non-Hindus entry

Dehradun, January 26, 2026: The Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) has proposed restricting the entry of non-Hindus at the Char Dham shrines and several other major pilgrimage sites in Uttarakhand, a move that has sparked fresh debate around religious traditions, constitutional values and access to sacred spaces. BKTC chairman Hemant Dwivedi said that revered shrines such as Badrinath and Kedarnath are not tourist destinations but the highest spiritual centres of Sanatan Dharma. He emphasised that entry into these temples should be governed by long-standing religious traditions rather than being treated as a civil or tourism-related right. Dwivedi stated that prominent religious…