Fri Sep 12 11:01:48 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary of the text and a rewritten news article based on it:
**Summary:**
The High-Powered Management Committee of the Bankey Bihari temple in Mathura has announced significant changes aimed at improving crowd management, transparency, and infrastructure. These changes include banning VIP passes, adjusting darshan timings for summer and winter, and advocating for the use of designated entry and exit gates. Furthermore, the committee has proposed a financial audit, a structural audit by IIT Roorkee, and the opening of a room locked since 1971, all while enhancing the temple’s security.
**News Article:**
**Bankey Bihari Temple Announces Sweeping Changes: VIP Passes Banned, Finances to be Audited**
**Mathura, September 12, 2025** – The Bankey Bihari temple in Vrindavan is set to undergo significant changes following a meeting of its High-Powered Management Committee, led by retired Allahabad High Court Justice Ashok Kumar. The committee announced a series of measures designed to improve crowd management, enhance transparency, and upgrade the temple’s infrastructure.
Effective immediately, all VIP passes for darshans have been banned in an effort to ensure equitable access for all devotees. The Mathura Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) has been tasked with ensuring that devotees adhere to designated entry and exit points within the next three days.
The temple’s daily darshan timings will also be adjusted seasonally. During summer, the temple will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. to 9:45 p.m., while winter timings will be 8:00 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 9:15 p.m.
In a move towards greater accountability, the committee has called for a special audit of the temple’s finances. Further, a structural audit of the temple building and premises will be conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee, to assess its condition.
Adding to the intrigue, the committee has ordered the opening of a room adjacent to the sanctum sanctorum, which has remained locked since 1971. A special supervisory committee has been formed, including the auditor, civil judge, circle officer of Vrindavan, and a representative from the Goswami community, to oversee the process, which will be videographed, and a detailed inventory will be created.
Finally, the committee has recommended outsourcing the temple’s security to a professional agency, with a preference for one employing retired Army personnel. These changes signal a new era of governance for the revered Bankey Bihari temple.
First Piper 