BJP MLA Asha Nautiyal has stirred a hornet's nest by calling for a ban on non-Hindus from entering Kedarnath Dham. Her argument? The temple’s sanctity is under threat. “Some non-Hindu elements are attempting to damage the sanctity of Kedarnath Dham,” she said.

When pressed for details, Nautiyal did not present concrete evidence but hinted at allegations of meat, fish, and alcohol consumption in the temple area. “If some people are doing anything that may malign the image of Kedarnath Dham, then their entry should be banned... they are definitely non-Hindus who come from outside and get involved in such activities to defame the Dham,” she added.

She further mentioned a recent meeting on the issue, attended by Minister-in-Charge Saurabh Bahuguna, local authorities and local residents. “Some participants suggested that certain non-Hindu individuals were attempting to tarnish Kedarnath Dham’s reputation. It was proposed that such individuals should be identified and barred from entering,” she added.

While Nautiyal’s claims remain unverified, her remarks have found support among some Hindu religious leaders. Saints from Ayodhya have endorsed the idea.

In an interview with PTI, they claimed that Hindu pilgrimage sites should be reserved exclusively for Hindus.

Former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat said, “It is a habit of BJP leaders to make sensational remarks. Uttarakhand is a ‘devbhoomi’—how long will you attach everything to religion?” he asked.

But this is not the first time the question of restricting non-Hindus from Hindu temples has made headlines.

Throwback to Guruvayur

In the 1980s, singer KJ Yesudas, a Christian, was barred from entering Kerala’s Guruvayur Temple despite his deep devotion to Lord Krishna. He was eventually forced to sing bhajans outside its walls.

Signs at the entrance of the temple still warn, “Only Orthodox Hindus are allowed.”

Jagannath temple

Puri’s Jagannath Temple follows a similar practice.

The temple’s priests have historically been known to question visitors who appear “non-Hindu.”

In 1987, Jnanpith award-winning author Pratibha Ray was thrown out by temple sevayats because they suspected the fair-skinned woman accompanying her was not Hindu, despite the fact that she was.

Italian-born Odissi dancer Ileana Citaristi, a devoted follower of Lord Jagannath, was heckled by priests when she attempted to mount the Rath (chariot) during the annual festival.

Although there are instances of non-Hindus entering the Jagannath temple at Puri, last year the servitors decided to take the matter into their own hands and guard the shrine’s doors to prevent such occurrences.

Kashi Vishwanath temple

The Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas, technically bars non-Hindus from entering, though rules are inconsistent.

Legally, India’s Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, but individual temple trusts have long exercised their own entry policies.

For now, the Char Dham Yatra is set to begin on April 30 on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya, with Kedarnath’s doors opening on May 2.