Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held a roadshow in Gujarat’s Prabhas Patan to mark 75 years of the consecration of the reconstructed and restored Somnath Temple.PM Modi arrived in Jamnagar on Sunday night at the start of his two-day visit to Gujarat, with extensive security arrangements and welcome programmes organised across Jamnagar, Somnath and Vadodara ahead of his engagements.Somnath Swabhiman Parv, celebrated earlier this year, commemorates 1,000 years since the first attack by Mahmud of Ghazni on the Somnath Temple in 1026. The Parv celebrates the enduring spirit of India’s civilisation and its rich cultural and spiritual heritage.After the roadshow, PM Modi visited the Somnath Temple and performed rituals. He performed Vishesh Maha Puja, followed by the Kumbhabhishek and Dhvajarohan ceremonies, marking the consecration rituals and hoisting of the temple flag.PM to issue commemorative coinLater in the day, PM Modi will also release a commemorative Rs 75 coin to mark the occasion. An official gazette notification for the same was issued on May 8.“One side of the coin will depict the Somnath Temple along with the text, ‘A celebration of 1000 years of India’s unwavering faith and devotion’, with 2026 as the year of issuance. The coin will be struck by the government mint in Kolkata,” Sudhir Lunawat, a numismatist based in Gujarat, said.The Prime Minister will also inaugurate the Sardar Dham Bhavan-3, also known as the Shri Dushyant and Daksha Patel Complex, in Vadodara. It has been constructed near Vaghodia Crossing on NH-8A adjacent to L&T Knowledge City.The complex, built at an estimated cost of Rs 150 crore and spread across approximately 4.75 lakh square feet, includes 278 accommodation rooms, an NRI guest house, an e-library, a career guidance centre, training facilities and an auditorium with a seating capacity of around 1,000.‘Powerful symbol of India’s spiritual consciousness and faith’Defence minister Rajnath Singh also extended his wishes on the 75th anniversary of the Somnath Temple’s reconstruction, calling it a “powerful symbol of India’s spiritual consciousness and faith.”He further hailed the Somnath Swabhiman Parv, emphasising that the initiative strengthens India’s resolve to further awaken and enrich its spiritual and cultural consciousness.“Today marks 75 years since the reconstruction of the Shri Somnath Temple. The Somnath Temple is a powerful symbol of India’s spiritual consciousness and faith. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, our country is today celebrating the Somnath Swabhiman Utsav, which is a celebration of India’s eternal energy. This is an occasion to strengthen the resolve to further awaken and enrich India’s spiritual and cultural consciousness, so that future generations of India can also draw inspiration from it,” Rajnath Singh said in a post on X.Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the Somnath Amrut Mahotsav at the sacred Somnath Temple, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas and a symbol of India’s enduring faith and civilisational heritage.
