5 months ago
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The Supreme Court connected Tuesday (January 27, 2026) did not entertain a petition against the signifier of ‘VIP darshan’ permitted astatine the famed Shri Mahakaleshwar temple successful Ujjain, saying the tribunal is not meant to play the relation of gatekeeper to who enters a temple and when.
“In the beingness of Mahakal [the deity], cipher is simply a VIP,” Chief Justice of India Surya Kant addressed advocator Vishnu Shankar Jain, the counsel for the petitioner, Darpan Awasthi. Mr. Jain argued that determination ought to beryllium a azygous policy, particularly astir entering the garbh-garha (sanctum sanctorum).
“The tribunal is not the 1 to determine connected this. Let those successful the helm of affairs decide. We are lone astir justiciability. Courts cannot commencement to determine who should beryllium allowed oregon not and erstwhile they should beryllium allowed oregon not,” Chief Justice Kant responded.
Mr. Awasthi had challenged a Madhya Pradesh High Court bid dismissing his petition against the preferential attraction fixed to VIPs to participate the sanctum to connection h2o to the deity, portion denying entree to the wide public.
“The High Court differentiated betwixt citizens. A idiosyncratic enters the sanctum connected the bid of Collector,” Mr. Jain submitted.
“People would privation to participate due to the fact that idiosyncratic other is doing it. Then they volition accidental we privation to chant mantras arsenic portion of our close to speak. All cardinal rights person to be practised wrong the sanctum sanctorum? Please spell and marque your practice earlier the authorization concerned,” the CJI observed orally, allowing Mr. Jain to retreat the petition.
In a abstracted case, the Bench headed by Chief Justice Kant observed orally that temples with “limited authorities involution for the intent of management” showed an betterment successful the prime of services and facilities provided to pilgrims.
“There are present bully facilities from the donations. When the authorities constitutes a committee, we are not saying everybody whitethorn beryllium right, astir of them are spending that magnitude [from donations] for the payment of visitors. There are bully places to stay, bully roads, superior hospitals… All the basal amenities are provided,” Chief Justice Kant remarked.
The oral observations acrophobic a petition linked to the Anjaneya temple, believed to beryllium Lord Hanuman’s birthplace situated astatine Anjanadri Hills Koppal territory successful Karnataka
