Prime Minister Narendra Modi will celebrate Diwali on Wednesday with Army jawans and also offer prayers at the Kedarnath shrine.
Responding to Diwali greetings from Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Modi said, "Every year, I visit our border areas and surprise our troops. This year too, will spend Diwali with our brave troops. Spending time with them is special."
He said he would share the photos of the same Wednesday evening. Modi also thanked Bibi, as Netanyahu is called, for the Diwali wishes.
The Israeli premier in his tweet had said: "On behalf of the people of Israel, I would like to wish my dear friend @narendramodi and the people of India a joyous Diwali. May this luminous festival of lights bring you happiness and prosperity. Reply to this tweet with the name of the city where you're celebrating!"
Chief Secretary Utpal Kumar Singh on Monday had said Modi would visit Kedarnath on Wednesday to offer prayers at the Himalayan shrine and review Kedarpuri reconstruction projects. The foundation stone of Kedarpuri reconstruction projects was laid by Modi during his visit to the temple last year.
All preparations have been made in view of the prime minister's visit with the road from the helipad to the temple totally cleared of snow, Singh said.
Several new features including a meditation cave 400 metres above Kedarnath will greet Modi during his visit this time.
After becoming the prime minister in 2014, Modi had spent Diwali at Siachen with Army jawans.
In 2015, he had visited the Punjab border on Diwali. His visit had coincided with 50 years of the 1965 Indo-Pak war.
The next year, Modi was in Himachal Pradesh, where he spent time with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel at a border outpost.
He had spent his fourth Diwali as prime minister with soldiers at Gurez in Jammu and Kashmir last year.
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