Uttarakhand Government to Stop Fake Temples: Saints Support New Law
The Uttarakhand Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, has announced new laws to prevent the formation of unauthorized trusts, temples, or committees in the name of Chardham and other major temples in Uttarakhand.
Saints Welcome the Decision
Saints from Haridwar have expressed their support for this decision. One saint said, “Various trusts are constituted to make duplicate Chardham temples, Jyotirlingas, and peeths; the Uttarakhand government will bring strict law against this practice. We welcome this decision by the government and conveyed to CM Dhami that there should be a law to avoid such practices. There should be ban on such saints who are also involved in this brokerage and misguide devotees using the name of temples.”
Another saint added, “We welcome this law. The government has stopped the practice of misguiding devotees in the name of fake trusts, committees, and duplicate temples. There should be no duplicates of the Char Dham Temples of India.”
Protecting Sacred Sites
Another saint emphasized the importance of the decision, stating, “The decision by Uttarakhand’s government cabinet to safeguard the authenticity of Char Dham Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri is extremely appreciable. It is the responsibility of the government and saints to manage the dignity of Char Dham, as it is one of the important pilgrimages in our culture. It is also the place where our guru Shankaracharya did his penance, that’s why this place is more important. These rules should be strictly imposed.”
Government’s Stand
Earlier on Thursday, the Uttarakhand Cabinet under the leadership of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced that the government will introduce strict laws to ensure that no trust, temple, or committee is formed in the name of Chardham and other major temples in Uttarakhand without proper authorization. This development comes in the wake of recent controversy over a Shri Kedarnath Dham Delhi Trust’s proposal to build a duplicate Kedarnath temple in Burari region of Delhi.
CM Secretary Shailesh Bagauli said, “In the cabinet meeting held this evening under the chairmanship of Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, it was decided that the government will make a provision to bring a strict law so that no trust, temple, or committee is formed in the name of Chardham and major temples of Uttarakhand.”
Doubts Revealed
Uttarakhand -: Uttarakhand is a state in northern India known for its beautiful mountains and important Hindu temples.
Chief Minister -: The Chief Minister is the head of the government in an Indian state, similar to a principal in a school but for the whole state.
Pushkar Singh Dhami -: Pushkar Singh Dhami is the current Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, leading the state’s government.
Chardham -: Chardham refers to four very important Hindu pilgrimage sites in Uttarakhand: Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri.
Haridwar -: Haridwar is a city in Uttarakhand, famous for being a holy place where many Hindus go to pray and take a dip in the Ganges River.
Kedarnath -: Kedarnath is one of the Chardham temples, dedicated to Lord Shiva, and is located high in the Himalayas.
Badrinath -: Badrinath is another Chardham temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu, and is also located in the Himalayas.
Gangotri -: Gangotri is a Chardham temple dedicated to the Goddess Ganga, the personification of the Ganges River.
Yamunotri -: Yamunotri is a Chardham temple dedicated to the Goddess Yamuna, the personification of the Yamuna River.
duplicate Kedarnath temple -: A duplicate Kedarnath temple means building another temple that looks like the original Kedarnath temple, but it would not be the real one.
