Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday offered prayers at the Somnath Temple in Gujarat and took part in the Somnath Swabhiman Parv celebrations.
The prime minister, who arrived in Gujarat earlier today, also chanted Omkar Mantra at the Somnath Temple, which was all decked up for the Somnath Swabhiman Parv to mark 1,000 years since the first attack on the historic shrine. The ‘Somnath Swabhiman Parv’ will be held from January 8 to 11.
“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,” the PM said in a post on X.
The prime minister will also chair a meeting of Shree Somnath Trust as its chairman, a government statement said.
On Sunday morning, the PM will take part in the ‘Shaurya Yatra’, a ceremonial procession organised to honour those who laid down their lives defending the Somnath temple.
He will offer prayers at the temple at 10:15 am and take part in a public function marking Somnath Swabhiman Parv at 11 am tomorrow.
PM Modi is in his home state as part of a three-day visit, during which he will also inaugurate the two-day Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference (VGRC) for the Saurashtra-Kutch region in Rajkot on Sunday. The event aims at bringing together innovators, entrepreneurs, investors, startups, global partners and government, among others.
He was received by chief minister Bhupendra Patel among others at the helipad near the famous Somnath Mahadev Temple near Veraval town in Gir Somnath district.