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Government to survey 45 temples around Badrinath, Kedarnath
The proposed heritage law – now being drafted for tabling it in the state assembly - is aimed at ensuring historic structures in the state remain intact, besides boosting religious tourism.
The tourism and culture departments will survey 45 temples under Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) to ensure that these historic structures are preserved.
“We will start surveying 29 temples of Badrinath and 16 temples of Kedarnath to review status of the structures,” tourism secretary Dilip Jawalkar said.
“These temples will be preserved under a proposed heritage law and hopefully will soon get cabinet nod (for the law). We will also use these heritage sites for tourism,” Jawalkar said.
The proposed heritage law – now being drafted for tabling it in the state assembly - is aimed at ensuring historic structures in the state remain intact, besides boosting religious tourism.
The tourism secretary, in a letter issued on January 5, had asked the BKTC not to carry out any renovation or beautification of the temples falling under its jurisdiction.
The BKTC has already renovated Narsingh Temple and renovation works are going on in Binsar Temple.
Temples under the BKTC’s jurisdiction are not listed with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) that’s why a special law is needed to conserve these historic structures, another official said.
“The temples of BKTC are not empanelled with the ASI that increases our responsibility towards their restoration,” said Beena Bhatt, director of the culture department.
Jawalkar said: “The ASI has strict norms. We don’t want these temples to be included in its list as we want to use them for religious tourism in future.”
The 29 temples under Badrinath are located in Mana - the last Indian village, Pandukeshwar, Joshimath, Vishnuprayag, Nandprayag, Almora and other places. Those under Kedarnath are located at Guptkashi, Ukhimath, Kalimath, Tungnath, Tirjuginarayan.
BKTC chairman Ganesh Godiyal, however, is upset. On Tuesday, he said the state government wants to cut wings of the committee that is committed towards preservation and betterment of all its temples.
“If the letter was written in January, then the government should have come up with an action plan till now. Many temples are falling apart and it’s our responsibility to keep them intact-even if it means renovation,” Godiyal said.
“The government should have contacted the committee if it actually wishes to restore the historic temples structures and also suggest viable measures of dilapidated condition of some,” he said.
