From Parliament to pilgrimage

New Delhi: After taking on the government in Parliament over the land acquisition bill following his return from a 56-day sabbatical, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi is off on a two-day trek to Kedarnath in the hill-state of Uttarakhand on Thursday.

It is being described as a personal visit to a famous temple there, which was devastated in flash floods two years ago and has since been restored. The portals of the shrine, one of the Char Dhams or four holiest pilgrimages, will be thrown open on April 24 after being closed for winter.

"I offered Rahul a chopper to Kedarnath, but he insisted on trekking. He will trek from Gaurikund to Kedarnath, a distance of 17 km," said Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat.

The Congress veteran reminisced how he had accompanied Rahul's grandmother and former prime minister Indira Gandhi to Badrinath, about 40 km from Kedarnath, 36 years ago. "I accompanied Indira Gandhiji to Badrinath in 1979, now I have the privilege of accompanying the future of the Congress party. Just as Badrinath baba blessed Indira, Kedar baba will bless Rahul," said Rawat. “He will spend the night at Lincholi base and head towards Kedarnath on Friday morning,” said Surender Kumar, the spokesperson for the Chief Minister.

The state government believes Rahul’s visit will send a positive message across the country about Uttarakhand being a safe destination for tourists and pilgrims.

Devastating flash floods in the state in 2013 killed nearly 5,000 pilgrims and dealt a blow to the tourism industry. Official figures suggest that the impact of the disaster continues to loom large over pilgrims visiting the Char Dhams - Badrinath, Kedarnath, Yamnotri and Gangotri - in Uttarakhand.