Category : Latest News |
Posted on 16 July 2024
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami attended a ceremony in Delhi to start the construction of a new Kedarnath temple. This event has stirred controversy, with the Congress party criticizing it as an insult to Sanatana Dharma and traditional Vedic rituals. They argue that this new temple undermines the spiritual importance of the original Kedarnath temple in Uttarakhand, a sacred site dedicated to Lord Shiva and one of the 12 Jyotirlingas.
The original Kedarnath temple in Uttarakhand holds deep religious significance for Hindus and is located in the Rudraprayag district. Priests from this temple have protested the construction of the new temple in Delhi, fearing it might diminish the original temple sanctity. In response, the BJP and Chief Minister Dhami explained that the new temple in Delhi is meant for elderly and infirm people who cannot make the difficult journey to the original Kedarnath temple in Uttarakhand. They noted that while the Uttarakhand temple closes for several months each year due to heavy snowfall, the Delhi temple will remain open year-round.
The Kedarnath Dham Trust Delhi, responsible for the new temple construction, mentioned that they are bringing a holy stone from the original Kedarnath temple to establish in the new temple, making it a symbolic representation rather than a full-fledged pilgrimage site. The BJP clarified that the new temple is not a major pilgrimage site (dham) but a symbolic one to serve those unable to visit Uttarakhand. The Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee also stated that the BJP government has no role in the Delhi temple’s construction.