After a trek of 16 km, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi offered prayers at the Kedarnath temple, Lord Shiva's shrine, here on Friday, the day its 'kapaat' (portals) opened for pilgrims after closure for the winter.The highly revered shrine remains open for six months, as it is closed during winters due to heavy snowfall and severe weather conditions in the region.Gandhi scion said he was there to also pay respects to the victims of the 2013 flash floods in the state.The reason for his visit is to "pay respects to those who lost their lives in the 2013 tragedy", he told reporters outside the temple.Thousands of people lost their lives following a cloudburst which led to flash floods and landslides when the Char Dham yatra was underway.
Gandhi told reporters that he felt at peace after visiting the shirne.Asked what he sought from the God, Gandhi said he did not ask for anything, adding that he felt "a fire-like feeling" inside the shrine.During the trek up to the temple, Gandhi spent the night at a hut at Linchauli on Thursday and resumed the walk to the shrine in the morning, covering about 16 km in the forenoon.Special Protection Group (SPG) personnel and others accompanied Gandhi to the shrine, where he mingled with the devotees.On the way, he took a tea break at Jungle Chatti.The man at whose tea stall Gandhi had his cuppa told reporters that he never expected that a person like Rahul Gandhi would ever have tea at his shop. "I am feeling good that he had tea at my stall," the elated tea seller told media persons.Gandhi said he was offered a chopper by the state to fly to the shrine but he chose to walk up as a "mark of respect" for those people who died on this route.He also hailed the army, government officials, police and the people for their hard work in rehabilitation process.
Praising the Uttarakhand government, the Congress leader said, "It has done a commendable restoration and rehabilitation" work in the aftermath of the calamity.He said other states should emulate Uttarakhand's idea of building a helipad to help in the rescue efforts in case of natural calamities.The 'kapaat' (portals) of the shrine were opened ritualistically 8.50 a.m. on Friday amid chanting of hymns.Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat was also present on the occasion.Kedarnath temple is one of the four shrines across in the Himalayan foothills which are visited by faithfuls during the Char Dham yatra. The other three are Badrinath temple, and the Yamunotri and Gangotri where the reverred Yamuna and Ganga rivers originate.