Indian Prime Minister Modi Offers First Prayers as Famous Kedarnath Temple Reopens Amid Lockdown

As the doors of India’s famous Kedarnath temple, located in the Himalayan region, opened early Wednesday after almost six months amid the COVID-19 lockdown, the first prayer of the main deity Lord Shiva was offered on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Located in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, the temple is only open to the general public from April to November due to extreme weather conditions and snow. This is the same temple where Prime Minister Modi meditated before facing parliamentary elections in May 2019.

​Only members of the shrine's committee and administrative officials attended the prayers due to the COVID-19 lockdown. The temple was not open to the public for "Darshan" (audience of God), but it was adorned with a grand floral cover and decorated from top to bottom.

According to Hindu legend, the temple was constructed by Pandavas (the five brothers in the Hindu epic Mahabharata) to offer prayers to Lord Shiva and seek forgiveness for killing their kin in the Mahabharata war. 

Meanwhile, the Twitterati is rejoicing at the opening of the revered temple and scenic pictures of the shrine are flooding social media. Many people expressed hope that the opening of the temple will reduce the suffering and pain being felt in the world.

​The majestic temple surrounded by snow-capped peaks is part of four pilgrimage sites – Badrinath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri. The Badrinath shrine is scheduled to open on 15 May. The two other shrines - Yamunotri and Gangotri - were opened on 26 April.