PM offers prayers at Kedarnath, to visit Badrinath Sunday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday offered prayers at the Himalayan shrine of Kedarnath

Narendra Modi visited Kedarnath, a day after campaigning for the general election came to a close. On Sunday, Modi is expected to be in Badrinath, another temple in Uttarakhand's 'char dham' religious circuit.

Dressed in a grey traditional Pahari attire, Modi offered prayers for about 30 minutes and undertook a circumambulation of the Kedarnath shrine situated at a height of 11,755 feet near the Mandakini river. The prime minister then went inside a cave near the shrine to meditate. Draped in a saffron shawl, Modi was seen meditating at the holy cave.

Rudraprayag's district collector Mangesh ghildiyal said devotees were not allowed to enter inside the temple premises when Modi was offering prayers.

The prime minister also took stock of development work in the temple town. Uttarakhand chief secretary Utpal Kumar Singh briefed the prime minister about the restoration work in the Kedarnath shrine. Modi later took an all-terrain vehicle to review the reconstruction work.

Kedarnath was devastated in a series of cloudbursts in 2013. This is Modi's fourth visit to the temple dedicated to Lord Shiva in the last two years. The portals of Kedarnath and Badrinath shrines reopened for devotees earlier this month after the winter break.

BJP Uttarakhand president Ajay Bhatt said Modi's trip is "just a spiritual visit", and the people of the state are excited for it. Stringent security arrangements were made for the prime minister's visit, Director General of Police (law and order) Ashok Kumar said.

The prime minister arrived at the Jolly Grant airport in the morning and then went directly to Kedarnath, officials said. The Election Commission gave its nod to the visit while "reminding" the Prime Minister's Office that the model code of conduct is still in force.

Polling for the seventh and the last phase of the general election will be held Sunday.

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