Badrinath cultural festival draws objections over music and dance at shrine
A two-day Army-backed cultural festival at Badrinath has triggered a row over amplified music and dance, with religious figures and politicians questioning its appropriateness at the shrine.
A cultural programme held at Badrinath earlier this month has become the centre of a dispute over what is fitting at one of Uttarakhand's most revered shrines, with priests, religious commentators and political figures objecting to amplified music and dance performances at the site.
The two-day Devbhoomi Cultural Festival-2026 took place on September 19 and 20 at the Tourist Arrival Plaza in Badrinath. It was organised under the Army's Operation Sadbhavana along with the Chamoli district administration and the Uttarakhand Tourism Department, and was presented as a showcase of the state's folk culture, local produce, handicrafts, traditional food and the customs of villages along the border.
The objections began after videos from the event circulated on social media, showing loud music and people dancing. A performance by Uttarakhand singer Priyanka Meher closed the first day of the festival.
Former BJP president Murli Manohar Joshi criticised the event in a post on X, arguing that allowing a music concert or DJ event at Badrinath went against the cultural and religious decorum of the shrine. He invoked the local tradition of not blowing conch shells at Badrinath and asked the central and state governments to bar such programmes.
Activist Anoop Nautiyal also spoke out on X, describing the Char Dhams as sacred spaces of faith rather than stages for crowd entertainment. He said the performance raised questions about the commercialisation of pilgrimage and called for the trend to be halted.
The Char Dham Teerth Purohit Mahapanchayat likewise objected to the use of loud music and the character of the performances, maintaining that activities around the shrine should follow its religious traditions.
Amid the backlash, the Chamoli district administration issued a clarification stating that its involvement was largely confined to facilitating stalls and other arrangements, while the cultural programme itself was put together by the Army. The administration said the Army chose the performances and determined their format, and that the programme included presentations of the folk culture, traditional practices and local customs of border villages such as Bamni and Mana.
The administration added that it had advised local Army authorities to conduct the programme with due regard for Badrinath's religious faith, mythological and spiritual significance, and local religious traditions. It urged the public not to form conclusions based only on social media posts without verifying the facts.