'Feeling Blessed', Says PM Modi After Offering Prayers At Gujarat's Somnath Temple

Somnath: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday offered prayers at Somnath Temple, revered as the first among the 12 Aadi Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva.

Earlier, the Prime Minister was given a rousing welcome as he arrived at Somnath Temple to attend the 'Somnath Swabhiman Parv', which is being organised from January 8-11, marking 1,000 years of faith and India's history. During the visit, PM Modi attended 72-hour-long 'Aum' chants at the temple.

In a post on X, Modi said he felt "blessed" to be in Somnath, calling it a proud symbol of our civilisational courage. "Feeling blessed to be in Somnath, a proud symbol of our civilisational courage. This visit comes during #SomnathSwabhimanParv, when the entire nation has come together to mark a thousand years since the first attack on the Somnath Temple in 1026. Grateful to the people for the warm welcome," he wrote.

In another post, he said, "Jai Somnath! Today's welcome was very special." The Prime Minister also witnessed a mega drone show lighting up the night sky as part of the 'Somnath Swabhiman Parv'. The show featured 3,000 drones and lasted around 15 minutes. The planned thematic formations included the depiction of Lord Shiva, as also of a big ‘shivling’.

On Sunday at around 9:45 am, the Prime Minister will participate in the 'Shaurya Yatra', a ceremonial procession held to honour the countless warriors who sacrificed their lives defending the Somnath Temple. The procession will feature a symbolic march of 108 horses, representing valour and sacrifice.

At around 10:15 am, the Prime Minister will perform darshan and pooja at the Somnath Temple. At approximately 11 am, he will participate in and address a public function in Somnath.

Somnath Swabhiman Parv, being held from January 8 to January 11, 2026, marks the 1,000th anniversary of Mahmud of Ghazni's first attack on the Somnath Temple in 1026. The attack marked the beginning of a long period during which the temple was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt over centuries.

Later on Sunday, Modi will travel to Rajkot to participate in the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference (VGRC) for the Kutch and Saurashtra region. At 1:30 pm, he will inaugurate the trade show and exhibition at the conference.

PM Narendra Modi watching the drone show (ETV Bharat)

Modi will also announce the development of 14 greenfield smart Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation Limited (GIDC) estates and inaugurate the medical device park of GIDC at Rajkot. From Rajkot, the Prime Minister will travel to Ahmedabad. At 5:15 pm at Mahatma Mandir metro station in Gandhinagar, he will inaugurate the remaining stretch of Phase 2 of the Ahmedabad metro from Sector 10A (Sachivalaya) to Mahatma Mandir.

On Monday morning, Modi will receive German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. They will visit the Sabarmati Ashram, which was home to Mahatma Gandhi during India's freedom struggle, and participate in the International Kite Festival at the Sabarmati Riverfront.

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