Modi Performs Rituals at Somnath Temple on 75th Anniversary

Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered prayers and performed elaborate rituals at the Somnath Temple in Gujarat's Gir Somnath district on Monday, marking the 75th anniversary of the shrine's post-independence reconstruction and inauguration in 1951 by India's first President, Dr. Rajendra Prasad.

Modi arrived in Jamnagar on Sunday night for a two-day visit. He held a 1.5-kilometer roadshow through Prabhas Patan streets to the temple, one of India's 12 revered Jyotirlingas dedicated to Lord Shiva. Thousands of residents lined the route, waving flags and dressed in traditional attire, while artists performed cultural dances. During the procession, Modi paid floral tribute to a statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who initiated the reconstruction effort. Accompanied by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, he participated in the Somnath Amrut Mahotsav ceremonies, including Vishesh Maha Puja, Kumbhabhishek with holy water from pilgrimage sites sprinkled on the spire, Dhvajarohan, Abhishek, Dhwaj Pooja, Maha Puja, and Jalabhishek amid Vedic chants.

The celebrations featured flower petals showered from a helicopter and an aerial display by the...