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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Kedarnath and Badrinath today during which he will inspect various ongoing development works and also lay foundation stones for some new projects.
In view of the visit, security arrangements have been tightened in the area, an official said.
While the officials are busy finalizing the preparations for the two-day program of the prime minister, the priests of both the Dham and the devotees are also excited by his arrival.
Both Kedarnath and Badrinath temples are decorated with many quintals of flowers. The Prime Minister will reach Kedarnath at around eight Friday morning and will perform worship of Baba Kedar. After it, he will lay the foundation stone of the 9.7 km long Gaurikund-Kedarnath ropeway project.
![Holy Hindu Temple of Lord Shri Kedarnath Shankar Bholenath Temple 2019 view in Chamoli District , Uttrakhand , India , Asia Kēdārnāth Mandir (Kedarnath Temple) is a Hindu temple (shrine) dedicated to Lord Shiva. Located on the Garhwal Himalayan range near the Mandakini river, Kedarnath is located in the state of Uttarakhand, India. Due to extreme weather conditions, the temple is open to the general public only between the months of April (Akshaya Tritriya) and November (Kartik Purnima, the autumn full moon). During the winters, the vigrahas (deities) from Kedarnath temple are carried down to Ukhimath and where the deity is worshiped for the next six months. Kedarnath is seen as a homogenous form of Lord Shiva, the 'Lord of Kedar Khand', the historical name of the region.
The temple is not directly accessible by road and has to be reached by a 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) uphill trek from Gaurikund. Pony and manchan service is available to reach the structure. According to Hindu legends, the temple was initially built by Pandavas, and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, the holiest Hindu shrines of Shiva. It is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams, expounded in Tevaram. Pandavas were supposed to have pleased Shiva by doing penance in Kedarnath. The temple is one of the four major sites in India's Chota Char Dham pilgrimage of Northern Himalayas. This temple is the highest among the 12 Jyotirlingas. Kedarnath was the worst affected area during the 2013 flash floods in North India. The temple complex, surrounding areas, and Kedarnath town suffered extensive damage, but the temple structure did not suffer any "major" damage, apart from a few cracks on one side of the four walls which was caused by the flowing debris from the higher mountains. A large rock among the debris acted as a barrier, protecting the temple from the flood. The surrounding premises and other buildings in the market area were heavily damaged.[Content by Wikipedia] kedarnath temple stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images](https://media.istockphoto.com/photos/holy-hindu-temple-of-lord-shri-kedarnath-shankar-bholenath-temple-picture-id1170875589?k=20&m=1170875589&s=612x612&w=0&h=AWs_nctaaWB8G0k6AYLj3ccUmRX1O3Gvr1bAMlun_MY=)
During his two-and-a-half-hour program, he will also visit the Samadhi Sthal of Adi Guru Shankaracharya. The prime minister will also review the progress of development works along Mandakini Asthapath and Saraswati Asthapath there. After this, he will reach Badrinath Dham and after visiting the temple and offering prayers, will review the progress of the development works along the riverfront.
Later in the afternoon, he will lay the foundation stone of road and ropeway projects and address the people at Mana village near Badrinath. Thereafter, he will review the progress of the beautification works of the Arrival Plaza and the lakes.
The Prime Minister will spend Friday night in Badrinath.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the prime minister’s visit to Kedarnath-Badrinath will prove to be a milestone in the development of Uttarakhand.
He said the connectivity projects being undertaken at these places reflect the prime minister’s commitment to ease access and improve basic infrastructure in places of religious significance.
