Overview
- In a new blog, Prime Minister Narendra Modi commemorates 1,000 years since Mahmud of Ghazni’s 1026 assault on the Somnath temple.
- He describes Somnath as an “eternal proclamation of India’s soul” and notes its status as the first of the twelve Jyotirlings.
- Modi recounts repeated medieval demolitions by foreign invaders but says the temple’s story is defined by rebuilding and courage.
- He highlights the post-Independence reconstruction led by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and the 1951 reopening attended by President Rajendra Prasad, citing K.M. Munshi’s contributions.
- Identified as chairman of the Shree Somnath Trust, Modi concludes with a call to build a Viksit Bharat with the temple’s blessings.