Archive · 24 Sep 2026
Badrinath Army-Backed Cultural Event Sparks Debate Over Loud Music
A music and culture festival was held near Badrinath, an important Hindu pilgrimage site.
Videos from the event showed people singing, dancing and listening to music.
Some religious leaders and local people said the music was too loud for such a sacred place.
They said Badrinath has special traditions that discourage loud sounds.
Some people online said they liked the singers but disagreed with the choice of location.
The programme was organised with support from the Indian Army and local government bodies.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami attended its closing programme.
A tourism official said loud music would be avoided at future events.
The debate is mainly about the venue and sound level, not the performers themselves.
A two-day cultural festival at Badrinath began on September 19 under the theme “Our Heritage, Our Future.”
The event was organised through the Indian Army’s Operation Sadhbhawna with the Chamoli district administration and Uttarakhand Tourism Department.
Videos showed a concert-style “Bhajan Jamming” session featuring folk singer Priyanka Meher and people dancing near the stage.
Religious leaders, local stakeholders and Congress criticized the use of loud music near the Badrinath temple.
Tourism Secretary Dhiraaj Singh Garbyal said future events would ensure that loud music is not played.
- Who
- The Indian Army, Chamoli district administration, Uttarakhand Tourism Department, religious leaders, local stakeholders and performers including Priyanka Meher.
- What
- A two-day cultural festival featuring a concert-style “Bhajan Jamming” session sparked debate over loud music near Badrinath temple.
- When
- The festival began on September 19 and concluded on September 20; the year is not specified.
- Where
- Badrinath in Uttarakhand, near the Badrinath temple and Char Dham pilgrimage site.
- Why
- Organizers held the event as a cultural and civic outreach programme, while critics objected to high-decibel music at a sacred location.
Critics and Religious Representatives
Organizers and Government Officials
Suitability of the venue
Critics and Religious Representatives
Critics said a concert-style, high-decibel programme was inappropriate near the sacred Badrinath temple and questioned the choice of location.
Organizers and Government Officials
The event was presented as a cultural festival and Army civic outreach programme conducted with local administration and tourism authorities.
Religious and environmental concerns
Critics and Religious Representatives
Religious representatives said Badrinath’s traditions and local beliefs discourage loud sounds, and concerns were also raised about noise in the fragile Himalayan environment.
Organizers and Government Officials
The tourism department said it would request that the Army avoid loud music at future programmes; claims that the music directly triggered avalanches were not established by the information provided.
Performers versus location
Critics and Religious Representatives
Many online critics said they had no objection to Priyanka Meher or the other performers, but opposed holding the event at Badrinath.
Organizers and Government Officials
The programme included Uttarakhand folk music and was conducted as a cultural event; officials did not indicate that the artists themselves were the problem.
- Event theme
- “Our Heritage, Our Future”
- Duration
- Two days, beginning September 19
- Organizing initiative
- Indian Army civic outreach initiative Operation Sadhbhawna
- Partners
- Chamoli district administration and Uttarakhand Tourism Department
- Featured performer
- Uttarakhand folk singer Priyanka Meher
- Closing programme
- Attended by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on September 20
- Future assurance
- Tourism Secretary Dhiraaj Singh Garbyal said loud music would be avoided in future