Ahead Of Last Phase Of Polling, PM Modi Visits Kedarnath, Meditates In Cave

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday offered prayers at the Himalayan shrine of Kedarnath, a day after campaigning for the general election came to a close. The prime minister arrived at the Jolly Grant airport in the morning and then went directly to Kedarnath, officials said. Rudraprayag's district collector said devotees were not allowed to enter inside the temple premises when PM Modi was offering prayers. On Sunday, he is expected to be in Badrinath, another temple in Uttarakhand's char dham' religious circuit. This is PM Modi's fourth visit to the temple dedicated to Lord Shiva in the last two years. 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.

Dressed in a grey traditional pahari attire, PM 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 medidate. Draped in a saffron shawl, PM Modi was seen meditating at the holy cave.
The prime minister also took stock of development work in the temple town. Uttarakhand chief secretary Utpal Kumar Singh briefed PM Modi about the restoration work in the Kedarnath shrine. PM Modi later took an all-terrain vehicle to review the reconstruction work.
PM Modi's visit to the holy shrine comes a day before 59 parliamentary constituencies, including Varanasi, will go to polls in the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha elections. BJP Uttarakhand president Ajay Bhatt said PM Modi's trip is "just a spiritual visit", and the people of the state are excited for it.

Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to visit Badrinath temple as well during his ongoing Uttarakhand visit.
The Election Commission gave its nod to PM Modi's visit to the Himalayan shrines with a reminder that the model code of conduct is still in force.
Keeping in view of PM Modi's arrival, security has been tightened near the shrine which is located at 11,755 ft above the sea level.

The Himalayan shrine, dedicated to Shiva, has been visited multiple times by PM Modi during his current term. In November last year, Prime Minister Modi had visited the Kedarnath shrine during Diwali. In 2017, he paid visits to the temple twice, once in May after its gate had opened following a six-month winter break and again in October, before the temple again closed for winters.