Rahul Gandhi offers prayers as Kedarth temple opens

Kedarth, April 24: After a trek of 16 km, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi offered prayers at the Kedarth temple, Lord Shiva’s shrine, here on Friday, the day its ‘kapaat’ (portals) opened for pilgrims after closure for the winter. The highly revered shrine remains open for six months, as it is closed during winters due to heavy snowfall and severe weather conditions in the region. Gandhi scion said he was there to also pay respects to the victims of the 2013 flash floods in the state. The reason for his visit is to “pay respects to those who lost their lives in the 2013 tragedy”, he told reporters outside the temple. Thousands of people lost their lives following a cloudburst which led to flash floods and landslides when the Char Dham yatra was underway. Gandhi told reporters that he felt at peace after visiting the shirne. Asked what he sought from the God, Gandhi said he did not ask for anything, adding that he felt “a fire-like feeling” inside the shrine. During the trek up to the temple, Gandhi spent the night at a hut at Linchauli on Thursday and resumed the walk to the shrine in the morning, covering about 16 km in the forenoon. Special Protection Group (SPG) personnel and others accompanied Gandhi to the shrine, where he mingled with the devotees. On the way, he took a tea break at Jungle Chatti. (IANS)