Modi spends night in Kedarnath cave, thanks EC

Dehradun, May 19 (IANS) After spending night Saturday night meditating inside a cave, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday morning again offered prayers at the Kedarnath temple in Uttarakhand.

"Modi is the first PM to spend a night inside a cave," said a top government official.

He later thanked the Election Commission for permitting him to visit the Himalayan shrine and take a break from the gruelling election campaign. "I got two days rest," he said.

Modi said he was completely cut off from the world inside the specially-created cave, which was furnished with amenities such as power, an attached toilet, a telephone, a CCTV etc. "There was no communication, only a small window through which I could see the temple," he said.

Asserting that the blessings of Lord Shiva would continue to bestow on India as well as the world, the Prime Minister said: "I don't ask for anything from the God. I think, the God has made us to give something to the society," he said.

Modi also appreciated the redevelopment work at Kedarnath after the 2013 deluge left town battered and said a dedicated team was engaged in the process. "I monitor the work through video conference from time-to-time," he said.

The Prime Minister also lauded the people engaged in providing amenities in the tough terrain. "People come only after here after the portals (of temple) are opened. But we must not forget that hundreds of people remain engaged in providing amenities to the pilgrims long before the doors opened," he said.

He thanked media for coming to Kedarnath despite the tough election schedule and said the message through the media about the redevelopment in Kedarnath would be positive.

He also asked the people to visit Kedarnath and other areas of India in addition to places like Singapore and Dubai.