Sara Ali Khan can come to Kedarnath if she submits affidavit that she is Sanatani, says BKTC chief

Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) president Hemant Dwivedi on Tuesday said that actress Sara Ali Khan can visit Kedarnath temple if she submits an affidavit that she has faith in ‘sanatan dharma’.

Mr Dwivedi’s response came during a press conference held in Dehradun where he shared the recent proposal passed by the temple committee which bars entry of ‘non-sanatani’ into Kedarnath and Badrinath shrines, part of Uttarakhand’s char dham temples which also includes Gangotri and Yamunotri.

On being asked that if Sara Ali Khan — who in the past has visited the shrine on multiple occasions and has also played lead part in a movie on Kedarnath disaster — will be allowed to visit Kedarnath, Mr Dwivedi said: “She can come if she gives affidavit that she has faith in sanatan dharma and she is a sanatani.”

Indicating that the rules would apply equally to all, including prominent public figures, he said that the temple committee will have the format of the affidavit,

In addition, the committee has announced a ban on mobile phones within a 50–60 metre radius of the temple to ensure decorum and better crowd management. Designated areas outside the restricted zone will be earmarked for photography.

The decisions come amid a surge in registrations for the yatra, with over six lakh pilgrims signing up within 11 days of the portal opening earlier this month. Officials said the measures seek to balance increasing footfall with the need to maintain the spiritual character of the Himalayan shrines.