Sara Ali Khan Faces Fatwa Over Kedarnath Visit; Earlier Temple Entry Row and Golden Temple Tears Resurface

Sara Ali Khan has landed in a fresh religious controversy after a cleric issued a fatwa over her visit to Kedarnath Temple in Uttarakhand, days after a video of the actor crying while offering prayers at Amritsar's Golden Temple went viral. The latest row has also revived questions surrounding her access to Kedarnath following a proposed restriction on non-Hindu visitors earlier this year.

Bareilly-based Islamic cleric Maulana Mufti Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi criticised Sara for offering prayers at the Hindu shrine, describing the act as 'haram' and 'najayaz' under his interpretation of Sharia. He urged the actor to seek forgiveness from Allah, bringing her religious choices back into the spotlight.

According to reports, Sara visited Kedarnath on October 25 and was seen standing in the queue for darshan before offering prayers at the temple. The cleric subsequently issued his religious opinion, arguing that Muslims should not participate in the worship practices of another religion.

Fatwa Issued Over Sara Ali Khan's Kedarnath Visit

Speaking about the controversy, Razvi said he had received several queries from young Muslims about Sara's visit to Kedarnath and her participation in the temple rituals.

He maintained that a Muslim, irrespective of gender, should not participate in another religion's worship practices under his interpretation of Islamic law.

The cleric described Sara's participation in the temple rituals as impermissible and urged her to repent and seek forgiveness from Allah.

His remarks have triggered a wider discussion about religious identity, personal faith and the freedom of individuals to visit places of worship belonging to different religions. The fatwa represents the cleric's interpretation of Sharia and should not be treated as a universally accepted position among Muslims.

Was Sara Ali Khan Denied Entry to Kedarnath Temple?

The latest controversy has brought back memories of the temple entry dispute that emerged in March 2026.

The Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) had announced a proposal to restrict the entry of non-Hindus into Kedarnath, Badrinath and 45 other temples under its jurisdiction. The proposal stated that visitors who were not Hindus would need to affirm their faith in Sanatan Dharma through a written affidavit to obtain permission for darshan.

Sara's name came up during the controversy because of her frequent visits to Kedarnath. When asked whether she would be allowed to enter the shrine, BKTC chairman Hemant Dwivedi said she would have to submit an affidavit affirming her faith and devotion towards Sanatan Dharma.

The development effectively placed her access to the shrine under scrutiny, with reports discussing the possibility of her being denied entry unless she met the proposed requirement.

However, the latest developments indicate that Sara's team submitted the required affidavit before her October 25 visit.

The episode had sparked a debate over whether religious institutions should impose faith declarations on visitors and how such requirements affect access to places of worship.

Sara had also previously addressed criticism over her visits to Hindu temples. Speaking at the Times Now Summit, she said her visits were personal and reflected the peace and happiness she experienced at Kedarnath.

"My personal trip to Kedarnath with all due respect to anyone who likes it or hates it is not about any of you. It's about me. I feel comfortable there, I feel peaceful there, I feel happy there," she had said.

Sara Ali Khan Breaks Down While Praying at Golden Temple

The Kedarnath controversy follows another widely discussed religious appearance by Sara at the Golden Temple, also known as Darbar Sahib, in Amritsar.

On October 21, Sara visited the Sikh shrine with her Udta Teer co-star Ayushmann Khurrana to seek blessings ahead of the film's release. Several videos from the visit circulated on social media, showing the actor becoming visibly emotional and breaking down in tears while offering prayers.

Sara was seen with her head covered as she participated in the prayers at the shrine. The footage attracted considerable attention, with social media users expressing concern and wondering what had made her emotional.

She later shared a photograph with Ayushmann from their visit, wishing her followers love, luck and laughter on the occasion of Dussehra.

Neither Sara nor her team publicly explained the reason behind her emotional reaction. There is also no confirmed link between the incident and the subsequent Kedarnath controversy.

The two visits, however, have brought her expressions of devotion at different religious sites into public discussion.

From Kedarnath Film Debut to Repeated Temple Visits

Sara's association with Kedarnath also goes back to her Bollywood debut in 2018.

She made her acting debut with Abhishek Kapoor's Kedarnath, opposite the late Sushant Singh Rajput. Set against the backdrop of the Kedarnath pilgrimage and the devastating 2013 Uttarakhand floods, the film introduced her to Hindi cinema.

Over the years, Sara has frequently shared photographs and videos from her visits to the shrine, describing her personal connection with the place.

Her visits have previously attracted criticism, particularly over questions surrounding her religious identity. She has maintained that her spiritual choices are personal and that she finds peace at the shrine.

Religious Identity and Freedom of Worship Back in Focus

The latest controversy has brought together three developments: the proposed entry restrictions at Kedarnath, Sara's emotional appearance at the Golden Temple and the fatwa issued over her latest visit to the Hindu shrine.

While the March controversy centred on the conditions under which non-Hindus could enter certain temples, the latest criticism comes from a different religious perspective, questioning a Muslim's participation in Hindu worship rituals.

Sara has not publicly responded to the latest fatwa.