Somnath Swabhiman Parv to be celebrated throughout the year

Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has said that the Somnath Swabhiman Parv will be celebrated across the country throughout the year to commemorate the enduring spirit of the Somnath temple. Inaugurating the festival at Prabhas Patan, in Gujarat, the Minister said, the Somnath Temple is a testament to the strength and resilience of the country’s civilisation. He said this festival is an opportunity to tell the world that India will neither bow down nor fall.  Major highlights of the festival include a massive drone show, the 72-hour Omkar Naad, and a grand Shaurya Yatra.

Gujarat: Gir Somnath witnessed the grand beginning of the 'Somnath Shaurya Gatha' under the Somnath Swabhiman Parv, with a 72-hour continuous Omkar chant starting at the Somnath Mahadev Temple. Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, state ministers, MPs and over 2,500 rishi… pic.twitter.com/djLgRz3U7c

— IANS (@ians_india) January 8, 2026

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel offered prayers at the temple and highlighted the significance of Somnath as a symbol of faith and resilience, recalling the historic events of a thousand years ago. 

VIDEO | The Somnath Swabhiman Parv celebrations began today in Gujarat, marking three days of cultural and devotional events at the Dholeshwar Mahadev Temple. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel offered prayers at the temple and highlighted the significance of Somnath as a symbol of… pic.twitter.com/xyueGK1l9r

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 8, 2026

The event marks the 1,000th anniversary of the first major attack on the shrine by Mahmud of Ghazni in January 1026 AD and the upcoming 75th anniversary of the restored temple’s inauguration in 1951. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the grand celebrations of Somnath Swabhiman Parv on the 11th of this month.

(State Correspondent)