Modi Marks 1,000 Years of Somnath’s Resilience at Swabhiman Parv
The temple town has been festooned for the occasion, with a series of events being organised from January 7 to 11 as part of the celebrations.
Rajkot: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday participated in the Somnath Swabhiman Parv and chaired a meeting of the Shree Somnath Temple Trust.
During his visit, the Prime Minister took part in Omkar mantra chanting and witnessed a drone show at the Somnath Temple. After arriving in the temple town, Modi also held a roadshow, drawing large crowds.
In a post on X, the Prime Minister said, “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.”
In another post, he said, “In Somnath this evening, chaired a meeting of the Shree Somnath Trust. We reviewed various aspects relating to infrastructure upgradations in the temple complex and ways to make the pilgrimage to Somnath even more memorable.”
The temple town has been festooned for the occasion, with a series of events being organised from January 7 to 11 as part of the celebrations.
The Somnath Swabhiman Parv, being held from January 8 to 11, 2026, commemorates the sacrifices of countless citizens who defended the temple and whose legacy continues to inspire India’s cultural consciousness. The programme marks 1,000 years since Mahmud of Ghazni’s invasion of the Somnath Temple in 1026. Despite repeated attempts at destruction over centuries, the temple stands today as a powerful symbol of resilience, faith and national pride.
After concluding his engagements at Somnath, the Prime Minister will travel to Rajkot on Sunday to participate in the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference for the Kutch and Saurashtra regions. He will inaugurate a trade show at the conference and formally open the Regional Conference at Marwadi University.
During the event, the Prime Minister will announce the development of 14 greenfield Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) estates and inaugurate a GIDC medical device park in Rajkot.
The Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference, being held from January 11 to 12, will cover 12 districts across the Kutch and Saurashtra regions. The conference aims to boost investment and industrial growth in western Gujarat, with focus sectors including ceramics, engineering, ports and logistics, fisheries, petrochemicals, agro and food processing, minerals, green energy, skill development, startups, MSMEs, tourism and culture. Japan, South Korea, Rwanda and Ukraine are partner countries for the conference.
To expand the reach of the Vibrant Gujarat model, four Regional Conferences are being organised across the State. The first, for North Gujarat, was held in Mehsana in October. Conferences for South and Central Gujarat will be held in Surat and Vadodara in April and June respectively.
“The Regional Conferences will serve as platforms for showcasing regional achievements, announcing new initiatives and strengthening Gujarat’s growth story through regional empowerment and strategic investments,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.