Prayagraj, Feb. 5 -- The Allahabad high court has dismissed a contempt application filed against the Supreme Court-constituted high-powered committee for management of the Banke Bihari temple at Vrindavan in Mathura district. The plea was filed against the committee for increasing the darshan timings at the temple, allegedly in violation of the high court's November 2022 order. Justice Ashok Kumar, a retired judge of Allahabad high court, heads the Supreme Court-constituted committee. Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal noted that the committee, empowered by the top court to oversee the day-to-day affairs of the temple, had decided to increase the darshan timings in light of the huge influx of pilgrims at the Banke Bihari temple, who are facing great hardship. In its order dated January 22, the high court noted that the committee was acting to alleviate pressure inside and outside the temple so that pilgrims would not be subjected to distress. The present contempt petition was filed by Gaurav Goswami on September 23, 2025, contending that once the high court had passed an order staying the operation of an order passed by a Mathura civil court (in November 2022), the committee could not have increased the darshan timings. The civil court's order of Mathura had attempted to increase darshan timings based on a communication between the district magistrate and the district judge. That order was promptly stayed by the high court. The Supreme Court constituted a high-powered temple management committee on August 8, 2025 and tasked it with overseeing and supervising the day-to-day operations inside and outside the temple. On September 11, 2025, the committee adopted a resolution to extend the duration of darshan. The Mathura district magistrate, who serves as the member secretary of the committee, issued an office memorandum on September 19, 2025, implementing the change. The contempt petition submitted before the high court that the committee's decision flouted the restraining order passed by the high court. It was also submitted that increasing the darshan timing would alter the deity's daily routine and that an administrative body could not override a judicial order. The court found no merit in the plea as it noted that the context in which the high court passed the stay order in November 2022 differed from the context in which the committee took the resolution. The single judge noted the committee had taken the decision after due consideration and that it had been mandated to oversee and supervise the day-to-day functioning inside and outside the temple....