Explaining the tradition, Maharaj said the conch was not blown inside the temple because it was “made of bone”.

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His remarks drew a sharp response from the Uttarakhand Congress, with senior party leader and vice-president of the Uttarakhand Congress Suryakant Dhasmana saying the minister’s explanation reflected a lack of understanding of both science and Sanatan traditions.

“A conch is not a bone but the outer shell of a marine mollusc,” Dhasmana said, adding that it is an exoskeleton primarily made of calcium carbonate. He also questioned the religious basis of Maharaj’s explanation, pointing to the centuries-old use of conches in Hindu worship.

The festival that sparked a row

The latest controversy comes less than two weeks after the Devbhoomi Cultural Festival 2026 was held at Badrinath on September 19 and 20, bringing scrutiny to the nature of programmes being organised at one of Uttarakhand’s most important religious sites.

The two-day festival was held at the Tourist Arrival Plaza under the Army’s Operation Sadbhavana, in collaboration with the Chamoli district administration and the Uttarakhand Tourism Department. It was presented as an initiative to showcase Uttarakhand’s folk culture, local products, handicrafts, traditional cuisine and the traditions of villages along the border.

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The event came under criticism after videos of performances circulated on social media, including a performance by Uttarakhand singer Priyanka Meher, which featured music and dancing and brought the first day of the festival to a close.

Former BJP president Murli Manohar Joshi was among those who objected to the event. In a post on X, Joshi said permission for what he described as a “music concert” or “DJ event” at Badrinath was inconsistent with the religious and cultural decorum of the shrine. Referring to the tradition of not blowing conches at Badrinath, he urged the Centre and state government to prohibit such programmes.

The Chamoli district administration subsequently sought to distance itself from the event. In a clarification, it said its role was largely limited to facilitating stalls and other arrangements, while the Army had organised the cultural programme.

According to the administration, the Army selected the performances and decided the format. The programme, it said, included performances representing the folk culture, traditional practices and customs of border villages, including Bamni and Mana.

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The administration also said it had advised local Army authorities to conduct the programme while keeping in mind Badrinath’s religious, mythological and spiritual significance and local religious traditions. It appealed to the public not to form conclusions based solely on social media posts without verifying the facts.

The Congress has demanded that Maharaj apologise and that Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami clarify whether the government endorses his explanation that a conch is made of bone.