Swami Avimukteshwaranand, the Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath, has voiced strong opposition to the proposal of constructing a Kedarnath temple in Delhi, citing religious texts and raising concerns about political interference and an unresolved gold scam. "There cannot be a symbolic Kedarnath," Swami Avimukteshwaranand stated emphatically. "The twelve Jyotirlingas have been mentioned in the Shiv Puran, with specific names and locations. When the address for Kedarnath is in the Himalayas, how can it be in Delhi? There are political reasons behind this. Political people are entering our religious places."
The Shankaracharya also highlighted an alleged gold scam linked to the Kedarnath temple, stating, "There is a gold scam in Kedarnath, why is that issue not raised? After doing a scam there, now Kedarnath will be built in Delhi? And then there will be another scam. 228 kgs of gold is missing from Kedarnath. No inquiry has started. Who is responsible for this?"
The Kedarnath temple, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, is located at an altitude of 3,584 meters in Uttarakhand. It was originally constructed in the 8th century AD by Jagad Guru Adi Shankaracharya, adjacent to an even earlier temple built by the Pandavas.
Regarding the controversy over the Kedarnath temple being built in Delhi, Ajendra Ajay, President of Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee, distanced the Uttarakhand government from the temple saying, "The Uttarakhand government has nothing to do with this temple. The Chief Minister had attended the foundation stone laying ceremony of this temple on the request of saints and some public representatives..."
'Our Pain Will Not Be Relieved Until Uddhav Thackeray Becomes Maharashtra CM Again': Swami Avimukteshwaranand
In a separate context, Swami Avimukteshwaranand commented on his meetings with Shiv Sena UBT leader Uddhav Thackeray and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Regarding Thackeray, he said, "All of us are followers of Sanatana Dharma. We have a definition of 'Paap' and 'Punya'... The biggest sin is betrayal. Uddhav Thackeray has been deceived... Our pain will not be relieved until he becomes the CM of Maharashtra again."
On his meeting with PM Modi, the Shankaracharya mentioned, "Yes, he (PM Modi) came to me and did a 'Pranaam'. It is our rule that we will bless whoever comes to us. Narendra Modi ji is not our enemy. We are his well-wishers and always speak for his welfare. If he makes a mistake, then we also point that out to them."
The Shankaracharya made headlines for his criticism of the 'Pran Pratishtha' Ceremony of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, criticising the ceremony's timing as the construction was yet to be finished.