Somnath: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday performed ‘Maha Pooja’ and other rituals at the Somnath Temple as part of the Somnath Amrut Mahotsav marking 75 years of the inauguration of the restored shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva.
After holding a roadshow here, the prime minister entered the temple and performed ‘Maha Pooja’ and ‘Jalabhishek’, the ritual of pouring holy water over the Shivling amid chanting of Vedic mantras.
Modi also witnessed ‘Kumbhabhishek’, wherein holy water gathered from prominent pilgrimage sites across the country was sprinkled atop the temple’s ‘shikhar’ (towering spire) using a crane.
Modi also invoked the legacy of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, crediting him with spearheading the reconstruction of the temple after Independence. In a pointed political remark, the Prime Minister said Patel had faced opposition from then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru over the project, and alleged that even today certain sections continue to oppose symbols of India’s cultural identity in the name of appeasement politics.
Drawing parallels with recent religious and cultural projects undertaken during his government’s tenure, Modi said India had witnessed a broader civilisational revival over the past decade through initiatives such as the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, Mahakal Lok in Ujjain and the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
“The 500-year wait in Ayodhya has ended. Kashi has regained its grandeur, and Ujjain has undergone historic transformation. India is reconnecting with its spiritual roots,” he said.
The Prime Minister later shifted focus to national security and scientific achievement while recalling the anniversary of the Pokhran-II nuclear tests conducted on May 11, 1998.
Referring to “Operation Shakti”, Modi said India had demonstrated its strength to the world despite international pressure and attempts to isolate the country following the nuclear tests.
“When global powers tried to pressure India, the nation stood firm and displayed its strength without fear,” he said.
Linking India’s spiritual traditions with its scientific accomplishments, Modi said the concepts of Shiva and Shakti continue to inspire the country’s modern achievements. He cited the naming of the Chandrayaan-3 landing site as “Shiv Shakti Point” as an example of this continuity between faith and science.
The Prime Minister also reflected on the repeated destruction and rebuilding of the Somnath temple through history, saying invaders could damage structures but could never break India’s civilisational spirit.
“Again and again, Somnath was destroyed, and every time it rose again. Those who came to destroy could never understand the strength of India’s philosophy,” he said.
In the concluding part of his speech, Modi stressed the connection between Indian spirituality and environmental consciousness. He said temples and traditional belief systems in India have long promoted harmony with nature through reverence for rivers, forests and trees.
“Our temples teach not only devotion, but also a way of living in balance with nature,” he said, adding that preserving India’s civilisational heritage would become increasingly important as the world turns towards sustainable and nature-centric lifestyles.
