After spending over 15 hours meditating at a holy cave near the Kedarnath shrine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday arrived at Badrinath, another temple in Uttarakhand’s revered ‘Char Dham’.

PM Modi stepped out wearing a garland of Tulsi leaves after offering prayers at the Badrinath Temple.

“The iconic Badrinath Temple remains an important part of our culture and ethos. Had the honour of joining the Puja at the Temple today,” PM Modi tweeted.

The iconic Badrinath Temple remains an important part of our culture and ethos.

Had the honour of joining the Puja at the Temple today. pic.twitter.com/AcHJxImztU

— Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 19, 2019

After offering his prayers at the temple, PM Modi sat down to meditate in the mountains.

Majestic and magnificent.

Serene and spiritual.

There is something very special about the Himalayas.

It is always a humbling experience to return to the mountains. pic.twitter.com/o01iPJ5dl3

— Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 19, 2019

The Prime Minister will return to Delhi this evening after a two-day visit to the hill state.

The portals of Badrinath temple in the Garhwal Himalayan range of Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district were thrown open to pilgrims on May 10 after a six-month-long winter break.

WATCH: Day after campaign ends, PM Modi meditates in cave near Kedarnath shrine

The temple, which is located at a height of over 10,000 feet in the Garhwal hills, is among the ‘Char Dham’ shrines which include Gangotri, Yamunotri and Kedarnath in Uttarakhand.

Modi, who yesterday visited Kedarnath Temple, offered prayers at the innermost sanctum of the temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.

After ending his meditation today at a holy cave nearby, Modi was seen meeting devotees dressed in a maroon robe. He told reporters that he has been lucky to visit the shrine on multiple occasions, adding that he has a special connection with Kedarnath.

Modi circumambulated the temple and later interacted with local officials, even taking time out to monitor the progress of ongoing development works in the area.

When asked if he prayed for his victory in the Lok Sabha elections, the Prime Minister said, “I did not ask for anything from Baba Kedarnath. God has made us self-sufficient beings who are able to give rather than ask.”

This was 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, 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.

(The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text, only the headline has been changed)

First Published: May 19, 2019 15:03 IST