Somnath…hearing this word instils a sense of pride in our hearts and minds. It is the eternal proclamation of India’s soul.
Somnath Swabhiman Parv – A 1000 Years of Unbroken Faith
(1026-2026)
PM wrote --
"It is also said:
सोमलिङ्गं नरो दृष्ट्वा सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते।
लभते फलं मनोवाञ्छितं मृतः स्वर्गं समाश्रयेत्॥
It means: Just the sight of Somnath Shivling ensures that a person is freed of sins, achieves their righteous desires and attains heaven after death.
Tragically, this very Somnath, which drew the reverence and prayers of millions, was attacked by foreign invaders, whose agenda was demolition, not devotion.
The year 2026 is significant for the Somnath Temple. It has been 1,000 years since the first attack on this great shrine.
It was in January of 1026 that Mahmud of Ghazni attacked this Temple, seeking to destroy a great symbol of faith and civilisation, through a violent and barbaric invasion.
Yet, one thousand years later, the Temple stands as glorious as ever because of numerous efforts to restore Somnath to its grandeur. One such milestone completes 75 years in 2026. It was during a ceremony on May 11th 1951, in the presence of the then President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, that the restored Temple opened its doors to devotees.
The first invasion of Somnath a thousand years ago in 1026, the cruelty that was unleashed upon the people of the town and the devastation that was inflicted upon the shrine have been documented in great detail in various historical accounts.
When you read them, the heart trembles.
Each line carries the weight of grief, cruelty and a sorrow that refuses to fade with time.
“Each time the temple was attacked, it was rebuilt by generations who refused to surrender their faith,” he wrote, recalling the contributions of figures such as Ahilyabai Holkar and later, after Independence, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
The Prime Minister recalled that Sardar Patel resolved to rebuild the temple after visiting Somnath in 1947, a vision realised in 1951 when the restored temple was inaugurated in the presence of then President Dr. Rajendra Prasad. He also acknowledged the role of K.M. Munshi in championing the reconstruction, and cited Swami Vivekananda’s reflections on Somnath as a testament to India’s national spirit that continually regenerates despite adversity.
Drawing parallels between Somnath’s revival and modern India’s journey, PM Modi said the same civilisational spirit is visible today as India emerges as a global growth engine and a source of solutions to worldwide challenges.
He said India’s cultural heritage -from yoga and Ayurveda to art and festivals – is gaining global recognition, while the country’s youth and innovation are attracting international attention.
Concluding his message, the Prime Minister said Somnath remains a beacon of hope, symbolising the eternal triumph of faith and conviction over destruction and fanaticism.
Contemporary Politics :
BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi said the “M-factor” for him referred to the
“Macaulay factor of the 19th century and the Marx factor of the 20th century”. He, however, added that he had “full faith” in the intellect of the journalists who were interpreting something else.
In his blog, PM Modi also took a swipe at Jawaharlal Nehru, noting that the restoration and reopening of the Somnath temple in 1951 did not enthuse him.
Trivedi went a step further, accusing Nehru of glorifying Mahmud of Ghazni in his book The Discovery of India.
Modi recalled that when the restored Somnath temple was opened to devotees on May 11, 1951, with then President Rajendra Prasad in attendance, Nehru was “not too enthused” by the event.
Nehru had objected to the President and Union ministers associating themselves with the ceremony, arguing that it would create a “bad impression” of India.
“But Dr Rajendra Prasad stood firm and the rest is history,” Modi wrote.
Trivedi hailed Modi for “restoring the country’s civilisational glory”.
After Trivedi, BJP spokesman Shehzad Poonawalla addressed the media, saying that after “Jai Somnath” it was now time to say “Satyameva Jayate”.
He claimed the Congress’s “tukde-tukde gang” was unsettled by the top court’s decision to dismiss the bail pleas of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam.
Poonawalla equated the 2020 Delhi riots with what he described as “anti-Hindu massacres” during the Mughal period.
“The Congress continues to glorify the villains of the country,” he said, asking whether such glorification stemmed from the “M-factor”.
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| Varanasi : Benaras |
ends
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