Daijiworld Media Network - Dehradun

Dehradun, Jan 26: The Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) announced that entry to the sacred Badrinath and Kedarnath temples, part of the revered Char Dham circuit, will soon be restricted exclusively to Hindus. This move will apply to all temples managed by the committee, the BKTC said.

BKTC president Hemant Dwivedi confirmed that non-Hindus will no longer be allowed to enter any temple under the committee’s jurisdiction. He added that a formal proposal to enforce the restriction will be presented to the temple committee board in its upcoming meeting. Badrinath temple is scheduled to reopen on April 23 after a six-month winter closure, while the reopening date for Kedarnath will be announced during Maha Shivratri.

Gangotri and Yamunotri, the other two shrines of the Chota Char Dham circuit, are set to reopen on April 19, coinciding with Akshaya Tritiya.

The announcement comes amid ongoing debates in Uttarakhand over limiting non-Hindu access at major religious sites. Earlier this month, posters declaring Haridwar’s Har ki Pauri as “off-limits for non-Hindus” sparked controversy. The posters, installed by the Shri Ganga Sabha, labeled the area as a “Hindu zone” and carried the message, “Non-Hindus Prohibited Entry Zone.” The Sabha, however, said the aim was to raise awareness about legal rules and prevent disputes, not to discriminate.

Shri Ganga Sabha president Nitin Gautam explained that recent incidents highlighted confusion over legal norms, prompting the installation of awareness boards to inform devotees, tourists, and the general public about the rules. He added that the boards are meant to reinforce law, order, and harmony.

Calls to restrict non-Hindu entry in Haridwar have intensified in recent years, particularly ahead of the upcoming Ardh Kumbh festival. The latest BKTC decision reflects this broader push to regulate access to Uttarakhand’s prominent pilgrimage sites.