Somnath Swabhiman Parv: A Historic Confluence of 1000 Years of Faith and 75 Years of Reconstruction, PM Modi to Lead 'Shaurya Yatra'

The holy city of Somnath stands at a remarkable juncture in history today. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the 'Somnath Swabhiman Parv' (Somnath Pride Festival), organised to mark 1000 years since the attack by invader Mahmud of Ghazni and 75 years of the temple's reconstruction. Know the complete itinerary of PM Modi's historic visit.

Somnath Temple: The Shiva city of Saurashtra, Somnath, is all set to be adorned with the tunes of self-pride, the unbreakable rhythm of faith, and the beat of the damaru. Every street and highway here is painted in the colours of Mahadev. The city, bathed in rainbow lights, presents a scene akin to Diwali. On Friday night, sadhus and saints took out a grand procession here. Hundreds of saints from across the country have arrived in Somnath to participate in the ceremony.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive here on Saturday evening. On this day, Modi will visit and offer prayers at the Somnath Temple and participate in the chanting of the Omkar mantra. He will also witness a drone show. This show will depict the entire history of Somnath in the sky. On Sunday, he will address a huge gathering on the 'Swabhiman Mahaparv' (Great Festival of Self-Pride). PM Modi is also the chairman of the Somnath Trust. The Gujarat government and the central government are presenting this occasion not just as a religious event, but as a celebration of India's civilisational memory.

Why it's significant: A confluence of 1000 years and 75 years

Invader Mahmud of Ghazni attacked Somnath in 1026. A thousand years are being completed since this attack. Also, in 2026, 75 years will be completed since the reconstruction of the Somnath Temple. It is on this occasion that this 'Somnath Swabhiman Parv' is being celebrated.

A Saga of Devotion

• 72 hours of continuous Omkar chanting
• A mega show of 3000 drones
• 1000 devotees performed conch blowing
• 108 horses will participate in the Shaurya Yatra (Valour Procession)

PM Modi to lead the Shaurya Yatra

PM Modi will lead a grand Shaurya Yatra on January 11 at 9:45 AM. A symbolic procession of 108 horses will be taken out in this yatra, representing bravery and sacrifice. This procession is being organised to pay homage to the countless warriors who sacrificed their lives protecting the Somnath Temple.

Three huge domes for the Swabhiman Sabha

Three huge domes have been erected here for PM Modi's Somnath Swabhiman Sabha. More than one lakh people will participate in this. Police and administration were busy with preparations here on Friday. Fifteen hundred police personnel have been deployed for security. The temperature here is around 28 degrees Celsius. In such a situation, more than 500 fans have been installed in the domes.

Whenever it was destroyed, the people and kings rebuilt it

Historian Narottam bhai Palan informed that the first temple of Somnath is approximately 2000 years old. For the first 1000 years, this temple remained extremely prosperous and unbroken, the fame of which led Ghazni to attack. Whenever this temple was destroyed, the people and kings together rebuilt it. The current form of the temple is its eighth reconstruction. The first contribution for the temple's renovation came from Porbandar. The famous Seth Nanji Kalidas Mehta of Porbandar gave the first donation of 1 lakh rupees for the temple's construction in that era.