Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday offered prayers at the Himalayan shrine of Kedarnath, a day after campaigning for the general election came to a close. He reached Jolly Grant airport Saturday morning.
Stringent security arrangements had been made for the prime minister's visit, DGP (law and order) Ashok Kumar said.
This is Modi's second visit to the temple in the last two years. The portals of both the shrines were reopened for devotees after winter break early this month.
Though the Election Commission gave its nod to the visit while "reminding" the prime minister's office that the model code of conduct is still in force; the opposition took jibes at Prime Minister for his visit.
Early in the day, Modi arrived at Dehradun's Jolly Grant airport and took a helicopter to Kedarnath. He wore a grey attire with a pahari cap and a saffron gamchha around his waist.
Alighting from the chopper, he headed straight to the holy shrine, where he offered special prayers to Lord Shiva. Other devotees were not allowed to enter the temple during this time. The temple opens to devotees at 4 a.m. daily.
Modi later took an all-terrain vehicle to go around and review the reconstruction work in Kedarnath, which was extensively damaged in the June 2013 deluge. Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Utpal Kumar Singh briefed him about the restoration work.
Later in the afternoon, Modi undertook a treacherous trek to spend some time meditating at a cave called 'Dhyan Kutia'. Following heavy rain and cold, arrangements for umbrellas and benches for sitting were made on the trek.