Urvashi Rautela clarifies after backlash over ‘her’ temple, says media twisted her words

After facing a backlash from priests and others over her remarks, actress and model Urvashi Rautela has clarified about a “temple in her name” in Badrinath. 

Rautela had in an interview with host Siddharth Kannan, claimed that the Urvashi temple in Bamni near Badrinath attracted devotees who worshipped her and garlanded pictures of her, referring to her as ‘Damdamamai’. 

However, her comments sparked controversy, with two priest organisations demanding action against her. They alleged that her remarks hurt religious sentiments and provoked outrage among pilgrimage priests and local communities. The priests accused her of spreading misleading information.

The organisations clarified that the temple in question is dedicated to the Hindu mythological figure, Goddess Urvashi, and is recognised as one of the 108 Shakti Peethas.

Bhuwan Chandra Uniyal, a former religious officer of the Badrinath Dham, said, “It’s not her temple. Such statements are unacceptable, and the government should take strict action against anyone making such claims.”

In response to the backlash, Urvashi Rautela’s team issued a clarification. “Urvashi Rautela said that there is a temple in my name in Uttarakhand, not Urvashi Rautela’s temple. Now people don’t even listen to things properly; just hearing ‘Urvashi’ or ‘temple’, they assumed that people worship Urvashi Rautela. Listen to this video properly and then speak,” the team said. People and the media need to verify facts before making any sort of allegations, the actress added.