Dehradun, July 31, 2013: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna has convened a high level meeting of the Badri-Kedar Temple Committee on August 2 to decide the date for purification and resumption of puja at Kedarnath. The meeting will be attended by the Rawal (head priest) of the Kedarnath temple Bhimashankar Ling, Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati and officials involved in the cleaning operations at the temple, Mr. Bahuguna said here on Tuesday.

Cleaning of the sanctum sanctorum of the temple and its interiors was almost complete but transportation of heavy stone cutting equipment to the shrine to clear the huge quantity of debris lying in the area has been delayed by adverse weather, Mr. Bahuguna said, adding that resumption of puja at the shrine was the top priority before the Government.

To a query, Mr. Bahuguna said resumption of puja at the shrine and clearing big boulders and debris from the temple complex were two different things.

It may be recalled that mass scale damage occurred at Kedarnath and surrounding areas during the flash floods and landslides on June 16-17. Temple Committee officials are engaged in cleaning the temple and officials and police are trying to clear the area of debris on a war footing. These efforts are however hampered by rain and fog in the area.

Source: The Hindu, July 31, 2013