Non-Hindus not allowed at Uttarakhand shrines — Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri Dham, Haridwar's Har ki Pauri: Reports

Non-Hindus will not be allowed to enter the Badrinath shrine, the Kedarnath shrine and Gangotri Dham in Uttarakhand.

According to news agency ANI, the decision to prohibit non-Hindus from entering Gangotri Dham was taken unanimously during a meeting of the Shri Gangotri Temple Committee held on Sunday.

This restriction will apply not only to Gangotri Dham but also to Mukhba, the winter abode of Maa Ganga, the report added.

It quoted Shri Gangotri Temple Committee Chairman Suresh Semwal as saying that, as per the decision, the entry of non-Hindus into the Dham will be strictly prohibited. He said that the ban will also remain in force at Mukhba.

According to the Hindustan Times, the BKTC announced on Sunday that the entry of non-Hindus will be prohibited inside 45 temples under its jurisdiction.

Dwivedi reportedly said that “preserving the religious and cultural traditions of Devbhoomi Uttarakhand was of paramount importance.”

Meanwhile, officials told HT that the entry of non-Hindus had traditionally been restricted inside these temples.

Dwivedi, however, claimed that these “long-standing traditions were violated during the tenure of non-BJP governments”.

“To ensure the sanctity of these shrines and proper observance of age-old traditions, concrete steps will now be taken by the temple committee,” he was quoted as saying.

The Ganga Sabha, the organisation that manages and maintains Har Ki Pauri and the surrounding ghats, reportedly put up these signs at all entry points to the area, including on bridge railings and pillars.

However, the main bathing ghat of Har Ki Pauri and the surrounding area were already restricted for non-Hindus under the Haridwar Municipal Act of 1916, Ganga Sabha president Nitin Gautam told PTI.

Gautam said, "According to the Haridwar Municipal Bylaws of 1916, the entry of non-Hindus into the Har Ki Pauri area is completely prohibited. This sign has been put up to inform everyone about this bylaw."

Haridwar Municipal Commissioner Nandan Kumar also stated that the 1916 bylaws prohibit the entry of non-Hindus into the Har Ki Pauri area.

These signs were put up after a video went viral three days ago showing two young men wearing Kandura (traditional Arab attire) roaming in the Har Ki Pauri area.

However, it was later revealed that these two young men were Hindus and had come to make a video for their YouTube channel.

After the incident, the Sabha reportedly demanded that all religious places, temples, and Ganga ghats in the entire Haridwar Kumbh area be restricted for non-Hindus before the 'Ardh Kumbh' next year, a demand that the Uttarakhand government is also seriously considering.

“There is no need for any such formal prohibition as non-Hindus don’t enter these temples. They (BJP) just want to divert the public attention from pressing issues of the state”, said Congress state vice-president Suryakant Dhasmana.