New Delhi: Ahead of the assembly bypolls in Kedarnath, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami finds himself in a piquant situation over the opposition to the construction of a temple whose foundation he laid last week in Delhi.
According to the priests of Char Dham, the construction of Kedarnath temple in Delhi’s Burari is against religious customs and traditions. Shankaracharya of Joshimath, Avimukteshwaranad Saraswati, had also criticised the initiative.
As Kedarnath is headed for assembly bypolls after the death of the sitting MLA Shaila Rani, many within the BJP are concerned about its timing and fear that it may prove costly to the party which is yet to recover from the assembly bypoll loss of Badrinath.
The hill state is known for Chardham shrines of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri, which are visited by several hundreds of devout Hindus and visitors alike every year.
नई दिल्ली में श्री केदारनाथ मंदिर दिल्ली धाम के भूमि-पूजन कार्यक्रम में सम्मिलित हुआ। इस अवसर पर संत समाज एवं विद्वतगणों के साथ वैदिक मंत्रोच्चारण के बीच मंदिर निर्माण का भूमि पूजन किया।
निश्चित रूप से इस मंदिर का निर्माण शिव भक्तों के लिए हर्ष का क्षण है साथ ही सनातन संस्कृति… pic.twitter.com/NC67cr4MSg
— Pushkar Singh Dhami (@pushkardhami) July 10, 2024
The Congress has criticised the BJP as well as the Uttarakhand government over its handling of the issue. It has also been cornering the BJP over this development, citing the protests by priests, saints and even public representatives.
“Kedarnath Dham has its own spiritual importance and there is only one place that can be called Dham. But the speech of Dhami ji during the foundation stone laying has hurt the feelings of all the sanatanis where he referred to the temple as Kedarnath,” said Garima Mehra Dasauni, chief spokesperson of Uttarakhand Congress.
“There are 12 Jyotirlingas, and Kedarnath is one of them. BJP has no right to play with the religious sentiments of people. The CM has dented the pilgrimage of the state. He has now told them to change the name of the temple as well as the look/facade of the temple.”
While the CM has tried to distance himself from the controversy, many within the BJP are upset with the handling of the situation. “First, we lost Ayodhya, then Badrinath and if controversies like these continue, we will end up losing Kedarnath, too. Rather than accepting that a mistake was made by the state unit, the CM office is busy justifying their stance. The saints as well as the general public are quite upset. This requires better handling,” said a senior BJP leader.
On Monday, a meeting was organised by the representatives of Kedar Sabha with the deputy district magistrate of Ukhimath regarding the construction of the symbolic temple in Delhi.
“During this meeting, the representatives said that it is not possible to build a place like Shri Kedarnath, the favourite abode of Lord Shiva situated in the lap of Himalayas, anywhere else. It was resolved to strongly oppose the construction of the Dham anywhere else,” read a statement from the District Information Office, Rudraprayag.
A delegation of Uttarakhand Char Dham Teerth Purohit Maha Panchayat met the principal secretary to the CM and demanded a ban on the construction of the symbolic temple in Delhi. It further also sought action against the temples built in the name of Char Dham in other parts of the country.
Many of the stakeholders, including Avimukteshwaranad, have said that they have no opposition to the establishment of a temple in the name of Lord Shiva, but they will oppose the establishment of a temple in the name of Kedarnath.
Dhami, too, is on a backfoot now and has defended his action by pointing out that the temple being constructed in Delhi is a Shiva temple. “Jyotirling ka sthaan ek hee hai. Doosre sthaan par dhaam nahi ho sakta hai. Mandir anek sthaano par bane hai. … Jyotirling humara Uttarakhand ke andar hee hai (There is only one location of Jyotirling. There cannot be a dhaam at another place. Temples are built at many places. …Jyotirling is in Uttarakhand),” Dhami told reporters Monday.
Earlier, BJP state president Mahendra Bhatt tried to distance the party and the government, saying that they had nothing to do with the construction of this temple.
The Uttarakhand government had tried to intervene in the controversy, and Dhami had given directions to the chairman of Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) to clarify the situation by talking to the people.
BKTC president Ajendra Ajay had also said that instructions were received from Dhami in this matter and legal advice was being sought. “Action will be taken against those who misuse the name or photo of Badrinath-Kedarnath,” he had said.
Surendra Rautela, the president of Kedarnath Dham Trust, Burari, issued a clarification that the Uttarakhand government has nothing to do with the construction of the shrine in Delhi.
“The mandir of Kedarnath Dham is only a mandir and not a dham and our trust which is Shri Kedarnath Dham Delhi trust (of which I am the president).. The Uttarakhand government has nothing to do with it. Pushkar Singh Dhami on our request had attended the foundation stone-laying. On our personal invitation he had attended it and it has nothing to do with the government,” he told reporters earlier this week.
“This trust has also got nothing to do with the Uttarakhand government. Badrinath Dham is there in Bombay and its inauguration was done by former CM Harish Rawat. Vaishno Devi mandirs are also there across the country. Sai Baba mandirs are also there. This is a political stunt and nothing else,” Rautela said, alleging that the issue was being politicised by a few leaders.
Former BKTC president and Congress leader Ganesh Godiyal had come down heavily on the BJP as well as the Dhami government.
“The whole country knows where the temple of Lord Kedarnath is. In such a situation, some people create a trust in the name of Kedarnath temple to earn profit and with the intention of earning money..a temple is being constructed in Delhi. The CM is in a way protecting them. …how can it be that the officials allowed a trust to be formed in the name of Kedarnath?” he asserted.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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