Vrindavan’s Banke Bihari Temple Extends Darshan Timings; Sets Up Systematic Queuing System For Devotees

The Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan, a revered shrine dedicated to Lord Krishna, attracts millions of devotees annually. To better manage the crowd and reduce long queues, the authorities have announced new rules. These include extended darshan timings and a proper queuing system. Here’s more on this. 

Extended Darshan Timings For Banke Bihari Temple In Vrindavan 

The High Power Management Committee, which oversees Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan, made this announcement on Saturday. As per a report by The Indian Express, summer darshan will now take place from 7 am to 12:30 pm and again from 4:15 pm to 9:30 pm. In addition to that, the Shringar aarti will be held from 7 am to 7:15 am. The temple doors will close after the Rajbhog aarti and again after the Shayan aarti at 9:30 pm.

Devotees can rejoice as the winter darshan timings have also been extended. Devotees can visit from 8 am to 1:30 pm and from 4 pm to 9 pm. Furthermore, the Shringar aarti will be observed from 8 am to 8:15 am. Reportedly, the decision to extend the timings was issued by Committee Secretary and Mathura District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh after the panel’s fifth meeting, chaired by retired Allahabad High Court judge Ashok Kumar.

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New Crowd Management Rules

These extended hours aim to manage the heavy rush inside this Lord Krishna temple. The committee has also approved a new entry-exit system to streamline movement within the temple complex, which covers 870 square metres with a 365-square-metre viewing courtyard.

Devotees will now enter through Gates 2 and 3 and exit through Gates 1 and 4. Steel railings will create three queues at each entry point, ensuring systematic darshan. Concerns around VIP passes have also been addressed. Chairman Ashok Kumar stated that the practice of issuing duplicate or photocopied VIP passes has now completely stopped. VIP darshan will only be conducted as per standard protocols.

These measures follow a recent scuffle between two women and security staff over VIP queues earlier this month. After the incident, an inquiry committee was set up to recommend both short and long-term crowd-management solutions.

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The new rules will come into effect immediately to ensure smoother darshan during the upcoming festive season, when lakhs of devotees visit daily. What do you think of these changes? Let us know!

Cover Image Courtesy: Shri Banke Bihari Mandir/ Website and Banke Bihari Temple, Wikipedia/ Kridha20