Allahabad HC Directs District Administration To Oversee Janmashtami Celebrations At Banke Bihari Temple

The Allahabad High Court has tasked the district administration with overseeing law and order during the upcoming Janmashtami celebrations at the Banke Bihari temple in Mathura, likely from 25 to 29 August 2024.

In its recent directive, the court also mandated that live streaming of the festival be confined to within the temple premises as part of the state government’s crowd control strategy.

The court allowed the state government to proceed with its broader crowd management plans but emphasized that it must consult with the Civil Judge Junior Division, Mathura, before installing CCTV cameras.

These measures will follow the temple management system established in 1939, overseen by a receiver.

The instructions require the District Magistrate to ensure that these arrangements comply with the Civil Judge’s orders.

Traditionally, the temple management, led by the receiver, has managed crowds during the Janmashtami festival.

Court Orders Temple Management To Collaborate With Government For Janmashtami

In light of these challenges, the court has now ruled that the temple management must work alongside government agencies to coordinate festival arrangements.

The next hearing for the case is on 28 August.

The division bench, comprising Justice Siddharth Verma and Justice Ram Manohar Narayan Mishra, issued the order while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Anant Sharma and another petitioner.

Previously, on 8 November 2023, the court had issued directives to the state government regarding crowd control at the temple.

However, these directives were not fully implemented, prompting the government to file an application seeking amendments to the original instructions.

In response, some citizens argued that court orders alone cannot effectively manage crowd control.

The state government has assured the court that they will make appropriate arrangements for the Janmashtami festival.

These plans include live streaming within the temple, the installation of screens at various locations outside the temple, and the use of barricades to manage the flow of devotees.

Additionally, the temple will allow only a limited number of people inside at any given time to prevent overcrowding.

To ensure the safety and comfort of the large number of devotees likely to visit, the district administration has divided the temple area into three zones and ten sectors.

During the festivities, Additional District Magistrates (ADM) and Superintendents of Police (SP) will oversee the zoned areas, while Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDM) and Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSP) will manage the sectors.

The court has directed officials to manage crowds effectively to prevent prolonged stops during darshan.

The court’s decision to limit live streaming to inside the temple came after advocate Sankalp Goswami raised objections to broadcasting the event outside the temple premises.

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