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The Chamoli district administration’s show-cause notice to the Indian Army over the Devbhoomi Cultural Festival at Mana has raised questions over how an event jointly coordinated with the civil administration came to be described as unauthorised after a social media controversy.
The festival was held on September 19-20 under the Army’s Operation Sadbhavana at a designated Cultural and Heritage site near Mana village, around 2 km from the Badrinath temple premises. The Army says the venue included an amphitheatre and was away from the temple complex.
After a video circulated showing a woman singer performing on stage, criticism erupted on social media, with some describing the event as a “DJ” or rave-like programme. Army sources said there was no DJ, and that the singer, Priyanka Meher, was a local contemporary folk artiste.
The Chamoli District Magistrate, Gaurav Kumar, subsequently issued a show-cause notice to the Commanding Officer of the Garhwal Scouts, saying that organising a high-decibel event in the Badrinath Dham area was contrary to the sanctity of the shrine and could tarnish the image of the district administration. The notice also questioned the alleged absence of prior permission.
The Army’s version, however, is that the festival was planned in consultation with the civil administration, tourism authorities and local stakeholders, with several coordination meetings held before the event.
The event was also attended by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on September 20 as Chief Guest. According to Army sources, the Chief Minister congratulated the Army, Chamoli administration and other organisers and appreciated traditional performances by villagers from Mana. The Chief Minister also spoke of the role of such events in strengthening cooperation and connectivity between the Army and local communities and appreciated a traditional performance by villagers from Mana.
बदरीनाथ, चमोली में भारतीय सेना एवं जिला प्रशासन चमोली के संयुक्त तत्वावधान में ऑपरेशन सद्भावना के तहत देवभूमि कल्चरल फेस्टिवल में उपस्थित देवतुल्य जनता को संबोधित करने के साथ मातृशक्ति द्वारा लगाए गए विभिन्न स्टॉलों का निरीक्षण किया।
इस दौरान भारतीय सेना द्वारा लगाई गई सैन्य… pic.twitter.com/WhTSfQ951z
— Pushkar Singh Dhami (@pushkardhami) September 20, 2026
Sources also point to official communication by the District Tourism Development Officer inviting local media to cover the September 19-20 festival. The Defence Ministry had cleared the participation of the Governor and Chief Minister on September 15.
The Chief Minister’s Office had itself described the festival in social media posts as being organised under the joint aegis of the Indian Army and Chamoli District Administration.
The controversy followed objections from religious groups and political figures over the nature of the performance. The Shankaracharya Math also objected, arguing that such events were inconsistent with the religious character of the pilgrimage site.
Army sources said the social media controversy had conflated the location and nature of the event, stressing that it was held at a designated cultural venue near Mana and not at the Badrinath temple.
Mana, recognised as India’s First Village, lies close to the India-China Line of Actual Control (LAC). Army outreach vibrant villages programmes in such areas are aimed at strengthening the relationship between border communities and the security establishment while encouraging tourism, local employment, cultural activity and economic development.
The episode has now brought into focus the coordination between the Army and civil administration in organising cultural and outreach events in sensitive border and pilgrimage areas.
Team BharatShakti
