Prime Minister Narendra Modi has written about the Somnath temple located in Gujarat. He wrote in his blog post that Somnath… on hearing these words, our mind and heart are filled with a feeling of pride and faith. Somnath, located at a place called Prabhas Patan in Gujarat on the west coast of India, is a timeless representation of the soul of India. There is mention of 12 Jyotirlingas of India in Dwadash Jyotirlinga Stotram. The description of Jyotirlingas starts with this line… “Saurashtra Somnath Cha…that is, Somnath is mentioned first among the Jyotirlingas. This is a symbol of the civilizational and spiritual importance of this holy place.
It is also said in the scriptures:
“Somalingam naro drishtva sarvapapayah pramuchyate.
Enjoying the fruits of your desires, the dead are in heaven.”
That is, by seeing Somnath Shivalinga, a person becomes free from all his sins. Whatever virtuous wishes are there in the mind, they are fulfilled and after death the soul goes to heaven.
Unfortunately, this same Somnath, which was the center of devotion and prayers of crores of people, became the target of foreign invaders whose aim was destruction.
The year 2026 holds great significance for the Somnath temple as it marks the completion of 1000 years of the first attack on this great pilgrimage site. In January 1026, Mahmud of Ghazni launched a major attack on this temple and destroyed it. This attack was a violent and barbaric attempt aimed at destroying a great symbol of faith and civilization.
Somnath attack is included in the biggest tragedies in human history. Yet, even today, after a thousand years, this temple stands with full glory. After the year 1026, efforts continued from time to time to reconstruct this temple in its full glory. The present form of the temple took shape in 1951. Incidentally, the year 2026 is also the year of completion of 75 years of the reconstruction of Somnath temple. The reconstruction of this temple was completed on 11 May 1951. The ceremony held in the presence of the then President Dr. Rajendra Prasad was historic, when the doors of the temple were opened for darshan.
The first attack on Somnath a thousand years ago in 1026, the cruelty and destruction done to the people there are described in detail in many historical sources. When these are read the heart trembles. There are traces of cruelty in every line, this is a sorrow whose pain is felt even after so long.
We can imagine what a deep impact it would have had on India and the morale of the people at that time. The spiritual importance of Somnath temple was very high. It used to attract a large number of people towards itself. This was the inspiration for a society whose economic capacity was also very strong. Our sea traders and sailors used to take the stories of its glory far and wide.
Despite the attack on Somnath and the long period of slavery, today I want to say with full confidence and pride that the saga of Somnath is not a story of destruction. This is the story of the self-respect of crores of children of Mother India that has been going on for the last 1000 years, this is the story of the unwavering faith of us people of India.
The medieval barbarism that began in 1026 later inspired others to repeatedly attack Somnath. This was an attempt to enslave our people and our culture. But every time the temple was attacked, we also had great men and women who stood up and made the supreme sacrifice to defend it. And every time, generation after generation, the people of our great civilization have taken up the task, rebuilt the temple and rejuvenated it.
Mahmud looted Ghaznavi and went away, but could not take away our feelings towards Somnath from us. Our faith and belief in Somnath became stronger. His soul continued to breathe within millions of devotees. Thousands of years after the year 1026, even today in 2026, Somnath Temple is giving a message to the world that those who have the mentality of erasure are doomed, whereas Somnath Temple today stands as a strong base of our faith. He is still our source of inspiration, he is our source of strength even today.
It is our good fortune that we have found life on that earth, which gave birth to a great personality like Goddess Ahilyabai Holkar. He made a virtuous effort to ensure that devotees could worship at Somnath.
Swami Vivekananda also came to Somnath in the 1890s, that experience stirred him to the core. He expressed his sentiments during a lecture given in Chennai in 1897. He said, “The ancient temples of South India and such temples as Somnath in Gujarat will teach you innumerable lessons of wisdom. They will give you a deeper understanding of our civilization than any number of books read.
These temples bear the marks of hundreds of invasions, and have been renovated hundreds of times. These were destroyed again and again, and each time they rose again from their own ruins. As strong as ever. As lively as ever. This is the national mind, this is the national life stream. Following it fills you with pride. To give it up means death. Separation from this will only lead to destruction.”
It is well known that after independence, the sacred responsibility of reconstruction of Somnath temple came into the capable hands of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. He stepped forward and took up this responsibility. His Somnath Yatra took place during Diwali in 1947. The experience of that journey shook him to the core, at the same time he announced that the Somnath temple would be rebuilt here. Finally, on 11 May 1951, the doors of the grand temple at Somnath were opened for the devotees.
The then President Dr. Rajendra Prasad was present on that occasion. The great Sardar Saheb did not live to see this historic day, but his dream came true and was present before the nation in a grand form. The then Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was not very excited by this event. He did not want the Honorable President and Ministers to be a part of this function. He said that this incident will tarnish the image of India. But Rajendra Babu remained firm, and what happened next created a new history.
Any mention of Somnath temple is not in K.M. It is incomplete without remembering the contributions of Munshiji. He effectively supported Sardar Patel at that time. His work on Somnath, especially his book ‘Somnath, the Shrine Eternal’, is a must read.
As is clear from the title of Munshiji’s book, we are a civilization that has unwavering faith in the immortality of the soul and thoughts. We believe- Nainam Chhindanti Shastraani Nainam Dahati Pavakah. Somnath’s physical structure was destroyed, but his consciousness remained immortal.
These thoughts have given us the ability to stand up again, become strong and move forward in every period and every situation. Because of these values and the determination of our people, the world has its eyes on India today. The world is looking at India with hope and confidence. She wants to invest in our innovative youth. Our art, our culture, our music and our many festivals are gaining global recognition today. Subjects like Yoga and Ayurveda are making an impact all over the world. These are promoting healthy life. Today the world is looking towards India for solutions to many global challenges. Since time immemorial, Somnath has been connecting people from every walk of life. Centuries ago, the revered sage of the Jain tradition, Kalikal Sarvajna Hemachandracharya, came here and after offering prayers it is said that he said, “Bhavabijaankurjanana rāgadyaḥ kshaymupāgata yasya. That is, obeisance to the Supreme Being in whom the seeds of worldly bondages have been destroyed, in whom raga and all vices have been calmed.
Even today, one gets a similar feeling by having darshan of Dada Somnath. There comes a pause in the mind, something touches the soul deep inside, which is supernatural, unexpressed.
In 2026, a thousand years after the first attack of 1026, the sea of Somnath roars with the same intensity and the waves touching the shore tell its entire story. Like those waves, Somnath has been rising again and again.
The invaders of the past have now become the dust of time. His name is now taken as a symbol of destruction. They are mere footnotes in the pages of history, whereas Somnath still stands bright, spreading its hope. Somnath tells us that hatred and bigotry may have the perverse power of destruction, but faith has the power of creation. Somnath is still an eternal sound of hope for crores of devotees. This is the voice of faith, which inspires to rise even after breaking.
If the Somnath temple which was destroyed a thousand years ago can stand again in its full glory, then we can also create the prosperous India of a thousand years ago. Come, let us move forward with this inspiration. With a new determination, to build a developed India. An India whose civilizational knowledge inspires us to keep striving for the welfare of the world.
Jai Somnath!
