Rudraprayag, With just his paintbrush and flute for company, Krishna Kuriyal, the architect behind the Rudra Meditation Cave at Kedarnath, is also the second person after Prime Minister Narendra Modi to have spent a night there.
At an elevation of 12000 ft, and at a distance of 1 and half kilometer on foot from the Kedarnath Shrine, across the Mandakini river, the cave had been tucked away into the mountainside until Prime Minister Modi who himself lived and meditated in Kedarnath, came up with the unique idea of refurbishing the ‘Meditation Cave,‘ with the idea of reviving meditation in the hills, as a way of life.
Working on war footing, constructed by the Woodstone Team of Col. Ajay Kothiyal and sponsored by JSW who initiated the reconstruction of Kedarnath, a month later, this Cave was ready. Equipped with basic amenities such as electricity, attached toilet, bathing area with hot water, sit-out and a single bed facility, phone and meals.
Though the cave is not centrally heated, it is protected from high winds from all sides by a thick 3 feet wall made from local material basically stone, making it snug as a bug in a rug. A small window on the inside, is positioned in such a place that it opens to the direct view of the Kedarnath Shrine.
For now Mr Rauthan, the caretaker of the cave, which is being run by the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam, has his hands full with bookings on in full swing. A day in the cave is priced at a nominal 990/- while a night here is priced at 1500/- and as Krishna Kuriyal puts it, “It is cheaper than any room in Kedarnath vicinity. ”
Having spent his time in the cave painting images on the wall and playing the flute, Krishna tells us, “It is a great place for meditation, art, music, writing. It is an ancient cave which has been slightly modified, one has to still crawl inside, as it has a low ceiling but that is its USP too.”
Adding, “there’s a lot of scope for improvement as far as artistic touches are concerned, which we shall add on as we progress.”
To make your bookings, click on this link:
