Residents of Joshimath in Chamoli district have come out in opposition of the suggestion for changing the town’s name to Jyotirmatha—as believed to have been named by its founder Adi Shankarcharya.
A memorandum against such a change of name was also submitted to the district magistrate by the opposing locals. It should be mentioned here that the demand for changing the name is being made by the Shankaracharya of Jyotir Peet and Dwarika Peeth, Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati and his disciples with a memorandum also being submitted to Chief Minister Harish Rawat recently during his visit to the Shankaracharya’s Ashram in Haridwar.
Eliciting media attention especially in recent times on varied issues, Swaroopanand Saraswati and his followers have demanded that the name of Joshimath be changed back to Jyotirmath, stating that Adi Shankaracharya had founded the monastery at the site naming it Jyotir Matha which came to be known as Joshimath with the passage of time.
This stance is reported to have been submitted as a suggestion in a memorandum presented to CM Harish Rawat during his visit to the Shankaracharya Ashram at Kankhal in Haridwar.
He along with his supporters again raised this demand during their stay in Joshimath and Badrinath. However, a considerable proportion of the local residents have expressed disagreement on the issue of changing the name of Joshimath town.
The local residents opposed to the change of name opine that raising such a demand is a means of gaining publicity. The change of name would result in varied problems especially for students in school and higher education, they opine.
Being a habitation under the purview of the Joshimath municipal council, apart from being a border area development block, those opposed to the change of name believe that such an action will also entail financial burden, the repercussions of which will have to be faced by members of all segments of society.
Those opposed to reverting the name of Joshimath to its original have also registered their opposition in a memorandum submitted to the district magistrate.
