In temples across India, ministers and celebrities have often been able to skip queues on account of their VIP status to seek divine blessings and darshan. However, purchasing darshan has two severe implications for faith. First, it removes the significance of the pilgrim’s journey, which is reflective of the inner conflict and inconvenience in one’s journey towards the divine. Second, it creates a theological implication which contradicts a fundamental premise of faith. Where those with social standing or money can purchase easier access, it implies that the divine endorses and rewards materialistic superiority.
The implications are not abstract but find resonance with the analysis of Communitarian philosopher Michael J. Sandel. In his book What Money Can’t Buy, Sandel argues that the introduction of goods and services into the market changes their value and therefore, certain goods and services which have normative value in society must not be available to exchange for money. In the case of temple darshans and access to deities, we see this change in value. The entire experience of darshan is vastly different for someone with a monetarily purchased VIP access versus someone without it. Their experience of attaining the blessing is almost contradictory.
On May 29th, 2026, a vacation bench in the Madras High Court questioned this practice of VIP darshan, calling it “wrong and discriminatory”. It raised one of the oldest propositions of faith when it said that “everyone is equal before God”. The court’s challenge implied that the equality of the divine must be exercised by the institutions of faith and their processes, too. While the High Court as well as the Supreme Court did not issue directions, it did challenge a long-existing practice. But before the court recognised the issue with permitting special access to individuals based on higher social standing or wealth, the Omkareshwar temple in Madhya Pradesh initiated a pilot to redefine VIP access to deity and divine blessings.
As one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, the Omkareshwar temple queue can stretch up to four hours. However, the temple is redefining the practice of privileged access by linking it to civic responsibility and social contribution instead of wealth. Devotees who donate blood at the temple’s Khandwa district hospital can skip the queue to receive VIP entry into the temple for themselves and their family. Four hours reduced to 20 minutes by donating blood.
While the issue remains unresolved in the realm of law, the Omkareshwar temple has been proactive and redefined the practice in a way that aligns with faith’s oldest purposes – inculcate positive behaviour in society. Where the old currency of access implied that faith and the divine rewarded material success, this change in the currency of access to its deity also implies a change in what faith and the divine value in an individual. Access now rests on something every healthy individual possesses and can exercise a choice in donating or not. It links devotion with social responsibility. In doing so, it reintroduced the idea and practice of devotion to God through serving others, building an inherent relationship between an institution of faith and a practical reality. The temple has undertaken a proactive role in assuming its responsibility in effecting change without extending its reach.
Launched by Collector Rishabh Gupta in February 2026 as a pilot programme, the initiative has led to the elimination of local blood shortages and an adequate supply of rare blood groups, particularly due to the specific significance of charity acts during the holy month of ‘Adhik Maas’.Donations for the first 14 days of June surpassed the monthly average. While 168 units of blood were collected at the initiative’s inception in February 2026, 497 units were gathered by 24th June, 2026. Against a national shortage of 4 million units, this will have a minute impact. Against the WHO-recommended minimum donation rate of 1%, India’s sits at 0.8%. However, the success of Omkareshwar temple’s initiative, particularly during the holy months, indicates that the application of the initiative on a national scale can effect real and considerable change,e meeting India’s blood donation demands.
However, the initiative retains the underlying logic of privileging access to a deity. Special darshan to donors still perpetuates a practice of privileging some people over others. It still perpetuates a practice of granting access to the divine in exchange for something, even though this something is a social contribution.
Michael Sandel says that introducing a good into the market changes the value of the good. What about introducing a good into faith? Faith, particularly the fear of faith, has long been used to maintain peace and order in society. But what happens when faith is linked with a social good and creates a hierarchy of access? Are people who donate blood spiritually superior to those who do not? Is civic virtue the new and appropriate ranking of hierarchy for institutions of faith?
The answer lies in whether faith has a role to play in guiding and shaping civic virtue and if we accept this role. Access in exchange for money contradicts faith’s independence from materialistic success. However, access on the basis of a social contribution does not face the same contradiction. Access on the basis of social contribution does not change the nature of the darshan in the same way as purchasing it does. Purchasing darshan creates a hierarchy based on what one has. Special darshan for blood donors and their families creates a hierarchy based on one’s choice to give something of oneself; a choice every individual over 45 kgs and between the ages of 18 – 60 can make.
It is equalising because every healthy devotee has the capacity to make that exchange.
References:
- Deccan Chronicle — “MP Mulls Offering VIP Darshan to Devotees for Voluntary Blood Donation.” https://www.deccanchronicle.com
- India.com — “Is Omkareshwar Temple providing ‘VIP darshan’ in exchange for blood donation?” https://www.india.com
- Outlook India — “India Faces Critical Blood Shortage: WHO Urges Action on World Blood Donor Day.” https://www.outlookindia.com
- ORF Online — “Securing India’s Lifeblood For A Reliable National Blood Supply.” https://www.orfonline.org
- India TV News — “Why did Madras High Court say paid VIP darshan in temples wrong and discriminatory?” https://www.indiatvnews.com
- WHO — “India strengthens blood safety for universal access and quality-assured blood services.” https://www.who.int