New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi this morning unveiled the statue of Adi Shankaracharya at the premises of the Kedarnath Temple in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand.

The Samadhi of Adi Shankaracharya has been reconstructed after its destruction in the 2013 Uttarakhand floods.

“You all are witness to the inauguration of Adi Shankaracharya Samadhi here today. His devotees are present here in spirit. All maths and ‘jyotirlingas’ in the country are connected with us today,” said PM Modi.

Before the inauguration, PM Modi offered prayers and performed ”aarti” at the ancient temple. He paid obeisance to Lord Shiva and undertook circumambulation of the Kedarnath shrine after offering prayers.

He will also inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of reconstruction projects worth over Rs 300 crore at the Himalayan temple.

Glimpses of the 12-foot Murti of Adi Guru Adi Shankaracharya to be inaugurated by PM Sh @narendramodi ji in Kedarnath tomorrow, Nov 5th.

On this occasion, pogrammes are being organized at Jyotirlingas, Jyotishpeeth & at the birthplace of the Jagadguru in Kalady, Kerala. pic.twitter.com/H71CHtX3af

— G Kishan Reddy (@kishanreddybjp) November 4, 2021

PM Modi was received at the Dehradun airport by Uttarakhand Governor Lt Gen Gurmit Singh (retd), Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and his cabinet colleagues Subodh Uniyal and Ganesh Joshi, besides Uttarakhand Assembly Speaker Premchand Aggarwal.

“We will all welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PM Modi will reach here in the morning. He will do the Maha Rudra Abhishek and pray for the welfare of the nation. He will also unveil the statue of Adi Shankaracharya. The temple has been decorated with flowers,” Bagish Ling, a priest of Kedarnath temple told news agency ANI ahead of the visit.

Saraswati Retaining Wall Aasthapath and Ghats, Mandakini Retaining Wall Aasthapath, Tirth Purohit Houses, and Garud Chatti bridge on river Mandakini are some of the projects to be inaugurated by PM Modi. He is also scheduled to address a public rally during his visit.

Located on the bank of Mandakini river, Kedarnath Temple is one of the four ancient pilgrimage sites referred to as ”Char Dham Yatra” which also include Yamunotri, Gangotri and Badrinath.