DEHRADUN: The Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee has launched an inquiry after videos purportedly filmed inside the sanctum sanctorum of the Kedarnath shrine surfaced on social media, attracting lakhs of views despite restrictions on mobile phone use.
Committee chairman Hemant Dwivedi said officials were identifying those who recorded and circulated the videos. The legal and religious aspects of the matter were also being examined, he added.
“If the inquiry establishes the involvement of any person associated with the temple, action will be taken against them as well,” Dwivedi told the TNIE.
The controversy erupted after videos and reels showing the shrine’s inner sanctum were repeatedly shared online amid a heavy influx of pilgrims. According to information cited in a poster circulating online, one such video uploaded through an Instagram account has received lakhs of views.
The committee has since begun examining the videos and related social media posts to identify those responsible for filming and uploading the content.
“Rules concerning photography and videography inside the sanctum sanctorum were laid down before the pilgrimage began,” Dwivedi said. “However, because of the exceptionally large number of devotees this season, identifying violators at the spot proved challenging.”
He said restrictions and arrangements governing the use of mobile phones were already in place at both Kedarnath and Badrinath shrines.
The committee is also considering setting up lockers on the temple premises where pilgrims can deposit their phones before entering, he said. The proposed measure is aimed at ensuring that visitors respect the religious sanctity of the shrines and comply with prescribed regulations during darshan.
A poster linked to the controversy also claimed that the committee was preparing a proposal to prohibit the entry of non-Hindus. However, the status of any such proposal remains unclear, and the temple body has not specified whether a formal decision has been taken.
Dwivedi maintained that the committee’s immediate focus was on identifying those behind the sanctum videos and determining the action permissible under legal and religious provisions.
The portals of Kedarnath were opened to pilgrims on April 22 this year. Despite frequent rain, landslides and periodic disruption of movement along the trek route, the pilgrimage has continued.
So far, 1,519,321 devotees have visited the Himalayan shrine till Sunday evening, reflecting sustained pilgrim turnout despite difficult weather and travel conditions.