PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Jyotirmath
Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani visited Badrinath and Kedarnath Dham on Friday to offer prayers and donated Rs 10 crore to Badrinath and Kedarnath. He visited the temples under tight security arrangements, accompanied by security personnel with the traffic also being restricted temporarily in the temple township of Badrinath for his movements. Before visiting Badrinath, he arrived in Dehradun on his private aircraft. Upon his arrival, local women welcomed him with flowers. He performed special prayers at the Badrinath Dham, where Pandits recited the Vedas.
According to the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC), Ambani first visited Badrinath in the morning and then reached Kedarnath in the noon. The BKTC chairman Hemant Dwivedi informed him about the measures taken by the State government for enhancing the Char Dham Yatra. Ambani said that he has been visiting Uttarakhand for about 20 years now and added that the facilities visible now were not seen in the past. He appreciated the works being done by the State government. He opined that the number of pilgrims visiting Uttarakhand will rise further in the next 10 years. He also assured full support to the Uttarakhand government for the conservation of the Char Dham and environment in Uttarakhand. During his visit to Badrinath in the morning, Ambani paid homage to Goddess Lakshmi and Ghantakarna.
It is pertinent to mention here that Mukesh Ambani and his family members are regular visitors to both Badrinath and Kedarnath with the Ambani family also having played a role in the beautification of both these temples. It will be recalled that the portals of Kedarnath will be closed to the public for the winter on October 23 while Badrinath will be closed on November 25.
