Bharatiya Janata Party veteran Murli Manohar Joshi has criticised the holding of music and DJ events near Badrinath shrine in Uttarakhand, arguing that such programmes violate the cultural and spiritual decorum of the Himalayan pilgrimage site.
Joshi has urged the Centre and the Uttarakhand government to prohibit similar events and take steps to preserve what he described as the sanctity of Devbhoomi.
The controversy concerns the two-day Devbhoomi Cultural Festival 2026, held on September 19 and 20 at the Tourist Arrival Plaza in Badrinath, Chamoli district. The event was organised under the Indian Army's Operation Sadbhavana in collaboration with the Chamoli district administration and the Uttarakhand Tourism Department. Its stated theme was "Our Heritage, Our Future".
Videos of amplified music, dance performances and other musical programmes subsequently circulated on social media, prompting criticism from priests, seers and others over the nature of the celebrations near the shrine.
Joshi invokes Badrinath's spiritual traditions
In a Hindi post on X, Joshi said permission for a music concert or DJ event at Badrinath Dham amounted to a violation of cultural decorum and a direct assault on the sanctity of the holy shrine.
He referred to Adi Guru Shankaracharya's association with Badrinath, saying the Dham was established amid the Himalayan environment as a place for peaceful singing of hymns and devotion to the divine.
Joshi also pointed to the tradition that even blowing a conch shell is prohibited at the location. He questioned the decision to hold loud musical events despite what he described as India's spiritual, cultural and environmental values.
He further raised concerns about the health effects of large crowds dancing at high altitude.
The veteran BJP leader said such programmes reflected the emergence of a "baazaru sanskriti", or a culture driven by commercialism, in Devbhoomi.
He appealed to followers of Indian culture, particularly shankaracharyas and mahatmas, to raise an "effective voice" against what he described as the erosion of cultural values.
Festival was billed as a celebration of Uttarakhand's heritage
The organisers described the festival as an initiative aimed at celebrating Uttarakhand's living cultural heritage, including folk music, traditional performances, handicrafts, handlooms, local food and village traditions. The official festival website says the programme was organised as an Indian Army initiative with local community participation and support from Uttarakhand Tourism.
The official programme included folk performances, live music, handicrafts, local produce, youth activities and community events. Singer Shaan and other performers were among those associated with the festival's promotional material, while the programme also featured an Indian Army band.
The festival was held at the Tourist Arrival Plaza rather than inside the Badrinath temple itself. Reports said the opening day included a performance by Uttarakhand folk singer Priyanka Meher, with crowds dancing near the stage. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami attended the concluding day on September 20, when he also offered prayers at the shrine and honoured competition winners.
The event's stated objective was to showcase the region's folk culture, local products, handicrafts, traditional food and the traditions of villages along Uttarakhand's border areas.
Joshi warns against turning Himalayas into nightlife hub
Joshi called on the Centre and the Uttarakhand government to intervene to preserve the sanctity of the region and stop such events.
"The Himalayas are divine, the abode of Lord Shankar and the source of Mother Ganga," he said, arguing that turning the region into a hub of nightlife and revelry would hurt the faith of millions of Indians.
His comments come amid a wider debate over the nature of activities that should be permitted around Badrinath. Priests and seers have also objected to the use of loud DJ music and dance performances close to the shrine following the circulation of videos from the festival.
The festival organisers, however, have presented the event as part of an effort to preserve and promote Uttarakhand's cultural heritage. The official festival material says the initiative seeks to support local artisans, women-led enterprises and young people while promoting pilgrimage and Himalayan tourism.