After 2km-long trek, PM Modi reaches Kedarnath cave to meditate

Dressed in a saffron robe, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday visited a holy cave near revered Kedarnath shrine to meditate.

According to sources, the Prime Minister, after paying obeisance at the holy shrine of Lord Shiva, reached the cave after trekking for almost two kilometres. On the request of the media, he allowed cameras to film initial visuals.

Modi will meditate till tomorrow morning, and no media or personnel will be allowed in the vicinity of the cave during this period, sources mentioned.

Earlier today, the Prime Minister took stock of the Kedarnath re-development project and was seen being briefed by senior officials.

Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to visit Badrinath temple as well during his ongoing Uttarakhand visit.

Modi's visit to the holy shrine comes a day before 59 parliamentary constituencies, including Varanasi, will go to polls in the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha elections. The results of the seven-phase polls will also be announced on May 23.

Keeping in view the Prime Minister's arrival, security near the shrine, which is located at 11,755 ft above the sea level, has been heightened.

This is Modi's fourth visit to Kedarnath in a span of three years.

In November last year, Prime Minister Modi had visited the Kedarnath shrine during Diwali. In 2017, he paid visits to the temple twice, once in May after its gate had opened following a six-month winter break and again in October, before the temple closed for winters.

This year, the portals of the Kedarnath temple in Garhwal Himalayan range of Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district was thrown open to pilgrims on May 9 after a six-month-long winter break.