The Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) has initiated a move that could significantly alter access rules at some of Uttarakhand’s most revered shrines, proposing restrictions on the entry of non-Hindus at the Char Dham and dozens of other temples under its administration.
The proposal has already triggered sharp political reactions and is expected to fuel a wider social debate in the state.
According to media reports, BKTC chairman Hemant Dwivedi has said the shrines associated with the Char Dham circuit, including Badrinath and Kedarnath, should be viewed as sacred centres of Sanatan Dharma rather than tourist attractions.
According to him, access to these sites must be governed by religious tradition and spiritual discipline, not treated as a general civic entitlement. Dwivedi added that prominent religious leaders and members of the saint community have also expressed the view that non-Hindus should not be permitted to enter these temples, stressing that the Char Dham Yatra represents faith and spiritual practice, not tourism.
Following Dwivedi’s remarks, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami issued a statement suggesting that the state government could align itself with the views of temple-managing bodies.
The chief minister said the government would act in accordance with the opinion formed by institutions and organisations overseeing pilgrimage sites in Devbhoomi Uttarakhand, indicating possible official backing for such restrictions.
As part of the proposal, the BKTC has drawn up a list of 48 temples, kunds and samadhi sites where a ban on the entry of non-Hindus is being considered, according to media reports.
The list includes major shrines such as Kedarnath Dham, Badrinath Dham, Tungnath and Madhyamaheshwar, along with several associated temples, sacred water bodies and samadhi sites spread across Uttarakhand.
The move, however, has drawn criticism from opposition leaders. Former chief minister and senior Congress leader Harish Rawat questioned the intent behind the proposal, saying that if restrictions are to be enforced, the government should do so transparently and openly. He remarked that while societies across the world encourage people to learn about and experience different religions and cultures, the approach being suggested here appears to move in the opposite direction.
Rawat also raised practical concerns, pointing out that people from non-Hindu backgrounds are involved in the construction, upkeep and management of several temples and religious events, including Kanwar Yatras. He questioned what kind of message such restrictions would send and what larger thinking they reflected, adding that the ruling BJP would be best placed to answer those questions.
The temples and sites named in the proposal span a wide geographical and spiritual landscape, ranging from major dhams like Kedarnath and Badrinath to smaller temples within their complexes, sacred kunds such as Tapt Kund, Udak Kund and Hansa Kund, and samadhi sites including the Shankaracharya Samadhi and Shri Bhairavnath Temple at Kedarnath. Also included are temples at Joshimath, Ukhimath, Guptkashi, Kalimath, Nandprayag, Vishnuprayag, Dwarahat and Almora, among others.
With saint communities and religious organisations expected to strongly back the proposal, and opposition parties raising constitutional and social concerns, the BKTC’s move is likely to intensify political and public debate in Uttarakhand in the days ahead.
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