Somnath (Gujarat), Jan 11 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday led ‘Shaurya Yatra’, a ceremonial procession organised to honour those who laid down their lives defending the Somnath temple in Gujarat’s Gir Somnath district.
He also offered prayers at the historic temple and paid tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, whose statue has been installed near the temple premises.
The ‘Shaurya Yatra’, being organised as part of the Somnath Swabhiman Parv, featured a procession of 108 horses, reflecting valour and sacrifice.
A large number of people and devotees gathered on both sides of the yatra route from Shankh Circle to Veer Hamirji Gohil Circle to greet the prime minister.
Standing on a specially designed vehicle, PM Modi, accompanied by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, waved at the crowd during the one-km-long yatra.
A group of young priests, or ‘rushi kumars’, walked along Modi’s vehicle playing ‘damru’, an instrument of Lord Shiva. At one point, Modi himself borrowed two damrus from a priest and played them while standing on his vehicle.
Artists from across the country, including Jammu and Kashmir, performed their traditional dances on stages erected at regular intervals along the route.
The yatra culminated at ‘Veer Hamirji Gohil Circle’, from where the path to the famous temple begins.
At the circle, Modi offered floral tributes at the statue of Hamirji Gohil, who had sacrificed his life defending the Somnath temple against the incursion of the Delhi Sultanate’s army in 1299 AD.
Later, Modi paid floral tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, whose statue has been installed near the entrance of the temple premises. Thanks to Patel’s intervention, Somnath temple underwent restoration after Independence and it was formally opened to devotees in 1951.
PM Modi also offered prayers at the Somnath temple. He sat for a puja at the temple amid vedic chants by the chief priest.
The prime minister will later address people at a public function marking the Somnath Swabhiman Parv.
The event is being held to remember the countless citizens of India who have made sacrifices to defend the Somnath temple, which continues to inspire the cultural consciousness of future generations.
The programme marks 1,000 years since Mahmud of Ghazni’s invasion of the Somnath temple in the year 1026.
Despite multiple repeated attempts for its destruction over centuries, the Somnath temple stands tall today as a powerful symbol of resilience, faith and national pride, owing to the collective resolve and efforts to restore it to its ancient glory, the PIB said in a statement. PTI PJT PD GK
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