Narendra Modi offers prayers at Badrinath temple

Modi offered prayers for around 30 minutes at the Himalayan shrine of Kedarnath, a day after campaigning for the general election came to a close

Narendra Modi offers prayers at Badrinath temple

Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered prayers at the Badrinath temple on Sunday, the last day of his two-day visit to Uttarakhand.

He reached Badrinath after spending around 20 hours at the Himalayan shrine of Kedarnath.
Modi offered prayers at the innermost sanctum in Badrinath, another temple in Uttarakhand's "char dham" religious circuit, dedicated to Lord Vishnu.

The iconic Badrinath Temple remains an important part of our culture and ethos.

Had the honour of joining the Puja at the Temple today. pic.twitter.com/AcHJxImztU
— Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 19, 2019

Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee chief Mohan Prasad Thapliyal said the prime minister offered prayers at the temple for around 20 minutes and was given a greeting card made on a "bhojpatra" (birch leaves) by the temple's priests.

He was also given a shawl by the residents of Mana village, he said.

The prime minister took a walk inside the temple complex and later, shook hands with the devotees and locals, Thapliyal said, adding that Modi also met pilgrims waiting near the shrine.

Modi stepped out wearing a garland of Tulsi leaves after offering prayers at the Badrinath Temple.

The Prime Minister will return to Delhi this evening after a two-day visit to the hill state.

The portals of Badrinath temple in the Garhwal Himalayan range of Uttarakhand's Chamoli district were thrown open to pilgrims on May 10 after a six-month-long winter break.

The temple, which is located at a height of over 10,000 feet in the Garhwal hills, is among the 'Char Dham' shrines which include Gangotri, Yamunotri and Kedarnath in Uttarakhand.

Modi, who yesterday visited Kedarnath Temple, offered prayers at the innermost sanctum of the temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Members of the committee met the prime minister at the shrine's guest house and submitted a memorandum stressing upon the need to expand the temple's premises and improving telecommunication services at Badrinath.

Modi asked temple authorities to play an active role in providing better facilities to pilgrims visiting the shrine, Thapliyal said.

The prime minister reached Badrinath on an IAF helicopter, which landed at an army helipad near the shrine, and reached the temple by road, he said, adding that stringent security arrangements were in place.

Badrinath: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the Badrinath Temple in Uttarakhand tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/ogiPp6Gd6X
— ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2019

On Saturday, Modi offered prayers for around 30 minutes at the Himalayan shrine of Kedarnath, a day after campaigning for the general election came to a close.

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.

Modi also took stock of development work in the temple town. The Election Commission gave its nod to Modi's 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 was held on Sunday.