Entry of non-Hindus to Badrinath, Kedarnath to be barred from this year

Dehradun: Entry of non-Hindus to the Badrinath and Kedarnath shrines in Uttarakhand will be prohibited from this year, a temple committee official said on Wednesday.

The decision was taken during a board meeting of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee held on Tuesday under the chairmanship of the committee's president Hemant Dwivedi. The proposal received unanimous approval.

Dwivedi said the new rule will be implemented starting with the pilgrimage season next month. Under this regulation, non-Hindus will not be allowed to enter the temple complexes or the sanctum sanctorum.

He further noted that the tradition of restricting entry for non-Hindus has existed since the time of Adi Shankaracharya, adding that the Constitution provides for the management of religious sites.

"Badrinath and Kedarnath are not tourist spots but centres of faith. These are Vedic centres established by Adi Shankaracharya. Article 26 of the Indian Constitution grants every religious denomination the right to manage its own religious affairs," Dwivedi said.

The doors of Badrinath Dham are scheduled to open on April 23, while those of Kedarnath Dham will open on April 22.

The Char Dham Yatra will commence on April 19 on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya, when the gates of the Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines are opened.