The Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) on Monday announced that non-Hindus will be barred from entering Badrinath–Kedarnath Dham and other temples under its control.
The committee stated that the decision will be imposed on Mukhba, the winter residence of Maa Ganga, as well as the centuries-old shrines of Badrinath and Kedarnath.
Hemant Dwivedi, chairman of the Badrinath–Kedarnath Temple Committee, said the proposal to bar non-Hindus from Gangotri and other temples under the committee will be discussed and placed before its board at an upcoming meeting.
"Kedarnath and Badrinath Dham are not mere tourism spots, but they are a religious centre of Sanatan traditions. The entry to these places is not a question of citizens' rights but a religious sentiment and tradition," Dwivedi told PTI.
According to a report by India Today, Dwivedi also welcomed chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s orders to remove illegal shrines across the state, saying the move would help strengthen Uttarakhand’s religious identity, cultural heritage and law and order.
He said closer coordination between the state government and temple committees would further help preserve the sanctity of temples and traditions.
Responding to the proposal, chief minister Dhami said the administration would act in line with the suggestions made by committees and bodies that manage pilgrimage sites in the state.
Earlier in March 2025, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Asha Nautiyal from Kedarnath assembly constituency demanded that "non-Hindu people be banned" from entering the temple premises.
"There was a meeting held recently regarding the Yatra management at Kedarnath... Some people raised an issue that some incidents take place which go unnoticed. I also agree if some people are doing anything that may malign the image of Kedarnath Dham, then the entry of such people should be banned", Asha Nautiyal told ANI.
The gates of the Badrinath temple in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand will reopen for devotees on April 23, following a six-month winter closure, temple officials announced last week.
Dwivedi, said that the auspicious date and time for the reopening were determined after traditional prayers and rituals at the Tehri Royal Palace in Narendra Nagar, Tehri district, on the occasion of Basant Panchami.
The gates of the other two shrines included in the Char Dham of Garhwal Himalayas, Gangotri and Yamunotri temples in the Uttarkashi district, will be reopened on April 19 on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya.
The date for opening the gates of the Kedarnath Dham in the Rudraprayag district will be announced on Maha Shivratri.