Seers demand ‘ban' on trade by non-Hindus at Char Dham shrines
Haridwar: Several seers in Uttarakhand have urged the govt to bar
non-Hindu traders
from selling 'prasad' or other
religious items
within the premises of
Char Dham shrines
. Citing certain precedents at some temples in Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh where non-Hindus are purportedly restricted from entering the premises, they also demanded that the Uttarakhand govt implement similar measures in the state's revered shrines.
Shankaracharya Parishad president Swami Anand Swaroop wrote to CM Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday urging entry restriction into the Char Dham shrines in Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri due to "security concerns and religious sanctity". In his letter, Swami Anand Swaroop stressed the need for such restrictions to prevent any untoward incidents during the pilgrimage season.
Backing the demand, Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad president Swami Ravindra Puri of Niranjani Akhara said similar appeals were made during the recent 'Mahakumbh' in Prayagraj. He also argued that the sale of 'prasad' by non-Hindus could raise questions over its ritual purity, especially in light of past controversies.
Lending support, Swami Rupendra Prakash of Avdhoot Mandal Ashram said he believed that such a step was necessary to prevent "unwanted elements from executing their nefarious designs in the guise of a pilgrim". "There are non-Hindus operating as owners of horses and mules that carry pilgrims. Such people may be potential threats to security and purity... I raised the demand earlier as well along with the Badrinath MLA," the seer said.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Moose Approaches Girl At Bus Stop In Volgogradskaya Oblast - Watch What Happens
Happy in Shape
Undo
The seers' calls also found a few takers among members of the civil society. BD Joshi, a retired professor from Haridwar's Gurukul Kangri University, said, "Showing liberalism in matters of our religion and embracing people who would not budge an inch when it comes to their religion is nothing but masquerading as secularists. Such behaviour has already cost us too much."
Notably, a section of the seers community in Haridwar had recently demanded the shifting of meat shops in Jwalapur to Sarai, a nearby village.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
23 minutes ago
- Time of India
Goa to submit eco-sensitive plan to Centre, seeks fresh survey under PMAY
**TO GO WITH STORY** Panjim: Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant speaks during inauguration of the Regional Rural Workshop under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (Gramin), in Panjim. (PTI Photo)(PTI06_06_2025_000226B) Panaji: Chief minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said that Goa aims to be the first state to prepare and submit an eco-sensitive plan to the Centre. 'Goa will be the first state to submit an eco-sensitive zone plan to the Centre. We are working on sustainable development; there is no haphazard management,' said Sawant at the regional rural workshop for the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (Gramin). Sawant said that Goa govt is formulating schemes so that even people from the OBC and economically weaker sections can get proper houses in Goa. 'Under the PMAY, we have just 250 beneficiaries. Of those more than 240 houses were already built. But there is a need to conduct a fresh survey under this scheme,' said Sawant. He said that some of the prospective beneficiaries migrated to other states, while there are some people who did not qualify for the scheme even though they required houses. 'There are some people who are living in a joint family, and they cannot benefit from these schemes. We need to expand this scheme, extend the benefits, but these people must settle in the villages and not in the towns,' said Sawant. The chief minister said that people must be encouraged to stay in the villages. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like They Lost Their Money - Learn From Their Lesson Expertinspector Click Here Undo 'If people migrate from villages to towns, the ecosystem will be disturbed. For this ecosystem not to get disturbed, people must be encouraged to stay in the villages. I am sure the Centre will think about this too. It is necessary that people get houses in their own villages,' he said. Sawant said that Goa is the first state to ensure that all central schemes reach every citizen in the state. 'We succeeded in taking all the schemes to at least 90% of the people. There may be a few people who were not able to benefit from the schemes,' he said. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Eid wishes , messages , and quotes !
