A cultural festival at the revered Badrinath Dham has ignited a significant controversy, drawing criticism from senior political and religious figures over a loud music event deemed a violation of the shrine's sanctity and cultural decorum.
Key Points
- A cultural festival at Badrinath Dham sparked controversy due to a loud music and dance event, leading to administrative action.
- The Chamoli District Magistrate issued a show-cause notice to the Garhwal Scouts, citing violation of the shrine's sanctity and tarnishing the local administration's image.
- Senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi strongly criticised the event, calling it an assault on cultural and spiritual values and questioning the permission granted.
- The Shankaracharya Math also objected, describing the event as contrary to tradition and a violation of religious decorum.
- Religious leaders have urged the chief minister to intervene, demanding a complete ban on such events at pilgrimage sites and mandatory consultation with Shankaracharyas.
A cultural festival at Badrinath Dham has caused a massive outcry over a loud music and dance event, prompting the Chamoli district administration to issue a show-cause notice to the Commanding Officer of the Garhwal Scouts.
The protest against the festival, held last week, intensified after senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Murli Manohar Joshi termed the permission to hold such an event a violation of cultural decorum.
In the notice sent to the Commanding Officer, Chamoli District Magistrate (DM) Gaurav Kumar stated that organising such events involving high-decibel sound at Badrinath Dham is contrary to the shrine's sanctity and tarnishes the image of the local administration.
The DM also directed that there should be no recurrence of such events at Badrinath Dham in the future.
However, the Army declined to comment on the matter. When asked, an Army spokesperson said, "An official statement regarding this will be shared with the media once it is issued."
Political And Religious Leaders Condemn Event
Former Union Minister Joshi, in a social media post, questioned the permission granted for the event and described it not only as a violation of cultural decorum but also as a direct assault on the sanctity of the holy shrine.
Expressing his displeasure, the BJP leader said, "It is noteworthy that even the blowing of a conch shell is prohibited at this site; yet, ignoring this, we are organising loud music events-thereby grossly disregarding Indian spiritual, cultural, and environmental values-while also overlooking the adverse health effects on the thousands of people dancing at such high altitudes. This signifies that 'Devbhoomi' (the Land of Gods) is being transformed into a hub of commercialised culture."
He urged Shankaracharyas and spiritual leaders to raise their voices effectively against this erosion of culture and called upon both the central and state governments to uphold the dignity of Devbhoomi by banning such events.
Festival Objectives And Objections
The Devbhoomi Cultural Festival was held at Badrinath Dham on September 19 and 20.
Its stated objectives included showcasing the state's cultural heritage and folk traditions, providing market access for local products from border regions, and promoting entrepreneurship and tourism to empower women and the youth.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had attended the festival's closing ceremony as the chief guest.
The Shankaracharya Math of Jyotirmath Badrikashram-established by Adi Guru Shankaracharya-also expressed objections, describing the event as contrary to tradition and a violation of religious decorum and cultural propriety.
Swami Pratyakchaitanya Mukundanand Giri, in-charge of the Math, has urged the chief minister to intervene in the matter and demanded a complete ban on such events at Badrinath Dham and other pilgrimage sites, besides the implementation of a mandatory requirement to seek consultation and guidance from the Shankaracharya before organising any major event.
