Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee Prohibits Entry Of Non-Hindus To 47 Shrines During Chardham Yatra, No Such Decision By Uttarakhand Government Yet

Dehradun: Non-Hindus may not be able to visit Kedarnath and Badrinath shrines along with 45 other temples during the forthcoming Chardham Yatra. Although a decision in this regard has been taken by the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) that governs them, there is no such formal decision yet by the Uttarakhand government.

The demand to this effect had been aired for some time by the Hindutva groups in the state, leading to the Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami leaving the decision to the religious organisations. However, those observing the political developments in Uttarakhand from close quarters say that with the state expected to go in for assembly polls in about a year's time, every attempt will be made to polarise the communities. They say that this demand is a part of the larger political agenda.

The Uttarakhand Chardham Yatra 2026 is scheduled to begin on April 19, 2026, when the doors of Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines will open. The registration process for the Yatra got underway on March 6. The government is preparing for the pilgrim rush. It has decided to ban mobile phones in the Chardham shrines.

In January 2026, the Ganga Sabha had demanded a ban on the entry of non-Hindus at Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar. Graffiti had also sprung up around the area stating 'Entry of Non-Hindus prohibited'. This was followed by the demands for a ban on entry to the Char Dham. BKTC President Hemant Dwivedi said that a resolution would be passed to this effect during the next board meeting. Interestingly, observers say that a by-law banning the entry of non-Hindus to Har-ki-Pauri already exists from the British era, and the issue is being raked up with political motives in mind.

A proposal to prohibit non-Sanatanis from entering 47 temples in Uttarakhand under the BKTC was passed on March 10 in a meeting held in Dehradun. During the meeting chaired by Dwivedi, the BKTC passed a budget of Rs 121.7 crore for the financial year 2026-27.

The demands to ban non-Hindus from entering Hindu religious sites in Uttarakhand were criticised by several political, religious and social organisations. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Chairman Asaduddin Owaisi had called the posters put up seeking prohibition of the entry of non-Hinds in Haridwar 'a mockery of the Constitution'. He said that this was untouchability and a direct violation of the right to equality.

The President of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, Arshad Madani, had also said that such restrictions could exacerbate divisiveness in society. However, the Chief Imam of All India Imam Organisation, Dr. Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi supported the restriction on the entry of non-Hindus into temples. He said that if the temple committee decides that non-Hindus cannot enter the shrine, no one should object. He had cited the example of non-Muslims not allowed in Mecca and Medina. He said there should be no politics on such issues.

Meanwhile, Dhami, who heads the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state, had emphasised that a decision be taken after consulting those who manage the religious sites, including the BKTC, Tirtha Sabha, Ganga Sabha, Kedar Sabha, and Sant Samaj. After the BKTC decision, Dwivedi said, "We welcome those who follow Sanatan Dharma. However, those who do not follow it are completely barred from entering the temple area administered by the BKTC. The entry of non-Hindus into the sanctum-sanctorum and temple premises of 47 temples, including Kedarnath Dham and Badrinath Dham, has been prohibited. This demand was being raised in the state for a long time."

He said emphasis is being placed on maintaining the religious and mythological sanctity of these pilgrimage sites and ensuring that the devotees visit them solely for pilgrimage purposes.

Dwivedi claimed that the BKTC decision is constitutional, and it is the duty of his organisation to protect these shrines while maintaining their sanctity and identity. It has been stated that the ban by the BKTC will not have a bearing on people from other faiths who earn their livelihoods by transporting the pilgrims to these shrines. It will only apply to the temple premises.

The 47 temples where the BKTC has banned the entry of non-Hindus include Badrinath, Kedarnath, Triyuginarayan Temple, Narasimha Temple, Vishwanath Temple, Omkareshwar Temple, Kalimath Temple, Brahmakapal Shila and Badrinath Parikrama, Tapt Kund, Shankaracharya Samadhi, Madmaheshwar, Tungnath Temple, Rudranath Temple, Kalpeshwar Temple, Yogadhyan Badri, Bhavishya Badri, Adi Badri, Vriddha Badri, Mata Murti Temple, Vasudeva Temple, Gauri Kund Temple, Adi Kedareshwar Temple, Narada Shila, Nrisimha Shila, Barahi Shila, Garuda Shila, and Markandeya Shila along with Prahlad Dhara, Kurma Dhara, Bhrigu Dhara, Urvashi Dhara, and Indira Dhara, and Usha Temple, Kalishila and Vasudhara.

The BKTC and Gangotri Yamunotri Temple Committee (GYTC) claim that these restrictions do not apply to Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists that have 'descended' from Hindu Sanatan Dharma.