Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) has announced that soon, non-Hindus will not be allowed to enter the Badrinath and Kedarnath temples in Uttarakhand. The temples are a part of the Char Dham yatra. The same rule will apply to all temples controlled by the Committee.

BKTC president Hemant Dwivedi has announced that non-Hindus will not be allowed to enter any temple governed by the committee. He said the restriction will apply uniformly across all shrines that fall under the temple body’s administration.

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A proposal in this regard is set to be placed before the temple committee’s board and is expected to be cleared at its next meeting.
Meanwhile, the Badrinath temple is scheduled to reopen on April 23 following its annual six-month closure during the winter season. The reopening date for the Kedarnath shrine, however, will be announced on Maha Shivratri.

Speaking to ANI, Manujendra Shah, the current titular Maharaja of Tehri Garhwal, said, "Greetings to all the people of Uttarakhand and of the country. It's a matter of pride to announce that this year, the gates of Badrinath Dham will reopen on April 23 at 6:15 am. The Gadu Ghada ceremony will be held on April 7."

The opening date of Badrinath Dham temple is announced annually on the auspicious day of Basant Panchami every year.
The date declaration is done from the royal court of Tehri Naresh in Narendra Nagar of Tehri Garhwal District.

This temple of Lord Vishnu has various rituals performed on the announcement day as well as the day of commencement of the temple's pilgrimage season.

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According to the Dham's website, the announcement is followed by the Gadu Ghada ritual, the sacred sesame oil ceremony, which is specially extracted by devotees from the sesame seeds. The oil is then sent to the Badrinath temple via Rishikesh in a revered journey named "Tel Kalash yatra".

In addition to Badrinath and Kedarnath, the Chota Char Dham yatra also includes Gangotri and Yamunotri. Both temples are set to open their doors to devotees on April 19 on Akshaya Tritiya.

(With ANI Inputs)