Modi offers prayers at Kedarnath temple

Prime Minister attended the annual gate opening ceremony of the holy Kedarnath shrine on Wednesday morning. Modi offered prayers at the Shiva temple and did 'rudrabhishek' which involves bathing the Shiva Linga with Ganges water, milk and honey, among others. After offering prayers at Kedarnath Temple, Prime Minister greeted the crowd gathered outside the temple. Around 2,500 devotees have reached Kedarnath on the opening day to offer their prayers to the holy shrine. The Kedarnath shrine in this hill state is one of the major components of the annual Chaar Dhaam pilgrimage. The Kedarnath Valley was destroyed in a flash flood in 2013 but the temple premises was thankfully saved of any major devastation. Thousands had died in the natural calamity and hundreds went missing. Restoration work is underway at the temple, its route and the surroundings.Earlier Modi landed at the Jolly Grant airport here in a special IAF plane and was received by Uttarakhand Governor K.K. Paul, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, state ministers and other BJP leaders. Thereafter, he left for Kedarnath in a chopper.