Allahabad High Court dismisses plea challenging paid darshan system in Kashi Vishwanath Temple

The Allahabad High Court recently dismissed a plea challenging the 'Sugam Darshan' system in Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple (Banaras, Uttar Pradesh), which provides priority 'darshan' on payment of certain amount of money [Gajendra Singh Yadav v. State of Uttar Pradesh]..A Division Bench of Justices Manoj Misra and Sameer Jain dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition filed in this regard and held that the decision of the board of trustees of the temple in providing 'Sugam Darshan' system would not fall within the ambit of judicial review. "Once the Board of Trustees are vested with the power to fix fees for the performance of any worship, service, rituals, ceremony, or religious observance in the temple and in the exercise of such power, they make a decision to provide a facility of 'SUGAM DARSHAN' for those who, on account of their disability, be it physical or otherwise, cannot wait in a queue and, while taking such decision, they do not exclude the common class from exercising their right of worship or perform Puja as per religious practices, in our view, the decision of the board of trustees does not fall within the ambit of judicial review," the court held .The plea moved by one, Gajendra Singh Yadav challenged the ‘Sugam Darshan’ in Kashivishwanath Temple, which which allows any person to become a 'Very Important Person' (VIP) on payment of some amount for the purpose of 'darshan'.It was alleged that "this ‘queue-less’, ‘hassle-free’ Darshan system was in fact nothing but a way of collecting money and hence it discriminates against similarly situated people who are not financial well off and who cannot afford to pay.Advocate Manish Goyal appearing for the State, submitted that the facility of Sugam Darshan has been provided not with a view to exclude common worshippers or to prevent them from performing essential religious practices but with a view to enable certain class of persons who by virtue of their physical disabilities or for other reasons are not in a position to stand in a queue to have darshan.In response, it was contended by the petitioner that if the temple board was willing to provide convenience for physically disabled persons, then there would been no requirement of payment for availing the said services. The Court, however, proceeded to reject the plea holding that it the decision of the temple board in this regard is beyond the scope of judicial review..[Read order]