Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday led the 'Shaurya Yatra' during 'Somnath Swabhiman Parv' in Gujarat's Gir Somnath district as thousands of devotees thronged the temple complex.

The event marks exactly 1,000 years since the first invasion of the temple in 1026 and 75 years since its post-independence restoration in 1951. ‘Shaurya Yatra’ is a ceremonial procession honouring those who defended the shrine. 

Modi will also perform pooja and offer prayers at the temple. He will then address a public gathering in Somnath. Later in the day, the Prime Minister is scheduled to inaugurate the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference in Rajkot. 

On Saturday, devotees stayed out well past midnight, braving winter chills, as dazzling fireworks, decorations and a drone show combined with religious fervour drew an unprecedented crowd to the ancient shrine.

Prime Minister Modi visited the temple as part of Somnath Swabhiman Parv on Saturday and participated in 'Omkar Mantra' chanting at the Somnath temple, had 'darshan', and also witnessed a grand drone show featuring an assemblage of 3,000 drones, matching the scale of the gathering on ground. 

Large banners across the city bore the festival’s name and slogans such as ‘Akhand Somnath, Akhand Bharat’ and evocative lines including ‘Prahar se Punuruthan ka Sakshi, Main Swayambhu Somnath Hun’.

The ornate gateway near the Shankh Circle was decorated with flowers, and in the evening, a group of folk dance artists from Karnataka, clad in traditional attire, walked past it, drawing the attention of residents eager to get photographs clicked.