Badrinath Kedarnath temple committee says Sara Ali Khan must submit proof of faith as Sanatani to visit | Explainer

Sara Ali Khan can visit Badrinath and Kedarnath temple complexes after submitting an affidavit affirming faith, says committee chairperson.

Actor Sara Ali Khan’s debut movie in 2018 was titled Kedarnath, an apt title given the actor’s affinity to visit the Badrinath and Kedarnath temples every year. However, if she were to visit the Hindu temples henceforth, Badri-Kedar Temple Committee (BKTC) chairman, Hemant Dwivedi, says that she must sign an affidavit proving faith.

Sara Ali Khan on one of her visits to the Badrinath-Kedarnath temples.

Sara Ali Khan must submit proof of faith to enter Kedarnath-Badrinath temple

The BKTC chairman Hemant held a press conference on Tuesday to announce that non-Hindus who have faith in Sanatan Dharma must provide a written declaration of being a Sanatani and believing in Hindutva to enter Badrinath and Kedarnath temple complexes. The BKTC unanimously approved a proposal on March 10 to ban the entry of non-Sanatanis into the temples.

When specifically asked about Sara, according to PTI, he said, “If Sara Ali Khan affirms that she holds faith and devotion towards Sanatan, and subsequently submits an affidavit to that effect, she will be granted darshan.” For the unversed, Sara is the daughter of actors Amrita Singh, a Sikh, and Saif Ali Khan, a Muslim.

The BKTC has already standardised a format for this affidavit. The proposal has also been sent to the Uttarakhand government. This comes ahead of the Char Dham Yatra which will commence from April 19, with more than 6 lakh devotees having already registered. The Badrinath Dham will be open from April 23 and the Kedarnath Dham will be open from April 22.

What Sara Ali Khan once said about Kedarnath

Sara has not responded to the declaration by the BKTC yet. At the Times Now Summit in 2025, Sara explained how she cannot explain the attachment she feels to Kedarnath, calling it a ‘humbling feeling’ to visit the temple. She also recollected how growing up, she wondered what her religious identity was, given her mom is a Singh and her father is a Khan.

She said, “I remember asking my mom, what am I. And she told me I’m Indian. I don’t look at it like that. I don’t go to Kedarnath so I can get love for it. I did a movie and I got love for it, I am grateful for that love. But my personal trip to Kedarnath, with due respect to anybody that likes it or hates it, it’s not about any of you. It’s about me. And I feel comfortable there. I feel peaceful there. I feel happy there.”

When Pawan Kalyan’s daughter submitted proof of faith at Tirupati

This is not the first time a temple has drawn a line in the sand about who can visit. The Puri temple in Odisha permits entry only to Hindus, with strict guidelines for how they should dress. In October 2024, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and actor Pawan Kalyan’s half Russian daughter, Polena Anjana Pawanova, also had to sign a declaration of faith at Tirupati that her father co-signed on, as she is a minor. His other daughter, Aadhya, did not have to sign the form due to both parents being Hindus.