Veteran BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi termed it a violation of the shrine’s cultural traditions and religious sanctity. File
| Photo Credit: PTI
Amid a controversy over concert-style “Bhajan Jamming” organised by the Indian Army at the Badrinath shrine, veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader M.M. Joshi on Friday criticised the act and termed it a violation of the shrine’s cultural traditions and religious sanctity.
Organised under the theme “Our Heritage, Our Future”, the event was held at the Tourist Arrival Plaza adjoining the Badrinath temple, at an altitude of over 10,200 feet on September 19-20, 2026. The Chamoli district administration and Uttarakhand Tourism Department attributed the event’s organisation to the Indian Army.
Taking to the social media platform X, Mr Joshi said that organising a loud musical event at the sacred Himalayan shrine amounted to an assault on the faith of millions of devotees.
“It is noteworthy that this temple was established by Adi Guru Shankaracharya in the Himalayan environment for peaceful devotion through divine hymns….even blowing a conch shell is prohibited at this site, yet we disregarded this and organized a noisy music event, thereby gravely neglecting India’s spiritual, cultural, and environmental values,” he said.
Mr. Joshi added that allowing thousands to dance at such a high altitude, ignores the adverse health impacts on them as well.
Calling out the ‘transformation of Dev Bhoomi into a hub of commercial culture’, the senior BJP leader urged the Centre and Uttarakhand government to prohibit such events and preserve the spiritual character of the state.
“The Himalayas are divine, the abode of Lord Shiva and the origin of Mother Ganga. Turning this sacred land into a dance venue is a deep blow to the faith of crores of Indians,” he said in his post.
The event drew criticism from religious leaders like Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath. Local stakeholders and Opposition Congress leaders also questioned the appropriateness of concert-style entertainment at one of Hinduism’s most revered pilgrimage sites.
Published – September 26, 2026 03:00 am IST
