Gujarat: Atmosphere of devotion to Lord Shiva, combined with patriotism during PM Modi's visit

Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], January 11 (ANI): Swabhiman Parv at Somnath, highlighting faith, culture, and heritage, is being celebrated. On this occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Somnath. Before he arrived at the main event venue, an atmosphere imbued with devotion to Lord Shiva and patriotic spirit prevailed.
In Veraval, ten-year-old Jinal Devendrabhai Jethwa, a Class 4 student, portrayed Bharat Mata and waved the Tricolour. Inspired by her display of patriotism, people around chanted slogans of "Har Har Mahadev" along with "Bharat Mata Ki Jai." Meanwhile, artists on the stage further intensified the patriotic fervor with songs such as 'Dil Diya Hai Jaan Bhi Denge' and 'Yeh Desh Hai Veer Jawano Ka.'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday participated in a 'Shaurya Yatra' at Somnath as part of the four-day-long national commemoration celebrating 1000 years of unbroken faith and resilience since the first recorded attack on the Somnath Temple in January 1026 by Mahmud of Ghazni.
During the procession, the Prime Minister played the conch and acknowledged the greetings of the gathered crowd.
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.
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)