PM inaugurated the 12 foot high statue of Adi Guru Shankaracharya in Kedarnath (Uttarakhand), who started the Akhara system in 8th century AD . This statue is made of Chlorite schist and weighed 35 tonnes has been built at seer’s Samadhi Sthal. The Samadhi Sthal has been reconstructed after its destruction in the 2013 Kedarnath flash floods.

Some Facts about Adi Shankaracharya:

1. The Acharya is believed to have attained samadhi at the age of 32 in the ninth century. Some texts situate his lifetime between 788 and 820 AD.
2. A philosopher and theologian, he is credited for consolidating the doctrine of Advaita Vedanta.
3. He is said to have been born in Kaladi village on the bank of the Periyar, the largest river in Kerala.
4. He left home very early in search of learning and to become a sanyasin.
5. He travelled continuously bearing the flag of Advaita Vedanta, challenging prevailing philosophical traditions including Buddhism and Jainism, establishing Mathas, preparing commentaries on important texts and organising monastic orders.
6. Shankaracharya is believed to have provided major insight into how Buddhism is different from Hinduism. He stated that Hinduism supports the concept of Atman — soul, while Buddhism believed there is no soul or self.
7. Shankaracharya also founded the four mathas or monasteries that helped to revive the spread of Advaita Vedanta. The four mathas founded by Adi Shankaracharya are Sringeri Sharada Peetham along the banks of Tunga formed on the basis of Yajurveda, Dvaraka Pitha in western India formed on the basis of Sama Veda, Jyotirmatha Peetham located in northern India formed on the basis of Atharva Veda, and Govardhan Matha in eastern India formed on the basis of Rig Veda. The mathas Shankara is believed to have established in Sringeri, Dwaraka, Puri and Joshimath for the spread of Advaita Vedanta are seen as custodians of Hinduism.
8. Adi Shankara is generally identified as the author of 116 works — among them the celebrated commentaries (bhashyas) on 10 Upanishads, the Brahmasutra and the Gita and poetic works including Vivekachudamani.
9. Adi Shankara’s core teachings of Advaita promote inclusiveness, equality, the pursuit of knowledge and an enabling environment of debate, discussion.
10.  Shankaracharya was inspired from his real life experiences and his encounters with individuals such as Chandala. These inspired Shankaracharya to the spirit of equality and oneness making him one of the earliest social reformers who fought caste discrimination.
11. According to Advaita Vedanta, the Upanishads reveal a fundamental principle of nonduality termed ‘brahman’, which is the reality of all things. It seeks to establish that the essential core of one’s self (atman) is brahman. Atman is pure non-intentional consciousness, nondual, infinite existence and numerically identical with brahman. The essence of Adi Shankara’s philosophy is encapsulated in the much quoted formulation: “brahma satyam jagan-mithya, jivo brahmaiva naaparah” (brahman alone is real, this world is an illusion/ and the jiva is non-differential from brahman). 
12. There are many myths surrounding his death, but many believe that he went to Samadhi at the age of 32 at Kedarnath in Uttarakhand.

As per reports, the new 12 foot statue has been made by Mysore based sculptors from Chlorite Schist Stone, which is known to withstand rain, sunshine and harsh climate.