File picture of devotees playing with colours at Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh
| Photo Credit: ANI

A day after The Hindu reported that Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, was granted Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) registration without the temple priests applying for it, a government source said a court-appointed management committee had applied for the licence.

The source said the temple is currently managed by the court, which had formed the committee. “This management committee under court approval has applied for FCRA license,” the source confirmed.

“The temple used to be managed by a family of priests and was under private management earlier. The FCRA was approved after due application and processing after the court approval.

“As per the application, the temple receives a lot of foreign currencies in their chest and they also intend to receive donations from abroad,” the source said.

Legal battle with State government

The temple committee is locked in a legal battle with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government in the State over the control of the temple’s affairs and funds. The committee includes the State government’s nominees.

The Banke Bihari temple, until recently was owned and managed by a hereditary community of Sevayat Goswami priests, Saraswat Brahmins, and the descendants of Swami Haridas, who built the temple over 550 years ago.

Sources in the State government said the temple’s funds currently stand at about ₹480 crore, apart from gold and other valuables.

On Friday, the Ministry granted the FCRA registration to the ‘Thakur Shri Bankey Bihari Ji Maharaj Temple’ at Vrindavan under the “Religious (Hindu)” category.

Registration under the FCRA, 2010 is mandatory for non-government organisations (NGOs) and associations to receive foreign funds.