Gangotri Dham gates to open on April 19; entry to non-Sanatanis barred, says temple committee

Uttarkashi: The gates of Gangotri Dham are scheduled to open on April 19 at 12.15pm on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya. The date and timing were announced on Thursday, the first day of Chaitra Navratri, by officials of the Shri Panch Gangotri Temple Committee during a press conference at the committee's dharamshala.Following the pattern of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC), the committee said entry to the temple will be restricted to "only those who follow Sanatan Dharma." Gangotri temple committee president Dharmamand Bijalwan said, "Non-Sanatani individuals will not be allowed entry into the temple." The committee has also sought support from the district and police administration to implement the decision, he added. Last week, the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) had approved a similar proposal to bar "non-Sanatanis" - people who do not follow Sanatan Dharma - from entering the temples under its jurisdiction in Uttarakhand, including Badrinath and Kedarnath. The decision was taken at the temple committee's budget meeting at its Dehradun office, chaired by BKTC chairman Hemant Dwivedi. Dwivedi had also indicated in Jan that the committee was considering restrictions on the entry of non-Hindus at the Char Dham shrines. Soon after, the temple committees of Gangotri and Yamunotri Dham had said they will also implement a similar move.Meanwhile, speaking about the rituals preceding the opening of the Gangotri shrine, vice-president of the temple management committee, Arun Semwal, said, "The ceremonial palanquin (doli) of goddess Ganga will begin its journey on April 18 from Mukhba, the winter abode of the deity, towards Gangotri Dham. It will halt overnight at Bhaironghati, where a night vigil will be held at the Bhairav Temple. The next morning, the doli will proceed to the temple."Rituals such as Ganesh puja and Panchang pujan will be performed before the opening, followed by the recitation of Ganga Sahasranama at 10.15am. The temple doors will open at 12.15pm during an auspicious time (Kark Lagna).The committee also said the use of mobile phones and making reels inside the temple or within a designated boundary will be restricted.