Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday offered prayers at Mukhwa temple -- the winter abode of Goddess Ganga in Uttarkashi district -- amid chanting of Vedic hymns by the priests.
The locals, dressed in traditional attire, accorded a warm welcome to the prime minister through a dance performance circling him as Modi stood in the middle with folded hands. He also enjoyed the morning view of the distant snowclad peaks surrounding the area.
Mukhwa is a village located on the way to the Gangotri temple dedicated to Goddess Ganga. Her idol is moved to Mukhwa temple from Gangotri Dham every year after the closure of its gates for winter.
The prime minister will flag off a trek and bike rally and address a public meeting in Harshil. Modi's visit to the temple, his first as prime minister, is expected to boost winter pilgrimage and tourism in Uttarakhand.
It comes a day after the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs headed by him approved two major ropeway projects to Kedarnath and Hemkund Sahib worth over Rs 6,000 crore.
The Uttarakhand government has initiated a Winter Tourism programme this year to promote religious tourism and boost the local economy, homestays and businesses, among others.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami extended a warm welcome to the prime minister in a post on X.
"A hearty welcome and greetings to the prime minister on his visit to Devbhoomi Uttarakhand, the sacred land of religion, spiritualism and sacrifice. Residents of the state are excited to receive the prime minister in Mukhwa-Harsil, a land full of spiritual and natural beauty," he said.
"Certainly, this winter trip of yours will give new dimensions to the cultural, spiritual and tourism development of our state," Dhami said and hoped that Modi's visit would put Mukhwa on the global tourism map.
