In Brief
- Veteran politician Murli Manohar Joshi issued a public statement on September 25, 2026, opposing a DJ and dance event held at Badrinath Dham.
- Joshi noted that traditional customs at the Himalayan shrine forbid even the blowing of conch shells to preserve spiritual silence.
- The controversial two-day 'Devbhoomi Cultural Festival' took place on September 19–20 at the Tourist Arrival Plaza in Badrinath.
Former Union Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Murli Manohar Joshi voiced strong objections on September 25, 2026, against a concert-style music event held near the sacred Badrinath Dham in Uttarakhand. In a detailed post on X (formerly Twitter), Joshi characterized the permission granted for amplified music and DJ performances at the high-altitude shrine as a direct violation of religious decorum and an assault on the site's spiritual sanctity. He urged the Union Ministry of Culture, the Uttarakhand state government, and religious authorities, including the Shankaracharyas, to enforce an immediate ban on commercialized entertainment programs across the Char Dham pilgrimage circuit.
The controversy stems from the 'Devbhoomi Cultural Festival', held on September 19 and 20, 2026, at the Tourist Arrival Plaza in Badrinath town, Chamoli district. The Indian Army's Operation Sadbhavana unit organized the event in coordination with the Chamoli district administration and the Uttarakhand Tourism Department to display local handicrafts and border village traditions. Following the circulation of video clips showing attendees dancing to amplified stage performances by folk singers, local priests, the Char Dham Teerth Purohit Mahapanchayat, and senior political figures criticized the administration for compromising established Himalayan traditions.
