Rudraprayag: The ban on photography in the Kedarnath Temple here was violated when a pilgrim clicked a photo of spiritual leader Morari Bapu while he was offering prayers inside the sanctum sanctorum.
The man was identified with the help of CCTV camera footage after the photo went viral on social media platforms on Saturday, Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) media in-charge Harish Gaud said on Sunday.
A resident of Indore in Madhya Pradesh, the man was let off after he offered a written apology and a donation of Rs 11,000 to the BKTC, he said.
According to the devotee, he clicked the photograph of the spiritual leader, who has followers across the country, out of sheer excitement.
Morari Bapu was in Kedarnath during the course of his visit to the 12 Jyotirlingas in the country.
The BKTC had put a ban on photoshoots in the Himalayan temple earlier this week and displayed a notice to this effect on the main gates. It also asked people to wear “decent clothes” and desist from setting up tents or camps in the temple precincts.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, Congress raised questions over the viral photo of Morari Bapu inside
the sanctum sanctorum. Uttarakhand Congress leader Ganesh Godiyal pointed out that the BKTC’s orders are being violated time and again. “Not more than a few days ago, the committee said no video recording will be allowed inside the sanctum sanctorum of Kedarnath ji. But last evening there was a viral video showing the sanctum sanctorum,” said Godiyal.
“I believe the government is not able to handle anything. People chose this government with a lot of hope as they made promises to make the lives of people better. That did not happen. Instead, our devalayas are not safe. Orders of the Committee are continuously being violated and influential people are going there with cameras,” he added.