The disagreement between residents of Joshimath and Pandukeshwar regarding the winter-worship place of lord Badrinath has not yet been resolved.
The State Government has decided to hold a five-day fest at each of the four shrines where the presiding deities of the Char Dham shrines are worshipped during the winters.
The Government has also released about Rs12.5 lakh to the temple committees for this. During a meeting held in the sub-divisional magistrates office, the residents of Pandukeshwar strongly objected to the festival being organised at Joshimath along with Pandukeshwar.
The Joshimath SDM AK Nautiyal has left the decision on the State Government but observers are blaming the Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee for failing to clarify whether the Narsinh temple in Joshimath or the Yogdhyan temple in Pandukeshwar is the winter-worship place of lord Badrinath.
A meeting of the temple committee representative, residents of Pandukeshwar and Joshimath was held in the office of the Joshimath SDM on Tuesdayregarding the five-day festival.
The temple committee has decided to organise the five-day festival at both Pandukeshwar and Joshimath. The temple committee is planning to spend Rs6.25 lakh each for the festivals at Pandukeshwar and Joshimath.
The traditional right holders and residents of Pandukeshwar opposed this plan and stressed that the festival should be held only in Pandukeshwar.
While the temple committee continues to delay the clarification of its stand on this, the disagreement between residents of Joshimath and Pandukeshwar is continuing.
Questions are being raised at the functioning of the BKTC as the disagreement on the winter-worship place of lord Badrinath could have been cleared earlier by consulting past records and documents on the winter worship of Badrinath.
While the Chief Minister Harish Rawat speaks to the media in Delhi about the merits and expected gains from the winter pilgrimage in Uttarakhand, the State authorities appear to be ignoring the continuing disagreement on the winter-worship place of lord Badrinath.
The winter pilgrimage for devotees of Badrinath is being facilitated to the Narsinh temple in Joshimath where only 60 visitors have arrived in about two weeks.