Urvashi Rautela slammed by Badrinath priest after she says there's a temple in her name: 'This is unacceptable'

Bollywood actress Urvashi Rautela has found herself at the center of a public uproar following a controversial remark suggesting that a temple in Uttarakhand is dedicated to her. Speaking during an interview with Siddharth Kannan, the Daaku Maharaj actress mentioned that a shrine near Badrinath Dham is named after her, a statement that has stirred strong reactions from local communities and temple authorities.

“There’s a temple in Uttarakhand that bears my name,” she said in the interview. “If you go to Badrinath, you’ll find the Urvashi Temple right next to it.” When the host asked whether devotees actually visit the temple to offer prayers to her, she replied, “It’s a temple—of course that’s what people do.”

Rautela went on to say that students from Delhi University pray at this temple and even decorate her photos with flower garlands. According to her, they have given her the nickname “Damdamamai.” She emphasized, “I’m not joking—this is real. There are articles online about it too, you can look them up.”

The actual Urvashi Temple is situated in Bamni, close to the sacred town of Badrinath. However, religious texts and local traditions state that the temple is devoted to Goddess Urvashi, believed to have originated from a place where fragments of Goddess Sati’s body were said to have landed, according to various mythological accounts.

Bhuwan Chandra Uniyal, a former religious head of Badrinath Dham, spoke out strongly against Rautela’s assertions. He clarified that the Urvashi Temple is historically linked to the worship of Goddess Sati, one of the most venerated deities in Hindu lore.

The site is recognized as one of the 108 Shaktipeeths and holds deep spiritual meaning for locals in Bamni and Pandukeshwar, who frequently worship there. He denounced the actress’s claim as deceptive and called on authorities to take corrective action. “This isn’t her temple,” he said firmly. “Such declarations are unacceptable and mislead the public. The government should respond accordingly.”

Amit Sati, head of the Brahma Kapal Teerth Purohit Society, also condemned Rautela’s comments. He reiterated that the temple’s sanctity lies in its connection to the goddess, not to any modern-day individual. “These kinds of remarks insult the spiritual values of the people here,” he added.

Locals from surrounding villages echoed the criticism. Ramnarayan Bhandari, a long-time resident, said that no individual has the authority to personally claim ownership over a religious monument with profound mythological roots.

In the same viral interview, Rautela further remarked that she hoped to have a temple named after her in South India as well, citing her work in numerous southern films.