Initiative underway to change entry rules at Badrinath-Kedarnath temples

Dehradun: Non-Hindus will soon be barred from entering the Badrinath and Kedarnath temples in Uttarakhand. This announcement was made by the body that manages these temples, which are part of the sacred Char Dham pilgrimage circuit.
According to the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC), entry to these centuries-old temples will be restricted to Hindus only. This proposed ban will apply to all temples administered by the committee, including Badrinath and Kedarnath Dham.
Confirming this, BKTC Chairman Hemant Dwivedi said that the entry of non-Hindus will be prohibited in all temples under the committee’s jurisdiction.
He further added that a formal resolution to implement this decision will be placed before the temple committee board in an upcoming meeting.
The Badrinath temple is scheduled to reopen on April 23 after remaining closed for six months during the winter season. The reopening date for the Kedarnath temple will be announced on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri.
The Chota Char Dham circuit includes Gangotri and Yamunotri in addition to the Kedarnath and Badrinath temples. The gates of these two temples are also scheduled to reopen on April 19, on the occasion of the Akshaya Tritiya festival.
This announcement comes amidst a larger ongoing debate in Uttarakhand regarding restricting the entry of non-Hindus to prominent religious sites.
Earlier this month, posters declaring Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar “forbidden for non-Hindus” appeared at the world-renowned pilgrimage site, sparking widespread controversy.
These posters, which declared the Har Ki Pauri area a completely ‘Hindu zone’, intensified the debate over religious access to public spaces.
The posters, put up by the Shri Ganga Sabha, read, “Entry prohibited for non-Hindus.” However, the organization claimed that the move was merely intended to inform people and had no malicious intent. Speaking to IANS about this, Nitin Gautam, president of Shri Ganga Sabha, said, “Basic knowledge of the law is essential for every citizen. After some recent incidents, the Ganga Sabha felt that it was very important to make people aware of the rules and regulations. With this objective, awareness boards have been put up at major public places in Haridwar so that the general public, devotees, and tourists can obtain information about the law and also seek clarification from the concerned authorities.”
Nitin Gautam further added that two or three incidents have occurred recently which revealed that the root cause of the disputes and conflicts was a lack of proper information.
He explained that the purpose of these banners is to make people aware of their rights and duties, so that law and order are strengthened and peace and harmony prevail in society.
Significantly, there has been a long-standing demand to ban the entry of non-Hindus into Haridwar, especially in view of the upcoming Ardh Kumbh Mela next year.