Refusing to interfere with the High Court’s ruling, the apex court declined to entertain the plea and advised the petitioners to pursue their grievance before the High Court. With this, the existing arrangement—under which the Mahakal Temple Management Committee follows the collector’s decisions on sanctum entry—will continue.
The petition was filed by Indore-based advocates Charchit Shastri and Darpan Awasthi, who alleged discrimination against common devotees. They argued that while lakhs of pilgrims are restricted to darshan from outside the sanctum, politicians and influential individuals are allowed entry for rituals and worship, undermining the principle of equality among devotees.
The issue had earlier come up before the Indore High Court, which, about six months ago, ruled that the district collector is competent to decide sanctum access on a case-by-case basis. The court observed that if the collector grants permission to an individual on a particular day, that person would be treated as a VIP for that occasion, irrespective of status or designation.
The controversy is set against the backdrop of prolonged restrictions on public access to the sanctum. Entry for general devotees has remained closed since July 4, 2023, when the temple administration shut the sanctum citing heavy crowds during the Shravan month. Although officials had announced that access would resume after Shravan ended on September 11, 2023, the restriction has continued for over a year.
Crowd management has emerged as a central concern following the inauguration of the Mahakal Lok corridor in October 2022. Daily footfall at the temple reportedly rose from 20,000–30,000 devotees to nearly 1.5–2 lakh, significantly increasing pressure on temple infrastructure and security arrangements.
Before the closure, devotees were permitted to perform abhishek and other rituals inside the sanctum on payment of a ₹1,500 fee. At present, darshan is limited to the Ganesh Mandap, Kartikeya Mandap, and Nandi Hall, with no public entry into the sanctum sanctorum.
The continued restriction has drawn criticism from local representatives. Ujjain MP Anil Firojiya has written to authorities and publicly urged Chief Minister Mohan Yadav to facilitate reopening of the sanctum for common devotees. The Ujjain Mayor has also questioned the current darshan व्यवस्था, calling for a more inclusive arrangement.
With the Supreme Court’s refusal to intervene, any change to the existing system is now likely to hinge on administrative decisions by the district administration or further directions from the High Court.
