Vrindavan: Vrindavan’s renowned Shri Banke Bihari Temple witnessed an unusual disruption after a halwai assigned to prepare daily offerings stopped cooking bhog due to non payment of his salary, breaking a long followed temple tradition.
According to temple sources, a high power committee was constituted to manage temple arrangements following directions of the Supreme Court. Under this arrangement, a halwai was appointed to prepare prasad and bhog for Thakurji and was paid a monthly salary of Rs 80,000.
Officials said the halwai had not received his salary for the past few months. As a result, bal bhog and shayan bhog were not prepared for Thakurji, an incident described by sevayats as unprecedented in recent memory. The disruption led to concern among devotees who consider the daily offerings an essential part of worship.
Temple sources said the delay and non preparation of bhog marked a break in a tradition that has been followed continuously for years at the Banke Bihari Temple. The issue triggered discontent among sevayats, who raised objections over administrative lapses.
Members of the high power committee acknowledged the problem and said the matter would be discussed to ensure that payments are made on time. Temporary arrangements were later put in place to complete the remaining rituals.
The incident has again drawn attention to administrative challenges in the management of the Banke Bihari Temple, which has been under scrutiny following recent changes in its governance structure.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had issued directions on the management of the Banke Bihari Temple, including crowd control, regulation of darshan hours and improvement of facilities for devotees. The court had stressed the need for a structured administrative mechanism to ensure smooth darshan, safety of pilgrims and uninterrupted religious practices, leading to the formation of the high power committee to oversee temple affairs.
Sevayats have urged authorities to resolve the issue promptly to prevent any recurrence and to ensure that religious practices are not affected by administrative disputes.
