Dehradun, Mar 12: Entry of non-Hindus into 47 temples in Uttarakhand, including the prominent shrines of Badrinath and Kedarnath, will be prohibited from this year, a temple committee official said.
The decision was taken during a 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 rule will come into effect from the upcoming pilgrimage season next month. Under the new regulation, non-Hindus will not be allowed to enter the temple complexes or the sanctum sanctorum.
He said the practice of restricting entry for non-Hindus has existed since the time of Adi Shankaracharya and added that the Constitution allows religious institutions to manage their own affairs.
“Badrinath and Kedarnath are not tourist spots 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.
The doors of Badrinath Dham are scheduled to open on April 23, while Kedarnath Dham will open on April 22.
The Char Dham Yatra will begin on April 19 on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya with the opening of the portals of the Gangotri and Yamunotri temples.
Meanwhile, the Uttarakhand government has opened an online registration portal for pilgrims planning to undertake the Char Dham Yatra.
Authorities said digital registration has been made mandatory across multiple platforms to help manage the large number of devotees visiting the shrines each year.
Registration for the pilgrimage began at 7 am. The yatra will start on April 19 with the opening of Yamunotri and Gangotri temples, followed by Kedarnath on April 22 and Badrinath on April 23. (Agencies)
