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Hindustan Times
8 hours ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Ex-BKTC chairman meets CM Dhami seeking conservation of Tungnath temple
Dehradun, Former chairman of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee Ajendra Ajay on Monday requested Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to take necessary steps for the conservation of the Tungnath temple. Ex-BKTC chairman meets CM Dhami seeking conservation of Tungnath temple Standing at a height of 12,073 feet above the sea level at a picturesque location in Rudraprayag district, the centuries-old Tungnath temple is the third among the Panch Kedar group of temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. The former BKTC chairman who met the chief minister at the secretariat also handed him a letter stating in detail why it was necessary to take steps for the conservation of the temple. Over the last few years, micro-subsidence in the area has adversely affected the structure of the main temple, he said. Cracks have developed between the stones part of the temple structure through which water leaks into the sanctum sanctorum during the rainy season, he said. It is believed that the Pandavas built the temple to please Lord Shiva as he was unhappy with them due to the Mahabharata war. In view of the historicity of the temple and its mythological links, a detailed study of the temple complex was done by the Archaeological Survey of India , the Geological Survey of India and the Central Building Research Institute during his tenure as the BKTC chairman, Ajay said. These institutions as well as the state government had endorsed the idea of the temple's conservation, he said. As the temple committee chairman he had also prepared a comprehensive action plan for the renovation, repair work and beautification of the Tungnath temple and the temple complex. However, his tenure came to an end before actual work could be started on it, he said. Tungnath temple is important not only historically but also mythologically and is also a symbol of India's glorious heritage, he said. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
News18
8 hours ago
- General
- News18
Ex-BKTC chairman meets CM Dhami seeking conservation of Tungnath temple
Dehradun, Jul 28 (PTI) Former chairman of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee Ajendra Ajay on Monday requested Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to take necessary steps for the conservation of the Tungnath temple. Standing at a height of 12,073 feet above the sea level at a picturesque location in Rudraprayag district, the centuries-old Tungnath temple is the third among the Panch Kedar group of temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. The former BKTC chairman who met the chief minister at the secretariat also handed him a letter stating in detail why it was necessary to take steps for the conservation of the temple. Over the last few years, micro-subsidence in the area has adversely affected the structure of the main temple, he said. Cracks have developed between the stones part of the temple structure through which water leaks into the sanctum sanctorum during the rainy season, he said. It is believed that the Pandavas built the temple to please Lord Shiva as he was unhappy with them due to the Mahabharata war. In view of the historicity of the temple and its mythological links, a detailed study of the temple complex was done by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) during his tenure as the BKTC chairman, Ajay said. These institutions as well as the state government had endorsed the idea of the temple's conservation, he said. As the temple committee chairman he had also prepared a comprehensive action plan for the renovation, repair work and beautification of the Tungnath temple and the temple complex. However, his tenure came to an end before actual work could be started on it, he said. Tungnath temple is important not only historically but also mythologically and is also a symbol of India's glorious heritage, he said. PTI ALM ALM SKY SKY view comments First Published: July 28, 2025, 20:00 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Hindu
19-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Badri-Kedar Temple Committee seeking legal advice over construction of replica of Kedarnath temple in Samajwadi Party's bastion Etawah
Opposing the construction of the replica of Kedarnath temple in Samajwadi Party's (SP) bastion, Etawah, the authorities of Badri-Kedar Temple Committee (BKTC) said on Saturday (July 19, 2025) that they are seeking legal advice in the matter. The priest community in Uttarakhand is also up in arms against the temple project, launched by former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav. The construction of over 70 feet tall Kedareshwar Mahadev Temple, which looks exactly like Kedarnath temple, started in 2021. Being built at the approximate cost of ₹50 crore in front of Safari Park in Etawah, the home turf of SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav and is likely to be completed in the next six months. Akhilesh Yadav had recently shared a video of the temple on social stirring controversy over the same. Condemning the move of building the replica of a temple of 'religious and mythological importance', BKTC President Hemant Dwivedi said that Kedarnath temple is one of the 11 Jyotirlinga and it should not be copied in any way. 'It is mentioned in the Vedas and Puranas that Kedarnath Dham is located in the Himalayan region, hence the replica temple of this important religious place should not be built elsewhere, it is against religious beliefs,' he said. Mr. Dwivedi added that appropriate steps will be taken after legal opinion in the matter. he added that BKTC has also brought in the notice of the state government. Suresh Semwal, president of Char Dham Teerth Purohit Mahapanchyat, the body of priests associated with char dham temples, said that construction of the replica of Kedarnath temple in Etawah is not only tampering with religious sentiments of people but also an attack on the identity and tradition of the Hindu temples. 'It is an insult to faith of millions of Hindus. If Uttarakhand government will not take appropriate measure to stop the construction of the temple in Etawah, the priest community will be forced to move to court,' he added. After a Statewide agitation by the priest community last year, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) lead Uttarakhand government had pushed for a halt on the proposed construction of Kedarnath temple in Delhi's Burari. The project in Burari was inaugurated by the chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami who faced a lot of heat over the same. After both political pressure from the Opposition Congress and from the Char Dham temple priests, the State government had proposed in the Cabinet to make take legal action on the misuse of the name of Char Dham temples.
