Kedarnath Dham (File)
These days, chanting of Bholenath along with the chanting of Bholenath chants and drums of protest against the government are being heard in the Kedar Valley. There are also prayers for the purification of the intellect of those in power. At the center of this protest is the Kedarnath temple built in Burari (Delhi). Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami performed the Bhumi Poojan of the temple. His message reached the people in the form of government association with the proposed temple. However, amid protests from locals and the bitter message of defeat in the recent by-elections, the state government has distanced itself from the Delhi temple. In just three days of the Bhumi Poojan of the temple, Dhami made it clear that there could be no other Kedarnath Dham in the world. However, the voice of opposition is loud.
Pavitra Kedar, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas
The sacred Kedarnath Dham is the fifth of twelve Jyotirlingas. It is also included in the four Dhams of Uttarakhand. The history of Dham is related to incarnations of Lord Shiva, Nara-Narayana, Pandavas and Adi Shankaracharya. The gates of this ancient temple in the scenic Himalayan region remain closed for six months during the winter season. It is believed that the Shivalinga located in the temple is Swayambhu, i.e. it is not installed but appears automatically. This temple was first built by the Pandu king Janamejaya. It was revived by Adi Shankaracharya in the eighth-ninth century. Dham is considered the confluence of holy rivers which include Mandakini, Madhuganga, Ksheer Ganga and Swarna Gauri. Behind the temple is the huge Bhima Shila, which guarded the temple during the horrific tragedy of 2013.
Lord Shiva always resides
According to mythological beliefs, Nara-Narayana, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, worshiped the mortal Shivlinga in the forest of Badri. Pleased by their devotion, Lord Shiva appeared. Nara-Narayana prayed to him that Lord Shiva should always reside here. God accepted their prayer and said that this area would be known as Kedar. According to the Kedar section of the Skanda Purana, Kedar is the place where Lord Shiva freed the holy Ganga from his matted hair. In the Dwapara Yuga, the Pandavas came to the Himalayas to visit Lord Shiva to get rid of the sin of killing the Kauravas and other brothers. It is believed that Shiva disappeared and settled in Kedar. The Pandavas reached Kedar in his devotion. Then Shiva assumed the form of an animal. Seeing them, Bhima got an idea and assumed a huge form and spread his legs on both sides of Mount Kedar. Other animals crawled out from under them. But when Lord Shiva was leaving in the form of a buffalo, Bhima recognized him with insight. When Bhima tried to stop them, they started sinking into the earth. Shiva held his back. Since then Lord Shiva is worshiped here in the form of buffalo back. It is believed that the buffalo face originated in Nepal, where Lord Pashupatinath is worshipped. Adi Shankaracharya is famous for reviving the ancient temple. His tomb is situated behind the temple. It is believed that it automatically buried itself in the earth.
Protest at the center of faith!
But these days, Kedar Dham is in the news for the deep faith and darshan-adoration of pilgrims along with protests. Monks, saints, priests and devotees as well as the entire local population are involved in this protest. The reason is its replica, which is proposed to be built in Delhi. Chief Minister Dhami acknowledged the government’s support for this scheme by laying the foundation stone of this temple. Kedarnath Trust Delhi president Surinder Rautela’s alleged statement that Kedar Baba’s darshan in Delhi itself will be easier for the elderly and infirm who cannot go to Kedar Dham. Kedar Dham is not only an ancient center of faith, but the millions of devotees who visit it every year help in the livelihood of a large part of the local population. Along with the temple, the state government also mobilized the population living along the traditional pilgrimage routes to survey the construction of an alternative route from Ramnagar for Char Dham Yatra. It was assumed that with the construction of the new route passengers would pass through it and the old route would be neglected. It will also have a direct impact on the livelihood of the local population of these areas.
Opposition and Shankaracharya’s questions to the government
The main opposition party of the state, Congress, has also entered the fray regarding the Kedar temple in Delhi. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Yashpal Arya has said that the construction of Kedarnath temple in Delhi is against the age-old traditions. Kedarnath Temple is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas and the symbolic construction of Divya Dham is not acceptable. Arya taking the stone from Kedarnath and installing it in Delhi temple and worshiping it by Chief Minister Dhami is an insult to the sacred tradition of Kedarnath. According to Arya, Kedarnath Dham is a center of faith for crores, not for tourism and exhibition. Connecting the government with the Delhi temple, Arya asked why the government and the trust needed to set up a temple in Delhi. Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteswarananda of the Jyotirpeeth has questioned whether the Himalayas are the address of Kedar Dham among the twelve Jyotirlingas in the Shiva Purana. How then can he establish himself in Delhi? He said there was a political agenda behind it. Shankaracharya sarcastically said that 228 kg of gold has gone missing from the Kedarnath temple. Instead of investigating it, the government is building Kedar Dham in Delhi.
Dhami government under double pressure
At present Dhami government is under double pressure. His stunning success in the Lok Sabha elections has been tarnished by his defeat in the by-elections to two assembly seats. In Badrinath, its candidate Rajendra Singh Bhandari was defeated by Congress’s Lakhpat Singh Butola by a margin of 5,224 votes. BJP’s Kartar Singh Bhadana lost by 422 votes in Haridwar’s Mangalore seat against Nizamuddin of Congress. Of course, the BJP lost these seats in 2022 as well, but in the Lok Sabha elections it got a lead of more than eight thousand votes in the Badrinath Assembly constituency. The morale of the government was also high due to the victory in all the five Lok Sabha seats in the state. But the results disappointed him. The defeat in Badrinath, the second pilgrimage site after Ayodhya, has given the opposition an opportunity to question the BJP’s claim on Hindu votes. Did the angle of constructing an alternate route for the Kedarnath temple and Charon Dham Yatra in Delhi play any role in the Uttarakhand by-election defeat? After the results, the speed with which Chief Minister Dhami distanced himself from the proposed temple in Delhi and clarified that there cannot be another Kedar Dham sends a message that the government is very conscious of this sensitive question of faith. Regarding the Charon Dham Yatra route, the government’s clarification by Nainital District Magistrate Vandana Singh that the yatra will continue through traditional routes makes it clear that the government should not upset the population living on these routes. The reason for the need for additional routes is said to be increased traffic pressure on conventional routes. Delhi’s Kedarnath Temple Trust President Surinder Rautela has also tried to defuse the anger over the issue by stating that the Uttarakhand government has nothing to do with the temple.
