Honeymooning couples, picnic-goers responsible for Kedarnath floods: Shankaracharya

Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati had on Sunday said that entry of women in the Shani Shingnapur temple will lead to rise in crimes against them like rape.

Haridwar: Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati on Tuesday blamed couples on honeymoon and picnic-goers for the flash floods that claimed lives of more than 5,000 pilgrims at Kedarnath in 2013.

“People coming from different parts of the country to holy places of Devbhoomi (Uttarakhand) for enjoyment, picnic and honeymoon led to the Kedarnath disaster. Similar incidents could happen if unholy activities are not stopped,” the 94-year-old said.

On Sunday, the Shankaracharya of Dwaraka-Sharda Peeth waded into a controversy by saying that entry of women in the Shani Shingnapur temple will lead to rise in crimes against them like rape.

"Women should not feel triumphant about visiting the sanctum sanctorum of Shani Shingnapur temple in Maharashtra. They should stop all the drum beating about what they have done. Worshipping Shani will bring ill luck to them and give rise to crimes against them like rape," he had told reporters in Haridwar.

He had also said that worshipping the 'unworthy' Sai Baba is the reason for the present drought-like situation in Maharashtra. In 2014, Shankaracharya had disapproved Sai Baba's worship and asked the Hindus to remove his photographs and idols from temples.