A 19th-century Kali temple in Dehradun has been closed to the public for the first time in view of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit on Tuesday.

Shubham Goswami, a priest of the Daat Kali temple, said: “The temple was closed on Sunday evening and would be opened on Tuesday evening. It was required in view of the Prime Minister’s visit. He will worship here on Tuesday.”

Modi will offer prayer at the shrine between 4pm and 5pm on Tuesday, take out a roadshow, and inaugurate the Dehradun-New Delhi Expressway before addressing a public meeting in Dehradun.

Locals claim that the Daat Kali temple was constructed in 1804, when the British government was facing hurdles in building a tunnel.

Temple employee Gaurav Kumar said: “A priest told the British officers to build a temple here after a Kali idol was unearthed while digging the tunnel. The construction of the tunnel was completed peacefully once the temple was consecrated. Common devotees have never been barred from the temple before,” he added.

Facing a trust deficit over the law and order situation in the state, the BJP government in Uttarakhand is banking on Modi to rescue the party in the 2027 Assembly elections. Political observers believe that the BJP has started the spadework early following the recent defection of several party leaders to the Congress.

Several BJP ministers are personally distributing invitation cards among the common people to attend Modi’s rally.

Agriculture and social welfare minister Ganesh Joshi, who handed out invitation cards to footpath vendors in Dehradun, said: “The Prime Minister’s visit will inject the party with fresh energy and set the direction for the 2027 Assembly elections.”

Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said: “Modiji had made a commitment to develop the state (after taking over as Prime Minister) in 2014, and he continues to take this mission forward.”

Rakesh Joshi, a resident of Dehradun, said the temple should not have been closed.

“At least 3,000 people visit the shrine every day and a majority of them are from other states. They will have to stay back if they want to offer prayer here, which means increased accommodation and food costs. Who will compensate for it?” Joshi said.

The local administration has also blocked several roads, including the Dehradun-Roorkee Highway and the Shimla bypass, ahead of Modi’s visit.