Tensions flared at the Jageshwar Dham complex in Almora, Uttarakhand, after a visiting Uttar Pradesh bureaucrat entered the inner sanctum with an armed security guard during a Navagraha puja. The DM of Bareilly, Avinash Singh, reportedly came to perform the ritual, but his armed security personnel remained with him inside the garbhagriha, triggering immediate protest from priests.
Temple priests strongly objected to the presence of a firearm in the sanctum, calling it a clear breach of religious norms. They stressed that the garbhagriha is the most sacred zone of the shrine, and weapons of any kind are strictly excluded, even during visits by top national leaders. Pandit Naveen Chandra Bhatt and other senior priests, including Manoj Bhatt, Puran Bhatt, Gopal Bhatt, Basant Bhatt, and Khimanand Bhatt, jointly raised the issue and demanded strict enforcement of temple customs.
Security officials defended the move, saying the armed presence followed standard protocol for protecting a senior bureaucrat on official duty. However, that explanation did little to calm the priests and local devotees, who demanded accountability and safeguards against a repeat. The incident has led to an official enquiry, with authorities now reviewing how protocol and religious sanctity can coexist at such sites.
Another key complaint was the absence of clear signage banning weapons inside the temple complex, even though the rule is well‑known among devotees. Following the backlash, the Archaeological Survey of India, which oversees the Jageshwar Dham complex, put up a new warning notice restricting the carrying of weapons within the temple premises. The episode has become a flashpoint in the wider debate over how state security apparatuses should operate inside Hindu shrines without disrespecting religious traditions.
