Haridwar, April 9 -- Hindu seer Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati on Wednesday supported the decision of temple committees to bar non-Sanatanis (non-Hindus) from entering the Char Dham shrines, including Kedarnath Temple, Badrinath Temple and Gangotri Temple. Yamunotri Dham committee has not taken any such decision Arriving at the Kankhal-based Shankaracharya Ashram in Haridwar on Wednesday, Swami Avimukteshwaranand, chief disciple of late Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati ,said the revered Char Dham shrines should be visited only by devotees of the Hindu faith. "It is a good move to ensure that only followers of Sanatan Dharma visit the Char Dham shrines. People of other religions have their own sacred places of worship. The sanctity of such sacred places should be ensured by everyone, irrespective of faith. Even Hindus should undertake the Char Dham visit purely as a pilgrimage," said Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, who claims to be Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath Peeth. Speaking about the 'Gaddu-Ghadda' ritual associated with Badrinath Temple, he said the traditional practice of extracting sesame seeds at Narendranagar and then carrying the oil via Rishikesh to Badrinath Dham is an age-old ritual. The sacred oil is used to light earthen lamps and perform other rituals during the opening of the shrine's portals, he said. htc...