Dehradun, March 18 (UNI) Renowned film actress Sara Ali Khan, daughter of actor Saif Ali Khan, will have to give an affidavit as to her ‘Sanatan faith’ to pay future obscience at Kedarnath Shrine where she had been a frequent visitor for some years.
This was stated by the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) chairman Hemant Dwivedi after the pilgrimage regulatory body decided not to allow non-Sanatan followers to enter the temples under its affiliation.
“Non-Sanatanis (non-Hindus) will be prohibited from all the temples coming under the jurisdiction of the BKTC in the upcoming Chardham pilgrimage. Anyone who has faith and belief in Sanatan Dharm is a Sanatani. If Sara Ali Khan comes to offer prayers at Kedarnath Dham, she will have to submit an affidavit affirming her faith to Sanatan,” said Dwivedi while replying to a specific question on the Bollywood actress and daughter of well known Indian film industry actor Saif Ali Khan.
According to BKTC chief, Committee will release a format of the the affidavit to be filled by non-Sanatan followers for entering the Badrinath, Kedarnath and its other nearly 45 temples across the state.
Actress Sara Ali Khan had been consistently visiting the Kedarnath temple to pay her obscience almost every year. She had been publicly claiming to attain peace and providential bliss in her Kedarnath visits. Sara’s frequent visits to the Kedarnath were mainly taken up after her Hindi film “Kedarnath” opposite late actor Sushant Singh Rajput released in 2018.
Dwivedi further informed that apart from this, BKTC will hammer out an Special Operation Procedure (SOP) to regulate the decisions taken by it.
In its another important decision, BKTC has imposed ban on taking cameras within 100 metre radius of the sanctum sanctorum of ghe temples.
Although BKTC is a regulatory body for Badrinath and Kedarnath temples, the state government has not yet given its nod for the same.
However when contacted, state Tourism department officials informed that BKTC is an autonomous body and it can take its own decisions. Officials informed that BKTC can implement its decisions without a consent of the state.
It is significant that Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has also made a statement to study similar norms applicable in other temples in the country and take a final call.
