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Time of India

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.