Lagatar24 Desk
Ahmedabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday visited the Somnath Mahadev temple in Gujarat, offered prayers at the first Jyotirlinga, and participated in a special yagna before performing the Kumbhabhishek of the temple using water brought from 11 sacred sites.
Air Show and Flower Shower Mark the Occasion
The Surya Kiran aerobatic team performed an air show and showered flowers over the temple as part of the celebrations. PM Modi also released a commemorative postage stamp and coin dedicated to the heritage and spiritual significance of Somnath temple.
Somnath’s Amrit Mahotsav Is About the Next Thousand Years
Addressing a public gathering at the event, PM Modi said the Amrit Mahotsav of Somnath is not merely a celebration of the past but an inspiration for India for the next thousand years. He noted that the temple’s restoration had taken place 75 years ago on this very day, adding that while India gained political independence in 1947, the consecration of Somnath in 1951 proclaimed the awakening of India’s free consciousness.
Tribute to Sardar Patel’s Vision
PM Modi paid tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, saying that at the time of independence, Patel united more than 500 princely states to shape modern India and through the reconstruction of Somnath showed the world that India had not only become free but had also set out to reclaim its ancient glory.
Pokhran Nuclear Tests Also Remembered
The Prime Minister also noted that May 11 holds another historic significance, as on this date in 1998, India conducted its first three nuclear tests at Pokhran. He said Indian scientists demonstrated India’s capability to the world, which was stunned that India had the stature and resolve to conduct nuclear tests.
