Gandhinagar, January 9
In the sacred presence of Somnath Mahadev, the first Jyotirlinga and a symbol of India's cultural pride and unwavering faith, the grand "Somnath Swabhiman Parv" will be celebrated from January 8 to January 11, according to a release by the Gujarat CM's office.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Somnath on January 10-11 to participate in the Somnath Swabhiman Parv, marking 1,000 years since the 1026 invasion and 75 years of the temple's historic restoration in 1951.
On this occasion, renowned Porbandar historian Narottam Palan has reflected on history to highlight Porbandar's remarkable contribution.
Renowned historian Narottam Palan said that the Somnath Temple was attacked by Mahmud of Ghazni in January 1026, with historians marking the date as January 6. January 2026 completes 1,000 years of this event. He added that the first Somnath temple is about 2000 years old. For the first 1000 years, this temple remained extremely prosperous and unbroken, and upon hearing of its fame, Ghazni attacked it.
Somnath symbolises the people's self-respect, and each time it was destroyed, it was rebuilt by the people and rulers together. The present temple stands as the eighth reconstruction.
The then Chief Minister of Saurashtra, Uchharangrai Dhebar, had appealed for collecting contributions. Palan proudly noted that Porbandar was the first to register a contribution for the reconstruction of the Somnath Temple.
Porbandar's renowned Seth Nanji Kalidas Mehta, in those times, gave the first donation of Rs 1 lakh for the construction of the temple. He also assured that he would give more donations if required.
He concluded that Somnath Swabhiman Parv is not just a religious festival, but a celebration of the strength and triumph of Sanatan Dharma. Porbandar has always led this sacred cause, making it a matter of pride for every resident of the city.
It is a major devotional festival, witnessing lakhs of devotees. In this context, the efforts of the urban administration and sanitation workers are commendable. Their tireless work has ensured that Somnath and Veraval remain clean, beautiful, and sacred.
A large workforce has been mobilised to keep Somnath clean. More than 300 sanitation workers from Veraval Municipality and over 700 from Ahmedabad, Junagadh, Bhavnagar, and other municipal areas, totalling more than 1,000 workers, are deployed here. For the past five days, they have been working continuously, day and night, to maintain cleanliness in Somnath and Veraval.
- ANI
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