Somnath, January 11
Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi on Sunday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Shaurya Yatra to Somnath, calling it a historic event that will be remembered for years.
He said the visit and the chants of 'Aum Namah Shivaay' symbolised India's enduring spirit and cultural pride.
Sanghavi said, "Somnath is not an ordinary temple; it is a challenge given by India's soul to the invaders. Ghaznavi is no more, but Somnath still stands undefeated."
He further stated, "Even after independence, there was hesitation to talk about history, faith and culture. During Somnath's redevelopment, people feared global opinion. Under PM Modi, India has decided to stop glorifying invaders and celebrate its culture and history."
The occasion of Somnath Swabhiman Parv, held from January 8 to January 11, 2026, marks 1,000 years since Mahmud of Ghazni's first attack on the Somnath Temple in 1026.
Prime Minister Modi participated in a 'Shaurya Yatra' at Somnath as part of the four-day-long national commemoration celebrating 1000 years of unbroken faith and resilience.
The 'Shaurya Yatra' is a symbolic procession organised as part of the Somnath Swabhiman Parv. It represents courage, sacrifice and the indomitable spirit that preserved Somnath through centuries of adversity.
Ahead of the yatra, 108 horses of the Gujarat Police Mounted Unit arrived to participate in the event.
The attack marked the beginning of a long period during which the temple was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt over centuries. Despite this, Somnath never ceased to exist in the collective consciousness of the people. The cycle of the temple's devastation and revival is unparalleled in world history. It demonstrated that Somnath was never merely a stone structure, but a living embodiment of belief, identity, and civilisational pride.
On Kartak Sud 1, Diwali day, November 12, 1947, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel visited the ruins of Somnath and expressed his resolve to rebuild the temple, viewing its restoration as essential to reviving India's cultural confidence. The reconstruction, carried out with public participation, culminated in the consecration of the present temple on May 11, 1951, in the presence of then-President Rajendra Prasad.
In 2026, the nation marks 75 years since the historic 1951 ceremony, reaffirming India's civilisational self-respect. Revered as the first among the 12 Aadi Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva, the Somnath Temple complex stands majestically along the Arabian Sea, crowned by a 150-foot shikhar, symbolising enduring faith and national resolve.
- ANI
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