DEHRADUN: Non-Hindus will be prohibited from entering Gangotri Dham in Uttarakhand after a decision taken unanimously during a meeting of the Gangotri Temple Committee.
According to a Chief Minister’s Office release, this restriction will apply not only to Gangotri Dham but also to Mukhba, the winter abode of Maa Ganga.
Shri Gangotri Temple Committee Chairman Suresh Semwal stated that, as per the decision, the entry of non-Hindus into the Dham will be strictly prohibited. He added that the ban will also remain in force at Mukhba, the winter residence of the deity.
Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee Chairman Hemant Dwivedi said that a proposal to ban non-Hindus from entering both Dhams and all temples under the Temple Committee will be presented at the upcoming board meeting.
Additionally, the Uttarakhand government is considering restricting the entry of non-Hindus to the 105 ghats of Haridwar, which span an area of 120 sq km, in response to requests from certain seers and the Ganga Sabha, the authority responsible for the upkeep of the prominent Har-ki-Pauri ghat.
Additionally, the state is reportedly planning to designate both Haridwar and Rishikesh as “sanatan pavitra shehar” (sacred cities).
