Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a three-day visit to Gujarat beginning today. During his visit, the Prime Minister will attend several events including the Somnath Swabhiman Parv. Mr Modi will also take part in major development programmes and diplomatic engagements across Rajkot, Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar.
The four-day Somnath Swabhiman Parv, celebrating the enduring spirit of the Somnath Temple, began on Thursday at the coastal town of Veraval in Gir Somnath district. The event marks one thousand years since the first attack on the Somnath Temple in 1026 AD by Mahmud of Ghazni. This year’s celebrations also coincide with the upcoming 75th anniversary of the inauguration of the restored temple in 1951.
The Prime Minister will reach Somnath this evening and participate in Omkar Mantra chanting at the Somnath Temple. He will also view drone show at the temple. Tomorrow, the Prime Minister will take part in Shaurya Yatra, a ceremonial procession organised to honour the countless warriors who laid down their lives defending the Somnath Temple over centuries. He will offer prayers at the Somnath Temple and also participate in a public function marking the Somnath Swabhiman Parv.
On commencement of the parv, Prime Minister Modi in a social media post had said that despite repeated assaults in subsequent centuries, the eternal faith of devotees and the civilizational resolve of India ensured that Somnath Temple was rebuilt time and again. He said, the Somnath Swabhiman Parv is also about remembering the countless children of the country, who never compromised with their principles and ethos. The temple stands today as a powerful symbol of resilience, faith and national pride, owing to the collective resolve and efforts to restore it to its ancient glory.
After independence, the effort for restoration of the Temple was undertaken by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. One of the most important milestones in this journey of revival was achieved in 1951, when the restored Somnath Temple was formally opened to devotees in the presence of the then President Dr. Rajendra Prasad.
Tomorrow, later in the day, Prime Minister Modi will travel to Rajkot and formally inaugurate the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference for the Kutch and Saurashtra Region at Marwadi University. He will also address the gathering on the occasion. Mr Modi will also inaugurate the trade show and exhibition at the conference.
From Rajkot, the Prime Minister will travel to Ahmedabad where he will inaugurate the remaining stretch of Phase 2 of Ahmedabad metro from Sector 10A to Mahatma Mandir, marking a significant milestone in the city’s urban transport infrastructure.
On Monday, the Prime Minister will hold bilateral talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Ahmedabad. Both leaders will also visit the Sabarmati Ashram and attend the International Kite Festival.