The Hindu
16-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
BJP government in Uttarakhand promoting VIP culture: Congress
The Congress on Wednesday (July 16, 2025) slammed the BJP government in Uttarakhand for promoting VIP culture in the State after Chairman of Badri-Kedar temple Committee (BKTC) took a chopper to Kedarnath despite suspension of services due to bad weather. As per reports, BKTC Chairman Hemant Dwivedi, along with three other persons, took a chopper to Kedarnath on July 14. Heritage aviation had organised the chopper ride. After the matter was reported to officials, the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) ordered an investigation. Sources in the department confirmed that the aviation firm was informed about the guidelines of the Director General Civil Aviation (DGCA), which has totally shut the shuttle services in the Kedar valley due to the weather conditions, while the chopper services of Char Dham are allowed but that too with the riders of weather being suitable for the flight. UCADA CEO Ashish Chauhan told The Hindu that a notice had been issued to the aviation firm. 'After around half a dozen chopper accidents took place in the State during the ongoing char dham yatra, the DGCA had issued instructions to Uttarakhand's authorised agency, UCADA, to impose a complete ban on air services during the rainy season. But BKTC president Hemant Dwivedi has not only flouted the rules by travelling to Kedarnath by helicopter, but once again openly supported the VIP culture,' said Congress spokesperson Garima Dasauni. She said when there was a complete ban on flights for the safety of common devotees, then how and why was this special exemption given to the BKTC president. 'This directly reflects the situation of 'one country, two rules' and is an example of disrespect for government rules,' she added.
India Gazette
15-06-2025
- General
- India Gazette
7 killed in Uttarakhand chopper crash: SDRF
Rudraprayag (Uttarakhand) [India], June 15 (ANI): All seven people, including the pilot on board a helicopter which crashed near the forested area of Gaurikund in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district early on Sunday morning died on spot, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) said. The Aryan Aviation Helicopter was flying to Guptkashi from the Kedarnath Dham when it crashed at 5:30 am today. The deceased have been identified as Captain Rajbir Singh Chauhan (39), resident of Jaipur, Vikram Rawat (47) a Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee representative and resident of Rasi, Vinod Devi (66), resident of Uttar Pradesh, Trishti Singh (19), resident of Uttar Pradesh, Rajkumar Suresh Jaiswal (41), resident of Gujarat, Shraddha Rajkumar Jaiswal and Kashi (2), resident of Maharashtra. Rescue teams were immediately dispatched under the direction of SDRF Commander Arpan Yadav. The incident spot was located in a very inaccessible and dense forest area, where a fast-paced and coordinated rescue operation was carried out by the joint teams of SDRF, NDRF, and local police. Rescue teams worked in inclement weather to retrieve the bodies of the deceased. Furthermore, the bodies will be brought down to the road by the SDRF team. Employees of BKTC gathered at all the offices of the temple committee and expressed condolences at the demise of BKTC employee, Vikram Rawat, the Shri Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee spokesperson, Harish Gaur said. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami held a virtual high-level meeting with senior officials from the CM residence after the helicopter crash. State Chief Secretary, Disaster Management Secretary, UCADA CEO, Garhwal Commissioner and other senior officials were present in the high-level meeting. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will investigate the crash, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stated. The DGCA further said that, in light of the crash, the frequencies of helicopter operations to Char Dham would be reduced as a precautionary measure. Enhanced surveillance and operational reviews are also being carried out by DGCA. 'Today, Aryan Aviation Bell 407 helicopter VT-BKA operating flight on sector Shri Kedarnath ji- Aryan Helipad, Guptkanshi, was involved in an accident. There were five passengers, one infant and one crew member on board. The helicopter took off at 05:19 hours for Guptkanshi and crashed near Gaurikund,' DGCA said providing details of the crash. Chief Executive Officer of Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Department (UCADA), Sonika, stated that helicopter shuttle services in the area had been closed given the ongoing relief operations and weather conditions in the valley. Sonika further stated that the District Magistrate and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) will reach the site soon. 'Since the rescue operation is underway and seeing the weather conditions in the valley, our shuttle services have been closed. Almost all the helicopters are involved in the rescue operation. DM and SSP will also reach the site soon,' Sonika told ANI. 'At around 5:30 AM, we got the information that a helicopter, which was going from Shri Kedarnath Dham to Guptkashi, could not be located. After some time, it was learnt that it had crashed near Gaurikund. Rescue operation is underway, SDRF teams have reached the spot. A total of 6 passengers and one pilot were on board the helicopter...' she further said. (ANI)
