including details of expenditure incurred on such initiatives.
Members in attendance
Those present at the meeting included Justice Ashok Kumar (Retd.), Chairman of the Committee; Mukesh Mishra, former District and Sessions Judge, Member; Vikas Kumar, District and Sessions Judge, Mathura, Member; Pratyush Anand Mishra, Munsif/Civil Judge, Mathura, Member; Chandra Prakash Singh, District Magistrate and Collector, Mathura, Member Secretary; Lakshmi N, Vice-Chairperson, Mathura-Vrindavan Development Authority; and Dr. Smita S. Kumar, Superintending Archaeologist, Archaeological Survey of India, Agra Circle.
Representatives of the temple’s Rajbhog group, including Shailendra Goswami and Rajat Goswami, and the Shayanbhog group, including Gopesh Goswami and Himanshu Goswami, were also present.
The meeting reviewed several administrative and devotional aspects of the management of the historic Shri Banke Bihari Ji Temple, with emphasis on improving arrangements for devotees while maintaining the temple’s traditional practices.
