Vrindavan's Banke Bihari Temple Rejects Demand To Stop Using Deity Attires Made By Muslims

Priests at the Banke Bihari temple have rejected a request to stop using costumes made by Muslim artisans for the deity, stating that religious discrimination has no place in temple traditions.

File photo of Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan.

Source : PTI

Priests at the famous Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan have rejected a demand asking them to stop using costumes made by Muslim artisans for the deity, stating that religious discrimination has no place in temple traditions.

Dinesh Sharma, a leader of the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Mukti Sangharsh Nyas, has demanded that the temple authorities to avoid using the services of Muslim artisans and ensure that Lord Krishna's attires are crafted only by those who adhere to 'religious purity', PTI reported.

The right-wing group said that the deity's costumes should not be made by those who 'consume meat and do not respect Hindu traditions or cow protection'. In a letter, the group has also threatened to launch a protest, if their demand is ignored by the management.

What Temple Priest Gyanendra Kishore Goswami Said?

Terming the demand as 'not practical', temple priest Gyanendra Kishore Goswami said that they do not discriminate against any community, and added that those who offer attires for the deity ensure purity themselves before getting them made. Goswami pointed out that artisans cannot be judged based on religion, citing historical examples from Hindu scriptures where both virtuous and sinful individuals were born into the same family.

"If Kansa, a sinner, was born in the same lineage as Lord Krishna's grandfather Ugrasen, and if Prahlad, a great devotee of Vishnu, was born to the demon Hiranyakashipu, how can we judge artisans based on their faith,” Goswami asked, as reported by PTI.

He also said that in Vrindavan, most of the intricate crowns and dresses for the deity are made by Muslim artisans. Similarly, in Kashi, Rudraksha garlands, sacred to Lord Shiva, are crafted by Muslim families, he added.

Goswami said that Mughal emperor Akbar once gifted Swami Haridas, a revered saint associated with the temple, an offering of perfume for Lord Krishna's worship. "Even today, musicians from the Muslim community play the 'nafiri' (a traditional wind instrument) during special occasions,” he added.

While talking to PTI, on condition of anonymity, another temple priest said that around 80 per cent of the skilled artisans making the deity's attires, crowns, and intricate 'zardozi' work are Muslims.

"Not just attire, but even the temple's iron railings, grills, and other structures are crafted by them. How can we inspect the personal purity of every artisan,” he asked.

While pointing out, the logistical challenge to this demand, he said that other communities do not possess the same level of expertise in crafting the attires.

However, temple administrator Umesh Saraswat distanced himself from this issue and said that the decisions related to deity’s attires and temple rituals lie solely with the temple's priestly lineage.