Ancient ritualistic traditions which have been followed for centuries in shrines like the Badrinath temple are being influenced by ‘VIP culture’ for some years now, much to the frustration of devotees and annoyance of Teerth Purohits. In recent years, there has been a rise in the influence of ‘VIP culture’ on the Char Dham Yatra with instances of traditions being ‘relaxed’ for the convenience of national and State level politicians, elected public representatives, those holding constitutional post and affluent industrialists to the chagrin of other pilgrims. While devotees stand in queues for hours to pay obeisance to the lord at the reopening of the shrine, ‘VIPs’ get to enter the temple even before the portals are ceremoniously opened for the public. Such discriminatory treatment was also seen at the reopening of Badrinath this year on May 11 when one of the temple doors was opened before the designated time of reopening of the main portals of Badrinath temple for the convenience of one such ‘VIP’. The latest example of such preferential treatment for ‘VIPs’ has upset pilgrims and members of the Teerth Purohit fraternity in Badrinath.
It is pertinent to mention here that as per the traditional astrological calculations made earlier, the portals of Badrinath were slated to be reopened to the public at the astrologically auspicious time of 4:30 AM. The rituals began earlier at 4 AM with the idol of Kuber being carried from Bamni village to the temple’s inner sanctum and shifting of goddess lakshmi’s idol out of the sanctum and ceremonially installing her in the lakshmi temple. During the winter when the shrine is closed to the public, goddess lakshmi remains with lord Badrinath in the inner sanctum whereas Uddhav and Kuber are placed with the lord during the period when the shrine is open for the public. Even as the rituals are being conducted before the portal reopening, the temple committee facilitates entry of some ‘special dignitaries’. Devotees started queuing up at 2 AM for the darshan of the lord on this special occasion. Brahmakapal Teerth Purohit Mahesh Sami said that facilitating entry of ‘VIPs’ from other doors before the temple portals are opened is not in accordance with ancient traditions. As per ritualistic regulations the ‘VIPs’ should enter the sanctum from the main doors after the portals of the shrine are opened to the public at the decided time, he said while also questioning the temple committee’s functioning in a manner which is akin to distortion of traditions.
The entry of all devotees- whoever they be- to the shrine must be facilitated through the main entrance only on such important occasions, he stressed. One of the thousands of pilgrims arriving in Badrinath, Vimal Rastogi said that the ‘general’ devotees wait in line for hours to pay their obeisance and are upset when special treatment of ‘VIPs’ affects their darshan of lord Badrinath, he said.