India / PM Modi inaugurates redevelopment projects worth ₹130 crore in Kedarnath

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated several redevelopment projects worth ₹130 crore in the Kedarnath shrine in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district. During his visit, PM Modi also unveiled an idol of Adi Shankaracharya at the place of his ‘samadhi’ which was damaged during the 2013 flash floods in the hill state.

While he inaugurated redevelopment projects that have been completed at the aforesaid cost, he is also scheduled to lay the foundation stone for an array of various other projects worth ₹180 crore, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said on October 28.

Redevelopment projects

Modi unveiled the idol of Adi Shankaracharya at the Kedarnath Temple in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand. The place where the ‘samadhi’ of Shankaracharya is located was damaged after the flash floods in 2013 in the state, following which it has now been reconstructed. “The entire reconstruction work has been undertaken under the guidance of the Prime Minister, who has constantly reviewed and monitored the progress of the project,” the PMO had said earlier.

Several other key redevelopment projects, including Saraswati Retaining Wall Aasthapath and Ghats, Mandakini Retaining Wall Aasthapath, Tirth Purohit Houses and Garud Chatti bridge on river Mandakini were also inaugurated.

Foundation stone for multiple projects

Further, the Prime Minister is also scheduled to lay the foundation stone for several inauguration projects worth ₹180 crore, the PMO said.

These projects include the redevelopment of the Sangam Ghat, first aid and tourist facilitation centre, administration office and hospital, two guest houses, police station, command and control centre, Mandakini Aasthapath queue management and rain-shelter and Saraswati civic amenity building.

‘Decade belongs to Uttarakhand’

During the visit, the PM said while addressing a gathering at the Kedarnath Temple that more tourists would visit the shrines in the state in the next 10 years than in the last 100 years. “With the kind of infrastructure development going on in Uttarakhand, more pilgrims will visit the Char Dham shrines in the next 10 years than in the last 100 years. Char Dham Yatra will become easier with the facilities being developed by the government for devotees,” he said. “The third decade of 21st century will be of Uttarakhand. It will attain more heights in the coming years,” he added.

Earlier in the day, he offered prayers at the temple and also performed some rituals that lasted for over 30 minutes.