Sunday, 26 February 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Some opposing reforms to perpetuate disorder for ulterior motives: Ajay
The Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) chairman Ajendra Ajay has rejected allegations levelled by the Congress regarding the committee’s chairman reportedly ordering a dress code for Char Dham pilgrims and prohibiting Teerth Purohits from accepting offerings (Dakshina) from pilgrims. He said that some reform measures are being discussed in the committee but stressed that these will be implemented after discussion with the stakeholders and the district administration.
Ajay said, “As per Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision and under chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s guidance, various works worth thousands of crores of rupees are being undertaken in Badrinath and Kedarnath. Various reconstruction, beautification and development works are being executed in Badrinath and Kedarnath and facilities are also being developed for pilgrims. A large number of pilgrims had visited the Char Dham shrines last year and we are expecting a large number of visitors this year too considering the figures being received. We are trying to improve and strengthen the temple management and Pooja procedures along with facilitating convenient darshan of the deity for the pilgrims.
For this purpose, BKTC study teams had visited the four prominent temples of Vaishno Devi, Tirupati Balaji, Mahakal and Somnath to study the temple management and related aspects and then presentation was made on their findings. Some of the important points which emerged are being considered and we will discuss these with stakeholders and district administration before releasing the standard operating procedure. Some people are trying to prevent the measures aimed at reform as they want disorder to continue for their ulterior motives. We haven’t even taken a decision but some people are trying to create a dispute. There is no decision on prohibiting the Teerth Purohits from accepting Dakshina from pilgrims. It is the traditional right of the Teerth Purohits and the temple committee has no intention of interfering in this matter. We are discussing that the BKTC employees and priests in its pay should not take offerings from pilgrims and instead put the same in the donation box. As far as the dress code is concerned, it is being considered only for the committee priests and employees,” stressed Ajay.
It will be recalled that on Friday, the chief spokesperson of Uttarakhand Congress Garima Dasauni had alleged that the BKTC chairman has ordered that the pilgrims would have to follow a dress code during the Char Dham Yatra and that the Teerth Purohits will be prohibited from accepting any offerings from the pilgrims.
