Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the Himalayan shrine of Kedarnath on Friday, for a second time in one season, officials said.
While the Shiva shrine is deserted on Diwali festival as most priests and shopkeepers go back to their homes to celebrate the festival, this time round it is the reverse.
The place has been lit up with electric lights and flowers and there is a lot of activity in the run up to the visit by Modi.
Kedarnath was ravaged by flash floods in 2013, killing thousands. Modi will lay the foundation stone for a new 'Kedarpuri'.
An Uttarakhand official told IANS that Modi will also lay foundation stones for reconstruction of the 'samadhi sthal' of Adi Shankra and construction of a museum. He is also likely to address a gathering at the shrine.
