Is it ethical to have VIP darshan at a temple? Answered by a spiritual guru

Premanand Maharaj, a revered spiritual guru, resides in an ashram in Vrindavan where he hosts satsangs. He is a devout devotee of Goddess Radharani and is widely known across India. His satsangs are frequently trending on social media and are highly praised. Participants of these satsangs often approach Premanand Maharaj with their sorrows and questions, which he readily answers. Many times, devotees’ questions, along with Premanand Maharaj’s wise and spiritual answers, have gone viral on social media, one of which is currently trending.

Almost all the big holy temples and holy pilgrimage sites in the country have a general queue for devotees and a VIP darshan queue, where dignitaries and those ready to pay a certain amount of money can enter inside the temple without waiting for long.The morality and ethics of such VIP queues has been a long-running debate in the country, but recently one of Premanandji Maharaj’s devotees asked him his opinion on VIP darshan.He was asked how right it is to have VIP darshan in temples.

Premanandji Maharaj replied that if one approaches God through the power of money, it is not faith but an illusion. He further said that if one is respected more than another because of the power of money, there is no respect, it is just an illusion. He said that such people may pay money to enter a temple, but it is just a formality and they cannot approach God. He said that neither money nor illusions are valid before God, but only love and faith can bring Him closer. Premanandji Maharaj explained that the importance of Maya and Bhakti are very different and asserted that those who understand this difference will receive the blessings of the Almighty in abundance.