Preparations underway to ban entry of non-Hindus at 48 temples, including Badrinath and Kedarnath

The Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) has taken a major step towards imposing a ban on the entry of non-Hindus at the Char Dham and other prominent pilgrimage sites associated with it. BKTC chairman Hemant Dwivedi has stated that shrines such as Badrinath and Kedarnath are not tourist destinations but the highest spiritual centres of Sanatan Dharma, where entry should be viewed through religious tradition rather than as a civic right.

Dwivedi further said that leading religious heads and members of the saint community also believe that non-Hindus should not be allowed entry into these sacred shrines. He said the decision is being taken in respect of Sanatan traditions, emphasising that the Char Dham Yatra is a centre of faith and spiritual practice, not tourism.

Following the proposal by the BKTC chairman, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also issued a statement. The chief minister said that whatever opinion is formed by institutions and organisations managing pilgrimage sites in Devbhoomi Uttarakhand, the government will act accordingly. His remarks have indicated that the state government may also be inclined to support restrictions on the entry of non-Hindus at major pilgrimage centres.

The proposed list of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee includes a total of 48 temples where a ban on the entry of non-Hindus is being considered. These include Kedarnath Dham, Badrinath Dham, Tungnath, Madhyamaheshwar, along with several sacred kunds and samadhi sites.

On the other hand, former Uttarakhand chief minister and Congress leader Harish Rawat criticised the proposal, taking a dig at it. He said that if restrictions are to be imposed, the government should do so openly. He remarked that while people across the world invite others to understand and experience their religion and culture, the atmosphere being created here is the opposite.

Rawat also questioned the rationale behind the move, pointing out that non-Hindus are involved in the construction and management of many temples and Kanwar Yatras, and asked what direction and thinking such restrictions represent, adding that no one would know this better than the BJP.

List of temples/kunds/samadhi sites associated with the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee

Kedarnath Dham

Badrinath Dham

Shri Tungnath Temple at Tungnath

Mata Murti Temple at Badrinath

Brahma Kapal Shila and Parikrama complex at Badrinath

Bhavishya Badri Temple at Subhai

Tapt Kund (pool and hot spring) at Badrinath

Narsingh Temple at Joshimath

Dhyana Badri Temple at Urgam

Shri Madhyamaheshwar Temple at Madhyamaheshwar

Shri Vishwanath Temple at Guptkashi

Yoga Badri Temple at Pandukeshwar

Shri Gauri Maiya Temple at Gaurikund

Shri Adi Kedarnath Temple at Badrinath

Mahadev Temple at Jyotireswar

Vriddha Badri Temple at Animath

Panch Shila at Badrinath Puri

Panch Dhara at Badrinath Puri

Small temples in the Kedarnath Temple complex

Small temples in the Vishwanath Temple complex at Guptkashi

Omkareshwar Temple at Ukhimath

Shri Triyuginarayan Temple at Triyuginarayan

Kalishila Temple at Kalishila

Vasudhara

Dharmashila below Vasudhara waterfall

Udak Kund at Kedarnath

Shri Usha Devi Temple at Ukhimath

Shri Barahi Devi Temple at Ukhimath

Shri Vallabhacharya Temple at Badrinath

Narayan Temple at Vishnuprayag

Sita Devi Temple

Shri Narsingh Temple at Pakhi

Shri Narsingh Temple at Darmi

Shri Lakshmi Narayan Temple at Nandprayag

Shri Lakshmi Narayan Temple at Kulsari

Shri Lakshmi Narayan Temple at Dwarahat (Almora)

Shri Lakshmi Narayan Temple at Gudari (Almora)

Shri Mahakali Temple at Kalimath

Shri Mahalakshmi Temple at Kalimath

Shri Mahasaraswati Temple at Kalimath

Shri Durga Temple at Joshimath

Bhaktavatsal Temple at Jyotirshwar

Mata Parvati Temple at Kedarnath

Ishaneshwar Temple at Kedarnath

Ganesh Temple at Kedarnath

Hansa Kund at Kedarnath

Retas Kund at Kedarnath

Shankaracharya Samadhi / Shri Bhairavnath Temple at Kedarnath

The proposal is likely to trigger extensive political and social debate, with expectations of strong support from saint communities and religious organisations on one side.