In November 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the reconstructed Shri Adi Shankaracharya Samadhi at the premises of the Kedarnath Temple in Uttarakhand and also unveiled the statue of Shri Adi Shankaracharya. The Samadhi was damaged in the 2013 Kedarnath flood. The unveiling programmes of the statue were organised at the 12 Jyotirlingas & Jyotishpeeth including Char Dhams (Badrinath, Dwarka, Puri and Rameshwaram)
Char Dham Project
Total Length of the Highway – 889 km
Proposed Routes
Rishikesh–Yamunotri
Rishikesh–Gangotri
Rishikesh–Kedarnath
Rishikesh–Badrinath
Maintained by National Highway Authority of India
Notably, Shri Adi Shankaracharya Samadhi has been reconstructed after the destruction in the 2013 floods. The entire reconstruction work was undertaken under the guidance of the Prime Minister, who has constantly reviewed and monitored the progress of the project. Key infrastructure projects which have been completed, including Saraswati Retaining Wall Aasthapath and Ghats, Mandakini Retaining Wall Aasthapath, Tirth Purohit Houses and Garud Chatti bridge on river Mandakini. The projects have been completed at a cost of over Rs. 130 crore. He also laid the foundation stone for multiple projects worth over Rs 180 crore, including the Redevelopment of Sangam Ghat, First Aid and Tourist Facilitation Centre, Admin Office and Hospital, two Guest Houses, Police Station, Command & Control Centre, Mandakini Aasthapath Queue Management and Rainshelter and Saraswati Civic Amenity Building.
Char Dham Highway Project
Along with other Infrastructure development, the Modi government is also working on the Char Dham project, which is a two-lane highway project currently under construction in the Uttarakhand. After its completion, it will connect the four important pilgrim towns of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. The foundation stone of the ₹12,000 crore project was laid at Parade Ground in Dehradun by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 27 2016. The highway construction project is called as Char Dham Mahamarg Vikas Pariyojana and its aim is to improve the connectivity to the Chota Char Dham.
