INDIA, January 26, 2026 (The Hindu): Uttarakhand’s religious leaders and temple caretakers have asked the state government to prohibit the entry of non-Hindus in the Char Dham temples of Bardinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri. Suresh Semwal, head of Gangotri Temple, told The Hindu that the temple committee held a meeting last week in which it was unanimously decided that non-Hindus will not be allowed inside the temple. The Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee has also demanded that non-Hindus must not be allowed in the shrines. Its chairman, Hemant Dwivedi, said that the committee will discuss the proposed ban in its meeting scheduled next month and will implement it from the Char Dham Yatra this year. “The Char Dham shrines are not tourist spots, and those who have no faith in Sanatan Dharma must not enter our sacred places,” said Mr. Dwivedi.

Source: The Hindu January 28, 2026 22:27 UTC