DEHRADUN: A row over loud music and dance performances at a cultural festival in Badrinath has widened after Uttarakhand minister Satpal Maharaj cited a local belief about animal bones to explain why conch shells are not sounded during worship inside the temple.
His remarks have drawn objections from priests already critical of the event. The Devbhoomi Cultural Festival 2026, held at Badrinath’s arrival plaza on September 19 and 20, came under scrutiny after videos of its performances circulated.
Pilgrimage priests and religious organisations questioned whether DJ music and entertainment-oriented dance were appropriate near one of Hinduism’s most revered shrines.
The Chamoli district administration has issued a notice to the commanding officer of the Garhwal Scouts, seeking an explanation about permission for the event and the use of a loud sound system.
The notice has brought questions of approval and responsibility into a dispute that initially centred on the performances.
Maharaj, who holds the tourism, culture and religious affairs portfolios, rejected the argument that music has no place in Badrinath. He pointed to a military bagpipe band that plays respectfully before the deity when the temple opens and closes for the season.
“To say there is no place for music in Badrinath would not be correct,” he said.
He also cited singing at Urvashi Peeth, cultural programmes held under previous governments and traditional drums played at weddings in nearby Mana village.
It was his explanation of the temple’s practice concerning conch shells, however, that drew a fresh response from priests.
“A conch shell is sounded outside the Badrinath temple, but it is not used during worship inside,” Maharaj said.
“There is a belief there that the conch is made from an animal bone, and bones are not used in worship.”
He added that it would be wrong to say conch shells are never sounded in Badrinath, referring to conches associated with Lord Krishna and Lord Vishnu.
The Uttarakhand Char Dham Teerth Purohit Mahapanchayat and other priests have objected to the explanation, stating that a conch shell is the shell of a marine mollusc, not an animal bone.
Although Maharaj described the explanation as a belief rather than a fact, the remark has intensified criticism of his response to the festival controversy.
The minister maintained that music in and around the pilgrimage town could not, by itself, be treated as a breach of tradition.
