On Sunday, June 8, 2025, Chief of the Indian Army, General Upendra Dwivedi, visited the revered Kedarnath Dham to offer prayers at the sacred temple. Accompanied by his family, General Dwivedi sought the blessings of Lord Shiva, also known as Mahadev, who is highly regarded as the God of Gods.
General Dwivedi engaged in special prayers and spent approximately half an hour within the temple premises, immersed in devotional rituals. The Kedarnath Teerth Purohit Samaj and the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee extended a warm welcome to the Army Chief and his family with traditional honors. Temple priests conducted the puja ceremony with Vedic chants, enhancing the spiritual ambiance. Following the prayers, General Dwivedi expressed his admiration for the spiritual aura and grandeur of the holy shrine, remarking that visiting this abode of Lord Shiva brought immense peace to his soul.
His visit is part of a series of recent high-profile pilgrimages to the holy shrine. Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi visited Kedarnath Temple with his family on Friday, June 6, 2025. Manjhi shared his experience on social media, expressing his gratitude for the opportunity to have darshan of Mahadev at one of the four Dhams. Earlier, on June 2, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, along with her family, also offered prayers at Kedarnath Dham, expressing her gratitude and praying for strength to continue working for the progress of Delhi.
The Kedarnath temple doors were opened to devotees on May 2, 2025. Since then, the shrine has experienced a significant influx of pilgrims, with over 865,614 devotees having visited. On June 7 alone, 23,532 pilgrims performed darshan and rituals at the temple, highlighting the site's profound spiritual significance and enduring appeal as a pilgrimage destination in India.
The Kedarnath Dham Yatra is considered one of the most challenging religious pilgrimages in India, requiring pilgrims to undertake a strenuous 20-kilometer trek through mountainous terrain to reach the temple, which houses the 11th Jyotirlinga in the Himalayas. Horses and mules play a crucial role in this pilgrimage, especially for elderly and differently-abled devotees.
