Row Over Kedarnath Temple Replica In Delhi, Trust Replaces 'Dham' With 'Temple' Amid Protests

The development came after priests at the Kedarnath temple put their protest against the construction of the replica on hold after receiving assurance from Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami.

Following the protests from agitated priests, who are miffed with construction of a shrine in Delhi's Burari replicating the Kedarnath Jyotirling in Uttarakhand, Shri Kedarnath Dham Delhi Trust said that it will replace the word 'Dham' with 'Temple' in its name.

The development came after priests at the Rudraprayag temple put their protest against the construction of the replica on hold after being assured by Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami.

Kedar Sabha, comprising Kedarnath priests said that the agitation was put on hold at the directions of their president Rajkumar Tiwari, who met CM Dhami.

Vinod Tiwari of the Kedar Sabha told news agency PTI that the issues was discussed with the CM on July 16, which resulted in a consensus reagrding the change of name and structure of the temple and the trust building it in Burari.

He also said the priests might move court if the trust insists on not changing the name.

Surinder Rautela, the Head of the trust that will build the Kedarnath temple replica in the national capital, also convened a press conference in Dehradun on Tuesday to issue clarification amidst the protests.

Founder-President Rautela Issues Clarification Over Kedarnath Temple Row

At the press conference, he stressed that the upcoming temple in Delhi was not a 'Dham'. 

"It is just a temple bearing the name of Kedarnath. I am myself from Uttarakhand. I did it to only promote the culture of Uttarakhand," PTI reported Rautela as saying.

"The priests in Kedarnath thought that we were building a Dham in Delhi. A Dham can never be created; it is the work of the gods. We are only building a temple on the similar lines." The Print quoted Rautela.

He further said: "We don’t even have the Jyotirlinga. So, this is not any attempt to tamper with the glory of that temple but it is for the weak and infirm and can’t make it to the temple in Uttarakhand."

However, as per the report, the prietss were not satisfied by his clarification as they were miffed about the fact that the replica as well as the trust were being named over the main Jyotirling for commercial purpose.

Meanwhile, CM Dhami also reacted to the controversy saying that the Kedarnath Dham can only exist in Uttarakhand between the Saraswati and Mandakani rivers. "Kedarnath Dham will remain where it has been. Temples have been built in the past also and will continue to be built," he said.

Idea Behind The Kedarnath Temple Replica In Delhi

The plan to build the temple replica in Delhi, as per the trust's president, emerged after he survived COVID-19 infection in 2022. Rautela told The Print that while he was infected and all hopes of survival were lost, he survived and felt that he had not been able to do enough for Kedarnath.

The 54-year-old priest said that he then approached his family and friends to gather support for the project. This led to the establishment of the Shri Kedarnath Dham Delhi Trust, two years ago.

After searching for the right land for his project, the retired businessman found the site in Burari, where the foundation stone for the temple was laid on July 10.

The trust has around 200 contributors now, dedicated to the construction of the temple on a three-acre plot.

The construction of the temple which will bear a cost of around Rs 12 crore, is likely to be completed by the end of 2026, Times Of India reported.

However, after CM Dhami laid the foundation, the Kedarnath priests were unhappy over the use of the Jyotirling's name for "commercial purposes".

Kedarnath Dham is one of the four sacred Hindu shrines that comprise the Char Dham.

Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee, the body that manages the twin shrines warned the Shri Kedarnath Dham Delhi Trust of legal action if it went ahead and constructed a temple resembling the Jyotirling, TOI reported.

Shankarcharya of Jyotirmath, Swami Avimukteshwaranand, also expressed his opposition to the temple project in Delhi.

"There cannot be a symbolic Kedarnath. The Shiv Puran mentions 12 Jyotirlingas with specific names and locations. Kedarnath's address is in the Himalayas, how can it be in Delhi?"

He further alleged that the temple was being built for political reasons and that "politicians are encroaching on our religious space."