Time of India
27 minutes ago
- Time of India
'Should do all it can': Pakistan delegation gets earful; US lawmaker tells Bilawal Bhutto to eliminate Jaish-e-Mohammad
NEW DELHI: US Congressman Brad Sherman on Thursday made a pointed advise to a Pakistani delegation, led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, that the country should "do all it can" to eliminate terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammad from the region and ensure protection of religious minorities in the country. In a social media post on X, Sherman said that he emphasised to the Pakistani delegation the importance of combatting terrorism and, in particular, the group Jaish-e-Mohammed, who murdered Daniel Pearl in 2002. "I emphasized to the Pakistani delegation the importance of combatting terrorism, and in particular, the group Jaish-e-Mohammed, who murdered my constituent Daniel Pearl in 2002," the Congressman said. "Pearl's family continues to live in my district, and Pakistan should do all it can to eliminate this vile group and combat terrorism in the region," he added. Daniel was kidnapped by jihadi terrorists in January 2002 while he was on his way to what he had expected would be an interview with Pakistani religious cleric Mubarak Ali Gilani in Karachi. The US lawmaker also told the Pakistani delegation that the protection of religious minorities in Pakistan remains an important issue. "Christians, Hindus and Ahmadiyya Muslims living in Pakistan must be allowed to practice their faith and participate in the democratic system without fear of violence, persecution, discrimination, or an unequal justice system.' Sherman further urged the Pakistani delegation to relay to their government the need to free Dr Shakil Afridi, who continues to languish in prison for helping the United States kill Osama bin Laden. 'Freeing Dr Afridi represents an important step in bringing closure for victims of 9/11,' he said. Afridi is a Pakistani physician who helped the CIA run a polio vaccination programme in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to collect DNA samples of bin Laden's family. Afridi was arrested by Pakistani authorities shortly after the American raid on bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad in May 2011. In 2012, a Pakistani court sentenced Afridi to 33 years in prison. The Pakistani delegation timed its visit to the US capital around the same time as a multi-party delegation of Indian parliamentarians led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor is in Washington DC. The all-party delegation is briefing key interlocutors about Operation Sindoor in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack and India's strong resolve to fight terrorism emanating from Pakistan. Bhutto also landed in the US at the same time as the Tharoor-led delegation. Bhutto met UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres with his delegation as well as Security Council Ambassadors in New York and later travelled to Washington in Pakistan's bid to internationalise the conflict with India as well as the Kashmir issue, but instead got instructed to deal with terrorism emanating from its soil.
Time of India
37 minutes ago
- Time of India
54crore allocated to boost police infra
Chennai: As part of North Chennai development scheme, Tamil Nadu govt has sanctioned 54.3 crore for enhancing police infrastructure and public safety in the region. The proposals include installation of surveillance systems and construction of new facilities to support law enforcement. An integrated police complex will be built in Kolathur at an outlay of 16 crore. It will house law and order and crime wings, a cybercrime cell, intelligence unit, serious crime squad, women's police station, restrooms, barracks for male and female personnel, parking areas, and a fire station. The funds were approved by CMDA following a directive from chief minister M K Stalin. The initiative — Vada Chennai Valarchi Thittam (North Chennai development plan) — aims to address infrastructure gaps and improve law and order through targeted investment in public safety and policing. Key components of plan include 9 crore for automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras at 45 locations , and 90.6 lakh for 60 two-wheeler patrol vehicles. To support youth engagement in underprivileged areas, 60 lakh was sanctioned for setting up 10 police youth clubs aimed at nurturing educational and athletic development. In response to rising substance abuse concerns, 3 crore was set aside for establishing rehabilitation centres. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Spacious 2, 3 & 4 BHK Homes at ₹88 L+* in Pune Dosti Greenscapes Learn More Undo Govt also approved 9.7 crore for building hostels for officers posted on field duty. Another 15 crore will fund a new building for Peravallur police station. More than 1,000 police personnel and numerous residents in North Chennai are expected to benefit from these developments. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Eid wishes , messages , and quotes !
