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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said he was feeling "blessed" to be in Somnath, saying it is a proud symbol of our civilisational courage.
PM Modi said his visit is taking place during the Somnath Swabhiman Parv. PM Modi received a warm welcome on his arrival in Somnath. "Feeling blessed to be in Somnath, a proud symbol of our civilisational courage. This visit comes during #SomnathSwabhimanParv, when the entire nation has come together to mark a thousand years since the first attack on the Somnath Temple in 1026. Grateful to the people for the warm welcome," PM Modi wrote. https://x.com/narendramodi/status/2009984987156885820 People were present along the roads and also on rooftops to see the Prime Minister as he headed to the Somnath Temple. They waved as the Prime Minister's motorcade made its way. "Jai Somnath! Today's welcome was very special," PM Modi said in another post on X. Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to participate in Omkar Mantra chanting at the Somnath Swabhiman Parv and later view a drone show at the Somnath Temple on Saturday. On January 11 at around 9:45 am, the Prime Minister will participate in the Shaurya Yatra, a ceremonial procession held to honour the countless warriors who sacrificed their lives defending the Somnath Temple. The procession will feature a symbolic march of 108 horses, representing valour and sacrifice. Thereafter, at around 10:15 am, the Prime Minister will perform darshan and pooja at the Somnath Temple. At approximately 11 am, he will participate in and address a public function in Somnath. Somnath Swabhiman Parv, held from January 8 to January 11, 2026, marks the 1,000th anniversary of Mahmud of Ghazni's first attack on the Somnath Temple in 1026. 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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