The Supreme Court on Tuesday (January 27, 2026) did not entertain a petition against the practice of ‘VIP darshan’ permitted at the famed Shri Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain, saying the court is not meant to play the role of gatekeeper to who enters a temple and when.
“In the presence of Mahakal [the deity], nobody is a VIP,” Chief Justice of India Surya Kant addressed advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, the counsel for the petitioner, Darpan Awasthi. Mr. Jain argued that there ought to be a uniform policy, especially about entering the garbh-garha (sanctum sanctorum).
“The court is not the one to decide on this. Let those in the helm of affairs decide. We are only about justiciability. Courts cannot start to decide who should be allowed or not and when they should be allowed or not,” Chief Justice Kant responded.
We cannot decide on VIP darshan, States can: Supreme Court
Mr. Awasthi had challenged a Madhya Pradesh High Court order dismissing his petition against the preferential treatment given to VIPs to enter the sanctum to offer water to the deity, while denying access to the general public.
