Rudraprayag: On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi peformed a pooja at the Kedarnath Temple.

At the sacred shrine, the prime minister wore a traditional pahadi costume. The women of Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, crafted PM Modi's handmade clothing. The dress is popularly known as 'Chola Dora', which was gifted to PM during his recent visit to the state.

Prime Minister Modi arrived at Jolly Grant airport in Dehradun and was welcomed by Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Gurmeet Singh and Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. PM is on a visit to the Himalayan state to lay the foundation stone of projects worth over Rs 3,400 crore.

PM will lay the Kedarnath Ropeway Project's foundation stone. He would thereafter visit the Samadhi Sthal of Adi Guru Shankaracharya. Later that day, the prime minister will travel to Badrinath where he will offer darshan and puja at the Shri Badrinath Temple. He will also assess the state of development projects along Mandakini Asthapath and Saraswati Asthapath.

He will then see how the riverfront development project is coming along before laying the foundationstone for the Mana village ropeway and road developments. He will assess how the arrival plaza and lakes are being developed.
The 9.7 km ropeway at Kedarnath will link Gaurikund and Kedarnath, cutting the current travel time between the two locations from 6-7 hours to barely 30 minutes. Govindghat and Hemkund Sahib will be connected by the Hemkund ropeway. It will be around 12.4 km long and cut down the journey from more than a day to only a little over an hour. According to the PMO statement, this ropeway will also connect Ghangaria, which serves as the park's entrance.

The ropeways are an environmentally friendly means of transportation that will offer a safe, secure, and stable mode of transportation. Their development will cost a total of about Rs 2,430 crore. Religious tourism will benefit from this significant infrastructural investment, which will improve the area's economic growth and generate several jobs.

During the visit, the foundation stone for road-widening projects estimated to cost Rs.1000-cr, will also be placed. The two road widening projects, from Mana to Mana Pass (NH07) and from Joshimath to Malari (NH107B) -- will be a further step in ensuring that our border regions have last-mile all-weather road connection. These initiatives will improve connections while also being advantageous from a strategic standpoint.

One of the most significant Hindu shrines is at Kedarnath and Badrinath. Hemkund Sahib, a famed Sikh pilgrimage site, is another draw to the region. The connectivity projects are designed to make religious sites more accessible and to upgrade the foundational infrastructure.

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