Uttarakhand Char Dham Devasthanam Management Board
In 2019 Uttarakhand government approved a new bill which created Char Dham Devasthanam Board by calling off the Uttarakhand Char Dham Shrine Management Bill. The bill was aimed at bringing the Char Dham of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri and 49 other temples under the purview of a proposed shrine board.
The bill was passed in the Assembly and became the Uttarakhand Char Dham Devasthanam Management Act, 2019.
Latest News Update!
Cheif Minister Pushkar Singh Dham announced that Devasthanam Board will be dissolved. The government will withdraw the Devsthanam Board bill.
More Details about the Char Dham Devasthanam Board
Under the same Act, the Chief Minister is the chairman whereas the minister for religious affairs is the vice-chairman of the board. Two MLAs of Gangotri and Yamunotri are members on the board along with the Chief Secretary. A senior IAS officer is the Chief Executive Officer.
Under this board, at present there are 53 temples, including four shrines of Char Dham – Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri – and other temples located around these shrines.
Powers of Devasthanam Board
The shrine board is the highest governing body for the management of the temples with powers to frame policies, make decisions to give effect to the provisions of this Act, of budget formulation and to sanction expenditure, among others. The board may also give directions for the safe custody, prevention and management of funds, valuable securities, jewellery and properties vested in the temples.
List of Temples under the Devasthanam Management Board
There are 58 other temples in Uttarakhand which comes under Char Dham area. Following are some of the temples/pilgrimage places which are under Devasthanam board.
- THE TEMPLE OF SHRI TUNGANATH AT TUNGANATH
- MATA MURTI TEMPLE AT BADARINATH
- BRAHMAKAPAL, THE SHILA AND THE COMPOUND (PARIKRAMA) AT BADARINATH
- BHAVISHYA BADARI TEMPLE AT SUBHAIN
- TAPTKUND, THE TANK AND THE SPRING AT BADARINATH
- NARSINGH TEMPLE AT JOSHIMATH
- DHYANBADARI TEMPLE AT URGAM
- SHRI MADMAHESHWAR TEMPLE AT MADMAHESHWAR
- THE TEMPLE OF SHRI VISHWANATH JI AT GUPTKASHI
- YOGBADARI TEMPLE AT PANDUKESHWAR
- THE TEMPLE OF SHRI GAURI MAYI AT GAURIKUND
- SHRI AADI KEDARESHWAR TEMPLE AT BADARINATH
- MAHADEV TEMPLE AT JYOTESHWAR
- BRIDHABADARI TEMPLE AT ANIMATH
- PANCH SHILAS WITHIN THE BADARINATH PURI
- PANCH DHARAS WITHIN THE BADARINATH PURI
- MINOR TEMPLES WITHIN THE PRECINCTS OF SHRI KEDARNATH TEMPLE
- MINOR TEMPLES WITHIN THE PRECINCTS OF TEMPLE OF SHRI VISHWANATH JI AT GUPTKASHI
- ONKARESHWAR TEMPLE AT UKHIMATH
- SHRI TRIJUNGINARAIN TEMPLE AT TRIJUNGINARAIN
- SHRI KALISHILA TEMPLE AT KALISHILA
- BASUDHARA AND DHARAMSHILA AT THE BOTTOM OF THE FALL AT BASUDHARA
History of Shri Badrinath and Shri Kedarnath Mandir Samiti
Earlier, the Shri Badrinath-Shri Kedarnath Act, 1939 was in place for the management of two shrines – Badrinath and Kedarnath – and 45 temples by Shri Badrinath- Shri Kedarnath Mandir Samiti. The Samiti was chaired by a government appointed person whereas an official of all India service used to be the CEO.
Earlier, All the decisions related to utilization of the donations, funds and development works in and around those 45 temples including Badrinath and Kedarnath were taken by that committee and the government did not intervene into it.
Protests against Devasthanam Board
This board has faced many protests from various priests and pandas. People holding different responsibilities in the Char Dham temples came under the banner of the Char Dham Mahapanchayat Hakukdhari to raise voice against the Bill. Pandas, Dimris and others who run dharmshalas and shops at the Badrinath and Kedarnath shrines staged protests in Dehradun. They alleged that with the shrine board, the government will get control of the entire area and donations.
About Uttarakhand Char Dham Devasthanam Management Board
Following is the list of Devasthanam Management Board Members (as of 9 June 2021)
Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami, Chief Minister Uttarakhand
Chairman
Shri Satpal Maharaj, Tourism Minister Uttarakhand
Vice Chairman
Shri Mahendra Bhatt,
Member
Shri Sukhbir Singh Sandhu (IAS),
Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand : Member
Shri Amit Negi (IAS),
Secretary, Medical Health and Medical Education, Uttarakhand : Member
Shri Dilip Jawalkar (IAS),
Secretary Tourism, Uttarakhand : Member
Shri Ravinath Raman (IAS),
CEO
Shri Shrinivash Posti,
Member
Shri Ashutosh Dimri,
Member
Shri Govind Singh Panwar,
Member
Shri Anant Ambani,
Member
H.H. Maharaja Shri Manujendra Shah Sahib,
Member
Shri Kripa Ram Semwal,
Member
Shri Jayprakash Uniyal,
Member
Shri Mahendra Sharma,
Member
*Note: The above list was updated on 20 September 2021
Devasthanam Board Update
8 Members added in Devasthanam Board
In the midst of the demand for reconsideration regarding the Uttarakhand Chardham Devasthanam Management Board, the government has nominated eight members to the board. These include three industrialists and five pilgrimage priests.
Industrialists Anant Ambani, Sajjan Jindal and Mahendra Sharma have been made members on the board in the category of donors having special interest in Hindu religious matters. Along with this, the five teerth priests who have been included as members in the board to represent the priests and hereditary priests, include Srinivas Posti, Jaiprakash Uniyal, Kriparam Semwal, Govind Singh Panwar and Ashutosh Dimri.
Uttarakhand Char Dham Devasthanam Management Board Address
Head Office
Saket, Lane No-7,
Canal Road, Dehradun, Uttarakhand
Other Important Contact Phone Numbers
Office related Enquiry - 0135-2741600
General Enquiry & Online Prasad Services - +91-7302257116
Pilgrims Help Line for Shri Kedarnath Temple - +91-8534001008
Pilgrims Help Line for Shri Badarinath Temple - +91-8979001008
Online Services/International Pilgrims Help Line +91-7302257116
Media Related Quarry - +91-7302257115
Publicity Office Rishikesh - 0135-2430261
Shri Narsingh Temple Joshimath - +91-1389-222083
Official Website of Char Dham Devasthanam Management Board: badrinath-kedarnath.gov.in
