 "Another Mandir Makeover: What is Vrindavan's Banke Bihari temple, which is all set for an upgrade?")
In the latest development in the Banke Bihari Corridor PIL, the Allahabad High Court authorised the corridor’s construction in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, citing the “convenience of devotees” as justification.
The temple corridor would provide three easy ways for devotees to get to the Krishna temple.
Notably, it will be constructed along the same lines as the Kashi-Vishwanath Temple Corridor.
Here’s all you need to know.
The temple and its history
Built in 1864, the Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan is one of the most popular temples in North India.
According to Bihariji.org, the Banke Bihari idol is thought to be the combined form of the celestial couple Radha and Krishna (Shyama Shyam).
Swami Haridas, a musician and saint from Vrindavan, is credited with manifesting the idol. It is thought that he is the incarnation of Lalita “sakhi,” a close friend of Radha Krishna in their celestial home of Goloka.
According to popular belief, the celestial couple first came before Swami Haridas in Nidhivan when he asked them to merge into one form.
Granting his wish, the couple became one single black idol, which Swami Haridas dubbed Kunj Bihari or Banke Bihari.
Afterwards, the idol was moved from Nidhivan to the Banke Bihari shrine.
The HC order
Only 1,000 people can be accommodated at a time in the temple’s ancient construction.
The petition has detailed incidents when devotees have died as a result of the large gathering.
Quick Reads
View AllThe Yogi Adityanath government’s proposal for the corridor was met with stiff resistance from locals and shopkeepers who said the project would force them out of their homes or disturb their daily routines, according to The New Indian Express.
Priests and shopkeepers also used their own blood to write the Chief Minister a letter asking him to halt the project.
However, on Monday, a bench comprising Allahabad High Court Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker and Justice Ashutosh Srivastava approved the proposal for the new corridor.
The state government also ensured that the construction would not hinder the devotees while offering prayers at the Banke Bihari Temple.
According to the report, the court asked the state authorities to utilise its own money for the “secular activity of facilitating public interest.”
Construction plan
For the construction of the corridor, the Allahabad HC has allotted five acre of land near Yamuna River which includes 325 properties, shops and houses, according to NDTV.
The UP government would provide Rs 262 crore towards the historic corridor’s construction. More than 10,000 followers can stay within the complex at once; it will be constructed across five acres. Three routes – from the Jadoun parking lot, Vidyapeeth crossroads, and Jugalghat – will allow devotees to access the temple.
The report said that the temple will be surrounded by a two-story floors. The entry complex’s ground floor will occupy 11,300 square metres. Additionally, there will be stores on the ground floor that sell puja supplies and a hallway lined with murals of Krishna.
Along with 5,113 square metres of open space, there will be a 3.500 square metre pilgrim waiting room.
The plan also calls for a 37,000 square metre parking facility for the Banke Bihari Bridge. Additionally, smaller bridges in front of the main temple and Devraha Baba Ghat are suggested in addition to a suspension across the Yamuna River, as per The New Indian Express.
The state cabinet minister Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary has said, “The area around the Banke Bihari temple will be developed on the lines of the Kashi Vishwanath corridor in Varanasi. The corridor will be able to accommodate more than 50,000 devotees at a time. Devotees, after taking a dip in the Yamuna, can directly reach he temple via the corridor.”
Other corridors construction across India
To increase religious tourism within India, the BJP government has suggested building numerous corridors, including the Banke Bihari corridor.
Last year, at the Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, PM Narendra Modi officially opened the Mahakal Corridor.
The Lord Shiva temple receives thousands of worshippers every day, and lakhs more on certain occasions.
The God business is a good business
Over 60 per cent of all tourism in India is attributed to religious and spiritual tourism, according to the Ministry of Tourism. The revenue generated by religious tourism destinations increased to 134,543 crore in 2022 from 65,070 crore in 2021.
The Banke Bihari Temple Corridor would therefore facilitate darshan and attract more pilgrims, boosting the town’s economy, whose main business is “temple.”
With inputs from agencies
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