Priests from the Kedarnath temple in Rudraprayag district have voiced strong opposition to the laying of the foundation stone for a new Kedarnath temple in New Delhi. The protest, held on July 10 in front of the Uttarakhand shrine, was organized by the Kedar Sabha along with various associations. They accused the Uttarakhand government, led by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, of undermining the sanctity of the ancient Kedarnath shrine.
Chief Minister Dhami participated in a Bhoomi Pujan ceremony in the Hiranki neighborhood near Burari in northwest Delhi, marking the beginning of the construction of the new temple. Protesters alleged that this move would diminish the sanctity of the original Kedarnath shrine in Rudraprayag, one of the Char Dham pilgrimage sites.
“We are not against temple construction, but we oppose the building of another Kedarnath temple in Delhi by a religious trust, which plans to replicate the shrine’s form,” said Pankaj Shukla, spokesperson for the Kedar Sabha. He expressed concerns that relocating a stone from the original shrine area would compromise its religious sanctity.
The controversy intensified with accusations that the trust in Delhi planned to distribute sanctified water from Kedarnath once the temple was completed. Members of the Kedar Sabha argued that such actions contravene religious guidelines.
Rajkumar Tiwari, President of the Kedar Sabha, supported the demonstrators’ claims of a conspiracy to divert pilgrims away from Uttarakhand’s sacred sites. He criticized recent governmental decisions affecting the Char Dham Yatra, claiming they were aimed at promoting alternative pilgrimage routes.
While some pilgrims welcomed the proposed Delhi temple for its accessibility, others like Anirudh Tripathi expressed concerns over potential risks during the monsoon season in Uttarakhand.
The Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) and other stakeholders stated they would review the matter before making further comments. Meanwhile, Surinder Rautela of the Shri Kedarnath Dham Delhi Trust clarified that their initiative aims to build a temple, not a shrine, emphasizing that similar temples exist across India without controversy.
The debate continues as protestors seek assurances from the government regarding the preservation of Kedarnath’s religious sanctity in Uttarakhand, promising to persist until satisfied.
Allegations of Gold Scam and Name Misuse
Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath, Swami Avimukteshwaranand, alleged a gold scam in Kedarnath, claiming, “228 kgs of gold is missing from Kedarnath… No inquiry has started. Who is responsible for this?… Now they are saying they will build a Kedarnath in Delhi, this cannot happen…”
Amid protests a temple named Kedarnath coming up in Delhi, Shri Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee chairperson Ajendra Ajay stated that action will be taken against those misusing the name of the temples. He clarified that the Uttarakhand government is not involved in the Delhi temple project and has not provided any financial assistance. This statement came after Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami laid the foundation of the new temple on July 10, attending the event at the invitation of saints and public representatives.
