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HIGHLIGHTS * Mobile phones are now officially banned inside the Kedarnath temple. * No photography and videography will be allowed inside Kedarnath temple. * Kedarnath Temple Management Committee puts up posters outside the temple. Devotees have been banned from taking photographs and making videos on the premises of the Kedarnath Temple here. The move comes after a recent video of a woman blogger proposing to her boyfriend in front of the temple went viral. Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee has put up boards at various places on the temple premises which read, 'Do not enter the temple premises with mobile phones; any kind of photography and videography is strictly prohibited inside the temple and you are under the surveillance of CCTV cameras'. Badrinath-Kedarnath Committee bans The temple has also asked the people to wear "decent clothes" and desist from setting up tents or camps in the temple precincts. The boards, written in Hindi and English, also state that legal action will be taken against those not following the orders. Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee president Ajendra Ajay said a religious space follows a set of belief system and the devotees should respect the same. He said although no complaints have been received from the Badrinath Dham yet, such boards will also be installed there. Days after a video of a woman blogger proposing to her boyfriend in front of the temple went viral, Badrinath-Kedarnath temple committee has banned photography and videography inside Kedarnath temple. Committee bans photography Boards have been placed at various places on the temple premises prohibiting photography and videography. "Do not enter the temple premises with mobile phones; any kind of photography and videography is strictly prohibited inside the temple and you are under the surveillance of CCTV cameras," reads boards on temple premises. The committee has also warned that if anyone is caught taking photos or making videos, legal action will be taken against them. The temple has also asked the people to wear "decent clothes" and desist from setting up tents or camps in the temple precincts. Kedarnath temple In the past, some pilgrims were making videos and reels inside the temple in an indecent manner as well as clicking pictures...It will be implemented strictly, that is why warning boards have also been installed at Kedarnath," reported news agency ANI quoting Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee president Ajendra Ajay. He said although no complaints have been received from the Badrinath Dham yet, such boards will also be installed there. Kedarnath Temple Management Committee has finally banned the use of mobile phones inside the temple premises. This means that no photography or videography will be allowed inside Kedarnath Temple. The temple management made the ban official by issuing an official order and asking authorities to put up boards for the same. The poster put up by Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee outside the temple says, “Do not enter the temple premises with mobile phones; any kind of photography and videography is strictly prohibited inside the temple, and you are under the surveillance of CCTV cameras”. Kedarnath Temple Management Committee Another poster outside the temple premises read, “Legal action will be taken if caught.” But why did it happen, and what events led to this? We explain in this story. Veena Devi, a pilgrim from Gujarat’s Surat, said the authorities should make it clear that the Char Dham temples are seats of the utmost reverence and spiritual guidance for millions of Hindus, and these places should not be treated as picnic spots. Another pilgrim Visheswar Rai from Patna said the government instead of focusing on the influx of pilgrims in large numbers should allow only religious people to come to such temples. Sameer Shukla, the founder of Soham Himalayan Centre in Mussoorie working for preserving the traditional culture and heritage of the state, said the purpose will not be served by placing signboards. “The government to avoid repetition of such untoward incidents should differentiate between pilgrimage and tourism with a focus on maintaining age-old customs and sanctity of the shrines. The responsibility of maintaining the sanctity of the shrine should be of whosoever is the custodian of the place either by convention or by appointment.” Himanu Basu, another pilgrim from Kolkata, said one is not allowed inside without following the rules and regulations in South Indian temples. “There is a dress code and such practice should be followed in all temples across India.” BKTC president Ajendra Ajay said people were found uploading videos and pictures undermining the sanctity of the temple. “...therefore, the committee has prohibited any kind of photography inside the temple...” Yogendra Singh, BKTC executive officer, said they have put up half a dozen signboards on each side of the temple to inform pilgrims about the prohibition. “It was being observed that some people were hurting the religious sentiments of the devotees by not maintaining the sanctity of the place and uploading videos.” Faqs 1) What Led to Photography and Videography Ban Inside Kedarnath Temple Premises? Ans) Kedarnath Temple has issued several new orders (Via PTI) that are effective today. The first is the smartphone ban inside temple premises. The temple committee has also asked devotees to wear decent clothes. Lastly, it has asked people to resist setting up tents or camps in the temple precincts. Do note that legal action will be taken for not following the orders. Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee president Ajendra Ajay said a religious space follows a set of belief systems, and the devotees should respect the same. 2) Why Mobile Phones Banned Inside Kedarnath Temple? Ans) Multiple travel bloggers and influencers post videos about the Kedarnath temple each year to let other people know about it. There were guides, travel vlogs, reels, and full-fledged YouTube videos, which helped user plan their travel event. However, some videos have been highly criticised by people on social media, claiming they hurt religious sentiments. The matter became controversial when a female blogger proposed to her partner inside the Kedarnath Temple premises earlier this month. The matter was big enough to divide the internet. Last week, the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee asked the local Police to take action against such people in an open letter as they were hurting religious sentiments. The Police ensured that action would be taken against such people. From now, the order about the mobile phone ban comes into effect. 3) What’s Next after the mobile use ban ? Ans) If you are going to Kedarnath temple, make sure you don’t use mobile phones inside the temple or take any photos or videos. Besides that, make sure you follow other orders like wearing decent clothes and avoiding setting up tents not to attract any unwanted attention. At this point, it is not clear what legal action will be taken against those flouting the rules. Also Read: GST on Mobile Phones Reduced in July 2023: Check List Of Items Under New GST Rates Also Read: Centre blocks 14 mobile messenger apps used by terrorists in Pak to send coded texts in J-K : Big Crackdown to terror groups; Check Full List Here

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Uttarakhand: Badrinath-Kedarnath Committee bans photography, videography inside temple premises: violators to face legal consequences