Actor Urvashi Rautela’s ‘Temple in My Name’ Remark Anglers Badrinath Pujari, Locals
In a video by actor Urvashi Rautela, “his” name has gone viral, referring to a temple in Uttarakhand. This has angered local priests, religious authorities and residents of the region.
Actor Urvashi Rautela’s comment that he has a temple named after him in Uttarakhand, has created a controversy, annoying local priests, religious authorities and residents in Badrinath. Urvashi Temple near Badrinath Dham, which is considered sacred by the local people, was referred to by Urvashi Rautela during an interview as “her” temple.
During a conversation with hosts Siddharth Kannan, the actor said that the Urvashi temple attracts devotees, including students of Delhi University, who also make their pictures masculine and call them ‘Damdamai’. He claimed, “I am getting serious about it. This is true. There are also news articles about it. You can read them.”
A clip of the actor claiming about the temple has gone viral on social media.
Located in Bamni near Badrinath Dham, the Urvashi temple is dedicated to Goddess Urvashi, which is believed to have emerged from the site where some parts of Goddess Sati’s body fell according to different legends.
Former religious officer of Badrinath Dham, local priest Bhuwan Chandra Uyl said that Urvashi Rutela’s claim was misleading. He clarified that the Urvashi temple is associated with Goddess Sati in Hindu mythology, and is considered a part of 108 Shaktipeths. He said that the temple is deeply connected to the spiritual practices of the residents of Bamni and Pandukeshwar villages, who worship there as part of their tradition.
He took action against Rautela and criticized the actor for claiming ownership of a religious site. “This is not his temple. Such statements are unacceptable, and the government should take strict steps against someone to make such claims,” Uniyal said.
Amit Sati, president of Brahma Couple Terath Purohit Society, also condemned Rautela’s comments. He said that the temple is ancient and Goddess is associated with Urvashi, not to any person. He said, “Such statements insult the religious sentiments of the people here.”
Villagers of Bamni and Pandukeshwar have also expressed anger.
Local resident Ramnarayan Bhandari said that no person has the right to make personal claims about a temple with deep mythological and cultural importance. He said that the entire community strongly opposed Rautela’s comments.
During the same interview clip, which has gone viral, Urvashi Rautela can also be heard saying that she would like a temple in her name in the south because she has worked in many films there. “So, do you want a temple to the south?”
