Badrinath conch remark by Satpal Maharaj sparks political row in Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand minister Satpal Maharaj's claim that a conch is made of bone has triggered a political row, days after a cultural festival at Badrinath drew criticism.
A remark by Uttarakhand Cabinet Minister Satpal Maharaj on why a conch is not blown inside the Badrinath temple has set off a fresh political controversy, coming close on the heels of criticism over a cultural festival held at the shrine.
Maharaj, who holds the culture and tourism portfolios, was responding to objections raised over the cultural programme at the temple despite the tradition that a conch is not sounded within its precincts. He said there was no ban on music, dance or cultural events at Badrinath Dham and described reports suggesting otherwise as baseless. According to him, while the conch is not blown inside the temple, there is no restriction on doing so outside the premises.
Explaining the practice, the minister said the conch is not blown inside the temple because it is made of bone.
Congress pushes back
The explanation drew a sharp reaction from the Uttarakhand Congress. Senior party leader and state unit vice-president Suryakant Dhasmana said the minister's remarks betrayed a lack of understanding of both science and Sanatan traditions. He said a conch is not a bone but the outer shell of a marine mollusc, describing it as an exoskeleton composed mainly of calcium carbonate. Dhasmana also questioned the religious basis of the minister's explanation, citing the centuries-old use of conches in Hindu worship.
The Congress has demanded that Maharaj apologise and that Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami clarify whether the government endorses the minister's explanation.
The festival that preceded the row
The controversy follows the Devbhoomi Cultural Festival 2026, held at Badrinath on September 19 and 20, which brought scrutiny to the kind of programmes organised at one of Uttarakhand's most significant religious sites.
The two-day event was held at the Tourist Arrival Plaza under the Army's Operation Sadbhavana, in collaboration with the Chamoli district administration and the Uttarakhand Tourism Department. It was presented as an effort to showcase the state's folk culture, local products, handicrafts, traditional cuisine and the customs of villages along the border.
Criticism mounted after videos of performances circulated on social media, including a performance by Uttarakhand singer Priyanka Meher featuring music and dancing that closed the first day of the festival.
Former BJP president Murli Manohar Joshi was among those who objected. In a post on X, he said permission for what he called a music concert or DJ event at Badrinath was inconsistent with the religious and cultural decorum of the shrine. Referring to the tradition of not blowing conches at Badrinath, he urged the Centre and the state government to prohibit such programmes.
The Chamoli district administration later sought to distance itself from the event. In a clarification, it said its role was largely limited to facilitating stalls and other arrangements, while the Army had organised the cultural programme. According to the administration, the Army selected the performances and decided the format, and the programme included performances representing the folk culture, traditional practices and customs of border villages, including Bamni and Mana.
The administration said it had advised local Army authorities to conduct the programme while keeping in mind Badrinath's religious, mythological and spiritual significance and local religious traditions. It also appealed to the public not to form conclusions based solely on social media posts without verifying the facts.