Badrinath, Kedarnath temples to restrict entry of non-Hindus
A proposal to ban non-Hindus from entering Badrinath, Kedarnath and Gangotri temples is likely to be approved later this week, a temple committee official said on Monday.
However, the Yamunotri Temple Committee, one of the four holy shrines, has not yet made a decision on this matter. Chairman of the Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee, Hemant Dwivedi, told that the committee has reached a consensus among all stakeholders, including saints, pilgrimage priests, and locals, regarding the prohibition of entry of non-Hindus into the temple areas.
The Gangotri Temple Committee has already made their decision. “This proposal will be formally approved at the Temple Committee Board meeting later this week, after which this rule will come into effect at the Badrinath and Kedarnath shrines,” Dwivedi said. “The prohibition on entry of non-Hindus has been in place since the time of Adi Shankaracharya, and our Constitution also gives us the right to manage our religious places,” he said. He said, “Badrinath and Kedarnath shrines are not tourist destinations but centres of faith. These are Vedic centres founded by Adi Shankaracharya. Article 26 of the Indian Constitution gives every sect the right to manage its religious affairs.”
He further clarified that people who believe in Sanatan Dharma are welcome at these temples.
When asked about Sikh and Jain devotees who have long visited Kedarnath and Badrinath shrines, Dwivedi said that the issue is not about any particular religion but about the individual's faith in the religious place. Uttarakhand Governor Lieutenant General Gurmeet Singh (Retd) has also been visiting both temples. Meanwhile, Suresh Semwal, Secretary of the Gangotri Temple Committee, stated that non-Hindus will be barred from entering the Ganga Temple.
Semwal said, “We have repeatedly stated this, and now we are once again announcing on behalf of the temple committee that non-Hindus will be barred from entering the Ganga Temple. Gangotri Dham will be completely off-limits to non-Hindus.” Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also stated that temple committees play a key role in managing the Char Dham Yatra, while the government's role is merely supportive. He stated that all stakeholders will be heard in this regard.
Recently, the Ganga Sabha, the organisation that manages Har Ki Pauri and surrounding ghats in Haridwar, has also demanded that non-Hindus be barred from entering all Ganga Ghats and religious sites within the Kumbh Mela area before the proposed Ardh Kumbh next year. Citing the Haridwar Municipal Corporation Act of 1916, the Ganga Sabha has also put up signs declaring a “non-Hindu prohibited area” in the area around Har Ki Pauri.
Reacting to this, the Congress party said that the BJP Government in the state is doing this to divert attention from public problems.
Former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat said, “The Government should consider where to impose restrictions and impose them once and for all. By doing this repeatedly, it wants to distract people by confusing them.”
