Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday visited the Kedarnath in Uttarakhand, where he inaugurated the rebuilt samadhi sthal of Shri Adi Shankaracharya.  He will also lay the foundation stone of reconstruction projects.

ANI reported that PM Modi unveiled a magnificent 12-feet statue of Guru Shankaracharya, the 8th-century seer who attained Moksha at Kedarnath.

Also read: PM Modi celebrates Diwali with soldiers in Nowshera, J&K

The statue reportedly weighs 35 tonnes and it has been made by Mysore-based sculptors from chlorite schist, a rock that is known to withstand rain, sunshine and harsh climate. In 2013, the original statue of Adi Guru Shankaracharya samadhi was washed away in the floods.

It has been built by excavating land just behind the Kedarnath temple and in the middle of the samadhi area.

Also read: Deepotsav 2021: Nine lakh lamps lit on banks of Sarayu, Uttar Pradesh

The unveiling of the statue will be streamed live at the 12 jyotirlingas, four Shankaracharya mutts (monasteries), his birthplace and several prominent temples across the country.

“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,” Bagish Ling, a priest of Kedarnath Temple, told news agency ANI.

Also read: PM Modi warns healthcare workers at COVID-19 meeting

PM Modi will lay the foundation stone of Kedarpuri reconstruction projects worth over Rs 400 crore. He will also inaugurate other key infrastructure projects including Saraswati Retaining Wall Aasthapath and Ghats, Mandakini Retaining Wall Aasthapath, Tirth Purohit Houses and Garud Chatti bridge on the Mandakini river.

The Kedarpuri construction project is reportedly PM Modi’s one of dream projects. Over time, he has been personally reviewing the construction work at regular intervals.

Earlier, Uttarakhand tourism minister Satpal Maharaj said reconstruction works in Kedarnath would not have been possible without the vision of PM Modi. “We welcome his presence here soon. He will also be inaugurating the second phase works at Kedarnath,” he said.