Entry of non-Hindus into the Badrinath and Kedarnath shrines in Uttarakhand will be prohibited from this year, a temple committee official announced on Wednesday.
The decision was taken during a board meeting of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee held on Tuesday under the chairmanship of its president, Hemant Dwivedi. The proposal received unanimous approval from the board.
Dwivedi said the new rule will come into effect from the upcoming pilgrimage season next month. Under the regulation, non-Hindus will not be permitted to enter the temple complexes or the sanctum sanctorum.
The doors of Badrinath Dham are scheduled to open on April 23, while Kedarnath Dham will open on April 22 for devotees.
Dwivedi noted that the tradition of restricting entry of non-Hindus has existed since the time of Adi Shankaracharya, who established the shrines as Vedic centres of faith. He added that the Constitution allows religious institutions to manage their own affairs.
“Badrinath and Kedarnath are not tourist destinations 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.
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