GG News Bureau
Dehradun, 7th Nov. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi organized a bhandara (community meal) in Kedarnath and served food to devotees during his personal visit to the Himalayan temple.
On the second day of his visit, he also visited the grand statue of Adi Shankaracharya near the temple and offered prayers. Later in the day, the Congress party organized a bhandara near the temple premises and served food to devotees and ash-smeared sadhus (holy men), some of whom blessed him.
Young devotees took selfies with Rahul Gandhi.
About 1,500 devotees were served food at the bhandara, according to Teerth Purohit Acharya Santosh Trivedi.
For lunch, Gandhi had tikkad (thick chapatis) with salt made by seers. He also had black tea and had a long chat with the seers. Gandhi also visited the Bheem Shila, a huge rock believed to have protected the temple during the 2013 Uttarakhand floods.
Gandhi arrived in Uttarakhand on Sunday and offered prayers at the Kedarnath temple. He participated in the evening aarti (prayer ceremony) and offered tea to pilgrims as part of chai seva (service).
He is staying at Kabra Niketan in Rajasthan Bhawan near the temple.
This visit is considered personal and spiritual, and no party leaders are allowed to meet him.
However, it coincides with the peak of campaigning for the upcoming assembly elections in five states.
Last month, Gandhi visited the Golden Temple in Amritsar and performed seva (selfless service).
The timing of Gandhi’s visit has been questioned by the BJP, with their spokesperson Suresh Joshi suggesting that it is a result of political motives.
The Kedarnath temple is located at an altitude of 3,584 meters and is part of the Char Dhams and Panch Kedar in Uttarakhand. It is also one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva in India.
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