Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a 12-foot murti of Adi Guru Shankaracharya at Kedarnath on 5th November 2021. Modi offered prayers at the temple before unveiling the 35-tonne statue, work on which began in 2019. He also inaugurated a plethora of projects, including the rebuilt samadhi (resting place) of Shankaracharya. The samadhi suffered heavy damage during the 2013 deluge near the Mandakini, a tributary of the Ganga, in Rudraprayag district. The eighth-century seer Shankaracharya had attained Moksha at Kedarnath.
The events were streamed live at the 12 Jyotirlingas, Shankaracharya mutts, his birthplace, and several prominent temples in India. “You all are witness to the inauguration of Adi Shankaracharya samadhi here today. His devotees are present here in spirit. All mutts and Jyotirlingas in the country are connected with us today,” PM Modi said.