'Probe Gold Scam First': Swami Avimukteshwaranand Opposes Building Kedarnath In Delhi

New Delhi: Expressing clear and strong dissent on the controversy surrounding the foundation stone for another Kedarnath temple in New Delhi, Swami Avimukteshwaranand, Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath said that politicians are entering into the religious matters adding that there cannot be a ‘symbolic Kedarnath’ while referring to the temple. 

"How is it possible" asks Shankaracharya 

Swami Avimukteshwaranand also questioned as to how it is possible to construct a Kedarnath Temple in Delhi if the address of the Kedarnath is mentioned in the Himalayas as per Shiv Puran.   

Speaking to reporters, Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath said, ”12 Jyotirlingas have been mentioned in the Shiv Puran with name and location. When the address for Kedarnath is in the Himalayas, how can it be in Delhi? Political people are entering our religious places.”

Kedarnath is among the four Hindu sacred shines of the Char Dham that also includes Badrinath, Gangotri and Yumonotri, which attracts millions of Hindu pilgrims between the months of May and October.

Constructing Delhi Temple for “Another Scam”

Shankaracharya also alleged that earlier a scam happened during the gold laying work inside the sanctum sanctorum of Kedarnath temple. He also claimed that on similar lines, a scam will happen at the temple in the national capital. 

“There is a gold scam in Kedarnath, why is that issue not raised? After doing a scam there, now Kedarnath will be built in Delhi? And then there will be another scam,” Swami Avimukteshwaranand said. 

Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday participated in a ‘bhoomi pujan’ in the Hiranki neighbourhood near Burari in northwest Delhi, laying the foundation stone for the new Kedarnath temple.

Kedarnath Trust Defends its Decision 

“The Kedarnath temple to be built in Delhi is a temple, not a Dham and the Uttarakhand government has nothing to do with it, " said Surinder Rautela, president of Kedarnath Dham Trust. He further said that many temples have already been built in the name of famous Dhams in different cities of the country.

Rautela further mentioned that the controversy surrounding the Kedarnath temple is just a “political stunt”.

“Some leaders are creating controversy just to satisfy their political needs. Uttarakhand's Kedarnath Dham is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas. We are just creating a temple in Delhi and there are various such temples in different cities of India,” he said.