Even though the Uttarakhand CM has made an effort to put the incident behind him, many BJP members are unhappy with how the situation is being handled in the wake of consecutive election defeats in Badrinath and Faizabad.
Despite the chief minister’s efforts to disassociate himself from the scandal, many BJP members are unhappy with the way the situation has been handled in the wake of the party’s consecutive election defeats in Badrinath and Faizabad.
New Delhi: Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami finds himself in a controversial scenario ahead of the assembly bypolls in Kedarnath due to objections to the construction of a temple, the foundation of which he lay last week in Delhi.
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 building of the Kedarnath temple near Burari, Delhi, is considered by the priests of Char Dham to be in violation of sacred conventions and traditions. Avimukteshwaranad Saraswati, the Shankaracharya of Joshimath, had also expressed disapproval of the project.
Following the passing of current MLA Shaila Rani, Kedarnath is scheduled for assembly bypolls. However, many in the BJP are worried about the timing of this and think that it might be expensive for the party, which is still reeling from the loss of Badrinath in the assembly bypoll.
The hill state is renowned for its Chardham shrines, which are visited annually by hundreds of pious Hindus and outsiders alike at Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri.
The Congress has attacked the BJP and the government for the way the Uttarakhand government has handled the situation. It has also been bringing up the protests conducted by public servants, clergy, and even saints to put pressure on the BJP over this trend.
“Kedarnath Dham is a place of unique spiritual significance; no other place can be called a Dham.” Nonetheless, Uttarakhand Congress chief spokeswoman Garima Mehra Dasauni said that Dhami ji’s comments at the foundation stone laying ceremony, in which he referred to the temple as Kedarnath, hurt the feelings of every Sanatani.
“One of the twelve Jyotirlingas is Kedarnath.” The BJP has no authority to manipulate people’s religious feelings. The state’s pilgrimage has been damaged by the CM. At this point, he has instructed them to alter the temple’s name and outside design.
Many in the BJP are dissatisfied with how the matter has been handled, despite the chief minister’s attempts to disassociate himself from the problem. “We will lose Kedarnath as well if these issues persist. We lost Ayodhya first, then Badrinath. The CM office seems preoccupied with defending their position, rather than acknowledging that the state unit made a mistake.
Numerous parties involved, such as Avimukteshwaranad, have stated that while they are not against the construction of a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, they will be against the construction of a temple dedicated to Kedarnath.
Now that Dhami is also in the dark, he has justified his actions by pointing out that the temple being built in Delhi is a Shiva temple. “Jyotirling ka sthaan doesn’t work well. It’s not as easy as it seems to be. Anek sthaano par bane hai mandir. There is just one place where Jyotirling is located, which is in Uttarakhand. A dhaam cannot exist anywhere else. Temples may be found all around the world.Uttarakhand is home to Jyotirling),” Dhami said reporters on Monday.
Numerous parties involved, such as Avimukteshwaranad, have stated that while they are not against the construction of a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, they will be against the construction of a temple dedicated to Kedarnath.
Now that Dhami is also in the dark, he has justified his actions by pointing out that the temple being built in Delhi is a Shiva temple. “Jyotirling ka sthaan doesn’t work well. It’s not as easy as it seems to be. Anek sthaano par bane hai mandir. There is just one place where Jyotirling is located, which is in Uttarakhand. A dhaam cannot exist anywhere else. Temples may be found all around the world.Uttarakhand is home to Jyotirling),” Dhami said reporters on Monday.
The head of the Kedarnath Dham Trust, Burari, Surendra Rautela, clarified that the Uttarakhand government was not involved in the building of the Delhi shrine.
“The Shri Kedarnath Dham Delhi trust, of which I am the president, is our trust; the Kedarnath Dham mandir is only a mandir, not a dham. There is no connection between it and the Uttarakhand government. At our request, Pushkar Singh Dhami attended the laying of the foundation stone. He accepted our personal offer to come, and he informed reporters earlier this week that it was unrelated to the administration.
The officials stated during the conference that a location similar to Lord Shiva’s favorite home, Shri Kedarnath, which is nestled in the Himalayas, cannot be constructed anyplace else. A statement from the Rudraprayag District Information Office stated, “It was decided to vehemently oppose the construction of the Dham anywhere else.”
When meeting with the chief minister’s principal secretary, a delegation from Uttarakhand Char Dham Teerth Purohit Maha Panchayat asked that the building of the temple, which would serve as a symbol, be prohibited. It also asked for action against other temples around the nation that were constructed in the name of Char Dham.
Numerous parties involved, such as Avimukteshwaranad, have stated that while they are not against the construction of a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, they will be against the construction of a temple dedicated to Kedarnath.
Now that Dhami is also in the dark, he has justified his actions by pointing out that the temple being built in Delhi is a Shiva temple. “Jyotirling ka sthaan doesn’t work well. It’s not as easy as it seems to be. Anek sthaano par bane hai mandir. There is just one place where Jyotirling is located, which is in Uttarakhand. A dhaam cannot exist anywhere else. Temples may be found all around the world.Uttarakhand is home to Jyotirling),” Dhami said reporters on Monday.
Ganesh Godiyal, a Congress politician and former president of the BKTC, had harsh criticism of both the BJP and the Dhami government.
“Everyone in the nation is aware of the location of the Lord Kedarnath shrine. A temple is being built in Delhi, and in such a scenario, some people establish a trust in the name of the Kedarnath temple in order to make money. In a sense, the CM is defending them. ..”How is it possible that the authorities permitted a trust to be established in Kedarnath’s name?” he questioned.
