PM Modi leads Somnath Shaurya Yatra: Massive crowd joins 1,000-Year anniversary celebration - The Hindu
PM Modi leads Somnath Shaurya Yatra: Massive crowd joins 1,000-Year anniversary celebration The HinduForces that opposed Somnath temple rec
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (January 11, 2026) led ‘Shaurya Yatra’, a ceremonial procession organised to honour those who laid down their lives defending the Somnath temple in Gujarat’s Gir Somnath district.
The yatra, being organised as part of the Somnath Swabhiman Parv, featured a procession of 108 horses, reflecting valour and sacrifice.
A large number of people and devotees gathered on both sides of the yatra route to greet the prime minister.
Standing on a specially designed vehicle, Mr. Modi, accompanied by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, waved at the crowd during the one-km-long yatra.
Thousands of devotees thronged the Somnath temple complex on Saturday (January 10, 2026), staying 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.
The crowd, which peaked late in the evening shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the temple as part of Somnath Swabhiman Parv, included people of all ages, local residents as well as long-distance travellers.
Mr. Modi on Saturday (January 10, 2026) evening 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.
Preeti Karelia, along with 24 other women, travelled from Mumbai in neighbouring Maharashtra just to witness the celebrations.
"We came today to see Somnath temple, to see our prime minister. This occasion that celebrates the temple and its traditions and resilience is an amazing feeling. The fireworks, the decoration in the streets leading to the temple, the wonderful drone show only added to the power of divinity that has brought so many people to the shrine in just one day," Karelia told PTI.
The women-only group described itself as a 'bhajan mandali' from Mumbai.
The main road leading to the temple, from Shankh Circle to Veer Hamirji Gohil Circle, has been decked up with flowers and thematic decorations.
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.