Shri Panch Gangotri Temple Committee, which manages the day-to-day religious activities of the Gangotri Dham in Uttarkashi district has proposed making the consumption of Panchagavya mandatory for pilgrims to enter the temple to confirm their adherence to Sanatan Dharma.
Shri Panch Gangotri Temple Committee Secretary Suresh Semwal said consumption of Panchagavya – cow milk, curd, urine, dung and ghee – along with Ganga Jal, is considered the ultimate form of purification in Hindu tradition, and anyone willing to partake in this sacred mixture will be welcomed here
“We have also formed a ten- member committee that includes religious scholars and legal experts who will check whether any constitutional rights of people are being affected and help us in the implementation from April 19, when the yatra will start this year”, he said.
He added that the Sikh, Buddhist, and Jain communities are viewed as integral parts of the Sanatan Dharma due to their shared values of non-violence and dietary restrictions, and will therefore face no such entry barriers.
Harish Semwal, president of the Shri Panch Gangotri Temple Committee, said, “The committee has proposed to serve pilgrims Panchagavya, a traditional mixture of five bovine elements, including cow milk, curd, ghee, urine, and dung and it will be implemented as per the tradition and recommendation of the 10-member suggestion committee.”
The Yamunotri temple committee will also deliberate on Tuesday on the matter, including the ban on entry to non-Sanatanis, during a meeting that coincides with the announcement of the opening of the portal of Yamunotri Dham.
Purshotam Uniyal, spokesperson of the Yamunotri Temple Committee (Shri Yamunotri Mandir Samiti) said, “According to Sanatan Dharm, no ritual is complete without serving the Panchgavya to devotees and we have been following this tradition since ages but after influx of the people who have no affinity towards Santan Dharm in recent years, it was being felt to introduce such measures so that only Santanis who adhere to tradition be permitted darshan at the shrine”.
The Shri Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) on March 11 passed a proposal to bar the entry of non-Hindus to Kedarnath and Badrinath temples.
The proposal was passed in the budget meeting of the Shri Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) held under the chairmanship of BKTC chairman Hemant Dwivedi. “The entry of non-Hindus has traditionally been restricted in these temples. There was now a need to give it a formal shape. Strict measures are required to maintain the sanctity of Devbhoomi and its sacred shrines, so that the fundamental character of the state remains intact,” Dwivedi said earlier announcing the decision.
