After asserting that a temple in Uttarakhand is devoted to her, actress Urvashi Rautela has caused controversy. The Daaku Maharaj actor infuriated local priests and locals with remarks he made on the Urvashi Temple at Badrinath Dham during a recent interview with Siddharth Kannan.
“In Uttarakhand, there is a shrine named after me. “There is a ‘Urvashi temple’ right next to Badrinath if one goes there,” the actress asserted in the interview. She said, “Ab mandir hai toh woh hi toh karenge (It is a temple, they will do that only),” in response to the question of whether people come to seek blessings.
The actress further stated that Delhi University students offer prayers and “even garland my pictures,” adding that they call her “Damdamamai.” She insisted, “I am being serious about it. It is true. There are news articles about the same too. You can read them.”
Local religious authorities have strongly refuted these claims. Bhuwan Chandra Uniyal, former religious officer of Badrinath Dham, told India Today that Urvashi’s statements were “misleading”. He clarified that the temple is actually dedicated to Goddess Urvashi from Hindu mythology and is recognised as one of the 108 Shaktipeeths.
“It is not her temple. Such statements are unacceptable, and the government should take strict steps against anyone making such claims,” Uniyal stated.
Amit Sati, President of the Brahma Kapal Teerth Purohit Society, also condemned the actress’s remarks, adding that the ancient temple is connected to Goddess Urvashi, not to any individual. “Such statements disrespect the religious sentiments of the people here,” he added.
