The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to entertain a plea challenging the ‘VIP’ darshan’ facility across temples in India even as it disapproved of such preferential treatment and left the matter for government authorities to examine.
A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna and justice Sanjay Kumar made the remarks while hearing a writ petition seeking the abolition of VIP darshan fees charged by temples across the country.
“While we may be of the opinion that no special treatment should be given regarding temple entry, we do not find this a fit case to exercise jurisdiction under Article 32. However, the dismissal of this petition does not bar the appropriate authorities from taking action as required,” stated the bench in its order.
The development came amid heightened concerns over crowd management in religious gatherings, especially after the recent stampede at the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj that claimed at least 30 lives and left 60 injured. In response, the Uttar Pradesh government has revoked all VIP passes and entries to religious events to prevent further mishaps.
During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel urged the states to establish a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for managing temple darshans, arguing that granting special access to a privileged few was arbitrary and violated the principle of equality. The counsel linked such practices to stampede incidents, citing religious tourism as a significant contributor to such disasters.
“Today, all 12 jyotirlingas and shaktipeeths follow this practice. It is arbitrary and discriminatory. Even the ministry of home affairs has asked Andhra Pradesh to review it. Given that 60% of tourism in India is religious, this is a leading cause of stampedes,” the lawyer submitted.
CJI Khanna, however, pointed out that the core issue was law and order, and the plea should have focussed on that aspect.
“Please make a specific prayer regarding the precise issue,” remarked the bench. While the bench agreed that preferential treatment in temples was unfair, it explained that the court could not intervene under Article 32 as it was a policy matter for the Union and state governments to consider.
The petition by Vijay Kishor Goswami challenged the practice of offering special or expedited ‘VIP darshan’ in temples for an additional fee, arguing that it violated the right to equality (Article 14) and personal liberty (Article 21) by discriminating against devotees who could not afford such charges.
It highlighted that many temples impose fees ranging from ₹400 to ₹500 for better access to deities, thereby marginalising ordinary devotees, particularly women, persons with disabilities, and senior citizens, who face greater challenges in navigating temple premises.
Despite repeated representations to the ministry of home affairs, the plea claimed, the issue has only been addressed in Andhra Pradesh, leaving out other key pilgrimage states like Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
The petition sought abolition of VIP darshan fees as violative of fundamental rights and equal treatment of all devotees without financial barriers. Other prayers in the PIL included framing of SOPs by the Union government to ensure equitable access and formation of a national board to oversee temple management issues.