The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, visited Kedarnath today. He offered prayers at the Kedarnath Temple, and laid the Foundation Stone for five infrastructure and development projects. These include the development of retaining wall and ghat on the Mandakini River; development of retaining wall and ghat on Saraswati River; construction of main approach to Kedarnath Temple; development of Shankaracharya Kutir and Shankaracharya Museum; and development of houses for Kedarnath Purohits. The Prime Minister was briefed on the Kedarpuri Reconstruction Project.Addressing a gathering, the Prime Minister said he was happy to be in Kedarnath, a day after Diwali. He said that the start of a New Year is being celebrated in Gujarat today, and conveyed his greetings to everyone around the world.
Noting that the service of the people is the service of God, the Prime Minister pledged to devote himself fully to realising the dream of a developed India, by the time we mark 75 years of freedom in 2022. Recalling the natural calamity of 2013, the Prime Minister said that as Chief Minister of Gujarat, he had come to do all that he could for the victims; and offered support from the State of Gujarat for the reconstruction effort.The Prime Minister said that through the work that is being done in Kedarnath, one would be able to see how an ideal “place of pilgrimage” should be – in terms of both amenities for pilgrims, and the welfare of the priests. He said that the infrastructure being developed in Kedarnath would be of good quality, adding that it would be modern, but would preserve the traditional ethos, and ensure that the environment is not damaged.Shri Narendra Modi said that the Himalayas have much to offer for spiritualism, adventure and tourism, and for the nature lover. He invited everyone to come and explore the Himalayas.The Governor of Uttarakhand, Dr. K.K. Paul, and Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Shri Trivendra Singh Rawat, were present on the occasion.