PM Modi at Somnath Swabhiman Parv says attacks on Somnath were ideological, not economic, and warns forces opposing its revival remain active.
The Prime Minister criticised post-Independence narratives that, according to him, downplayed invasions by portraying them as routine economic raids. (Photo: X/NarendraModi)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday delivered a strong message on India’s civilisational resilience while addressing the Somnath Swabhiman Parv in Gujarat’s Prabhas Patan. Marking 1,000 years since Mahmud of Ghazni’s 1026 attack on the Somnath temple, Modi said the repeated invasions of the shrine could not be explained merely as acts of economic plunder.
He warned that forces which once opposed the reconstruction of the Somnath temple have not disappeared and are still active, though they now operate through “other malicious means” instead of direct violence.
Addressing saints, priests, elected representatives, and devotees, the Prime Minister said the repeated destruction of Somnath over centuries pointed to a deeper motive.
“If the attacks on Somnath were only for economic loot, they would have stopped after the first major plunder a thousand years ago. But that did not happen. The temple was attacked again and again, its idols were broken, its form was altered repeatedly, and yet we were taught that it was only about loot.”
Modi said such narratives weakened India’s collective memory and distanced younger generations from the sacrifices made to protect places of faith.
The Prime Minister criticised post-Independence narratives that, according to him, downplayed invasions by portraying them as routine economic raids.
“Unfortunately, even today, forces remain active in the country that opposed Somnath’s reconstruction,” he said.
He added that the attempt to normalise centuries of destruction damaged national self-respect and diluted historical truth.
Modi stressed that the four-day Somnath Swabhiman Parv was not about mourning loss but celebrating endurance.
“Somnath Swabhiman Parv was not a commemoration of destruction but of continuity,” the Prime Minister said.
“This festival is not merely a remembrance of the destruction that occurred a thousand years ago. It is a celebration of a thousand-year journey, and of India’s existence and pride.”
Tracing Somnath’s history, he said repeated attacks failed to erase the temple’s spiritual identity.
“The history of Somnath is not one of destruction and defeat, but of victory and reconstruction... Invaders kept coming, but Somnath was re-established in every era.”
Modi recalled that after Independence, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel pledged to rebuild Somnath despite resistance, including objections to President Rajendra Prasad inaugurating the temple in 1951. He highlighted the role of Jam Saheb Digvijaysinhji of Nawanagar, who funded the project and became the first chairman of the Somnath Temple Trust.
The Prime Minister said the 75th year of Somnath’s restoration in 2026 added special significance to the current celebrations.
Highlighting development in the region, Modi spoke about the Somnath Sanskrit University, the expansion of Keshod airport, the Ahmedabad–Veraval Vande Bharat train, and a growing pilgrimage circuit.
“Today’s India remembers its faith while empowering it for the future through infrastructure, connectivity, and technology.”
Linking heritage to national ambition, Modi said India’s goal of becoming the world’s third-largest economy draws moral strength from sites like Somnath. “Every Indian is committed to a developed India, and 140 crore people are determined towards future goals,” he said.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and other dignitaries attended the event. Earlier, Modi also took part in the Shaurya Yatra, where participants displayed messages linked to Somnath’s history and “Viksit Bharat@2047.”
