Kedarnath priests oppose construction of temple's replica in Delhi

Rudraprayag: The seers and priests of Kedarnath have launched an agitation in protest against the construction of a temple in Delhi replicating the centuries-old Himalayan temple in Uttarakhand's Garhwal region.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had attended the ground breaking and stone laying ceremony of the temple at Hiranki in Burari recently.

The stir entered its third day on Monday with the seers and priests of the temple holding a demonstration in Kedarnath in protest against the construction of a replica of the temple in Delhi.

They shouted slogans against the state government.

"Constructing a temple in the name of Kedarnath Dham in Delhi is showing disrespect to the sanctity of the centuries-old Himalayan temple revered by generations of Hindus," said Umesh Posti, who is linked to the association of priests in Kedarnath.

Devbhoomi Raksha Abhiyan president Swami Darshan Bharti alleged it was being done under a conspiracy and appealed to to the believers of Sanatan to stall the project.

"Misusing the name of Baba Kedar is a sin. I appeal to all sanatanis to wake up and foil this conspiracy," he said.

Offering a clarification on behalf of the state government, Badrinath-Kedarnath temple committee chairman Ajendra Ajay said the state government had nothing to do with the construction of the temple.

"The state government has nothing to do with the construction of the temple in Delhi. It is being done by an organisation named Kedarnath Trust.

"The state government has offered no financial assistance in its construction. The chief minister attended the stone laying function on the invitation of some seers and public representatives as it a was a religious ceremony," Ajay said.