Supreme Court Declines to Intervene in Mahakal Temple VIP Darshan Case
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has declined to hear a petition challenging the restrictions on access to the sanctum sanctorum (garbhagriha) of the Mahakal Temple in Ujjain, stating that determining who can enter a temple is not a matter for judicial intervention. The petitioner subsequently withdrew the case, seeking permission to submit a depiction to the relevant authorities.
The decision was delivered on Tuesday by a bench comprising Chief Justice D.Y. chandrachud,Justice R. Mahadevan, and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, following a hearing on a petition filed by Darpan Awasthi against an order issued by the Madhya Pradesh High Court. While the court refused to adjudicate the matter, it granted the petitioner’s counsel, Vishnu Shankar Jain, the liberty to submit a representation to the competent authority.
High Court Dismissed Earlier Petition
Previously, the Indore bench of the madhya Pradesh High Court had dismissed the petition in August 2025, asserting that the District Magistrate of Ujjain and the administrator of the Mahakal Temple held the authority to decide who could enter the sanctum sanctorum. Access to the garbhagriha has been restricted for the past two and a half years. However, the petition alleged that rules were being disregarded to allow access to specific individuals, namely VIPs.
The Supreme Court’s decision underscores the judiciary’s reluctance to interfere in the internal management of religious institutions, particularly concerning matters of access and religious practice, leaving the decision-making power with the temple management and local authorities.
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