Will redevelop Kedarnath into ideal "tirth kshetra": Modi
After spending Diwali with army and BSF jawans at J&K's Guarez sector, PM Narendra Modi flew to Uttarakhand's Kedarnath Temple before it closes ahead of the winter. Modi asserted that by developing Kedarnath, his government will show how an ideal "tirth kshetra" should be. He said that he aims to make Kedarnath a site for adventure sports as well. Know more!
Modi recalled the 2013 floods after a glacier lake breach triggered floods in the Mandakini river devastating Kedarpuri. He said as Gujarat CM, he had met then Uttarakhand CM Vijay Bahuguna and offered help to redevelop Kedarnath. He accused Congress of snubbing his help and Rs. 3cr cheque. After BJP won Uttarakhand this year, he said he realized they were meant to redevelop Kedarnath.
Modi said by 2018, Kedarnath will play host to 10L tourists after being developed into a hub for 'adventure sports, herbal medicines and spiritual pursuits'. He promised that though modern infrastructure is being built, environmental norms will be followed and "traditional ethos" preserved. As he laid the foundation stone for five projects to rebuild Kedarpuri, he urged private enterprises to contribute through CSR.
Modi assured priests that three-storey houses will be built in Kedarpuri giving ample space to devotees, priests and guests. He also guaranteed 24-hour electricity and water and modern facilities. Further, he promised to increase the road's width. He praised Uttarakhand's people saying "discipline is in the blood of people here and at least one person from each family is a soldier."
Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Rawat tweeted that Modi's regular visits to Kedarnath had promoted religious tourism in the state as '7.5L more pilgrims had visited Char Dham compared to earlier'. Recalling Modi's visit in May, when Kedarnath's gates were reopened after winter break, Rawat said, "It is an honor for this Dev Bhoomi that within six months the prime minister visited Kedarnath twice."
