Uproar over Kedarnath Temple replica in Delhi
A controversy has erupted over the construction of a replica of the Kedarnath Temple in Delhi.
The priests of the Kedarnath Temple have registered their protest against a replica temple of the centuries-old Himalayan temple in Uttarakhand’s Garhwal region.
Recently, Acharya Satyendra Das, Head Priest of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir has opposed the construction of a replica Kedarnath temple in Delhi.
While speaking to the news agency ANI, Acharya Das said, “There are 12 Jyotirlinga, Kedarnath Ji is among them. It is in Uttarakhand, and it holds supreme powers. The powers of 12 Jyotirlinga are incomparable, hence people go there to seek blessings. If another temple is coming up (in Delhi) with the same name, it will not be in 12 Jyotirlinga. People won’t get the same result as the replica of the Temple. It is not appropriate to make another temple in the name of Kedarnath, if it has to come, it should have a different name. There is only one Kedarnath Temple and it will remain so.”
Kedarnath Mandir priests held a three-day protest from July 12-15 and shouted slogans against the state government.
“Constructing a temple in the name of Kedarnath Dham in Delhi is showing disrespect to the sanctity of the centuries-old Himalayan temple revered by generations of Hindus,” said Umesh Posti, who is linked to the association of priests in Kedarnath.
Kedarnath Mandir priests felt replicating a sacred Jyotirlinga defied religious traditions. These shrines hold a unique place in Hindu belief, and replicating them went against established practices.
Priests and saints are expressing concerns, asserting that constructing this temple in Delhi violates Hindu traditions. They argue that bringing a stone from Kedarnath Dham to Delhi disrupts the sacred tradition associated with the original Kedarnath Dham. They emphasize that there is and always will be only one Kedarnath Dham, which cannot be replaced by any other temple.
Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) has warned it will take legal action against ‘Shri Kedarnath Dham Trust’ if the latter goes ahead with plans to construct a structure resembling the Kedarnath temple in Delhi’s Burari locality.
However, amidst the controversy over the ‘Delhi Kedarnath Temple’, the temple trust has clarified the site in Burari will only be a temple and not a pilgrimage centre.
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