Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday led the ‘Shaurya Yatra’, a ceremonial procession organized to pay tribute to those who sacrificed their lives while protecting the Somnath temple, in Gujarat’s Gir Somnath district. He also offered prayers at the historic temple and paid homage to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, whose statue is installed near the temple complex.
In the ‘Shaurya Yatra’ organized under the Somnath Swabhiman festival, a procession of 108 horses was taken out, which was a symbol of bravery and sacrifice.
A large number of people and devotees gathered on both sides of the yatra route from Shankha Circle to Veer Hamirji Gohil Circle to welcome the Prime Minister.
Standing on a specially designed vehicle, Prime Minister Modi greeted the crowd during the kilometre-long drive along with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.
A group of young priests, also known as ‘Rishi Kumar’, were playing ‘Damru’, the musical instrument of Lord Shiva, while accompanying Modi’s vehicle. There came a time when Modi himself took two damras from a priest and played them while standing on his vehicle.
Artists from across the country, including Jammu and Kashmir, presented their traditional dances on stages set up at regular intervals along the route.
The journey ended at ‘Veer Hamirji Gohil Circle’, from where the route to the famous temple begins.
At the intersection, Modi paid floral tributes at the statue of Hamirji Gohil, who sacrificed his life while defending the Somnath temple against the invasion of the Delhi Sultanate’s army in 1299 AD.
Later, Modi paid floral tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, whose statue is installed near the entrance of the temple complex. It was due to Patel’s efforts that the Somnath temple was renovated after independence and it was formally opened for devotees in 1951.
Prime Minister Modi also offered prayers at Somnath temple. He participated in the puja at the temple amid the chanting of Vedic mantras by the chief priest.
The Prime Minister will later address the people at a public function organized to commemorate the Somnath Swabhiman festival.
The event is being organized to remember the countless citizens of India who have made sacrifices to protect the Somnath Temple, which will continue to inspire the cultural consciousness of future generations.
The event is organized to commemorate the 1,000th anniversary of the attack on the Somnath temple by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1026 AD.
“Despite multiple attempts to destroy it over the centuries, the Somnath Temple stands strong today as a powerful symbol of resilience, faith and national pride because of the collective determination and efforts to restore it to its ancient glory,” PIB said in a statement.