Uttarakhand orders ban on loud sound systems near Badrinath temple and other holy sites

Chamoli district authorities in Uttarakhand have issued an immediate prohibition on the use of high-frequency sound systems at events held near Badrinath Dham and other religious venues in the district. District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar mandates that organizers secure prior permission from the local administration, with the Sub-Divisional Magistrate personally assessing each application and being the sole approving officer.

The order calls for rigorous enforcement and legal penalties for any committee or organizer that disregards it. The decision was prompted by objections from devotees, religious leaders, and civil-society members to the Devbhoomi Cultural Festival 2026, which featured amplified music near the shrine. Officials involved in the festival described it as a civil-military initiative aimed at fostering ties between army personnel stationed along the Line of Actual Control and local Himalayan communities. Critics, including the president of the Teerth Shri Badri Dham Dharmic Panchayat, urged future events to focus on traditional devotional performances to preserve the site's sanctity.