- Monday, February 24, 2025
By: Shubham Ghosh
INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi on Friday (20) said destructive forces and people who follow their ideology of creating empires through terror can dominate for some time but eventually they fade out because they cannot suppress humanity forever. He said this during a virtual speech he delivered while inaugurating a few projects of the Somnath Temple in Gujarat that weathered several storms throughout history.
Modi’s indirect dig was at the Taliban who recently returned to power in Afghanistan in the wake of the withdrawal of the US-led western forces from the war-torn country after almost 20 years.
“Somnath Temple was destroyed many times, idols were desecrated many times and attempts were made to wipe out its existence. But it came up in its full glory after every destructive attack, which gives self-confidence to us,” Modi said.
Somnath Temple is integral to our culture and ethos. Inaugurating development works there. #JaySomnath. https://t.co/yE8cLz2RmX
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 20, 2021
“Forces that strive for destruction and those who follow the ideology of creating empires out of terror can dominate for some time, but their existence is never permanent as they cannot suppress humanity forever,” he added.
Somnath Temple, which is believed to be the first among the twelve jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva and an important pilgrimage and tourist spot of Gujarat, was attacked several times by Muslim invaders but were reconstructed a number of times. In January, Modi was unanimously chosen as the new chairman of the trust which manages the temple located at Gujarat’s Gir Somnath district. He is only the second Indian prime minister to hold the post after Morarji Desai.
Among the projects that Modi inaugurated on Friday are the Somnath Promenade, Somnath Exhibition Centre and the reconstructed temple precinct of Old (Juna) Somnath.
He also laid the foundation stone of Shree Parvati Temple during the inauguration event. The temple is proposed to be built with a total outlay of Rs 20 crore ($4 million). This will also include construction in Somapura Salats style, development of a Garbha Griha and Nritya Mandap.
According to a statement released by the prime minister’s office, the Somnath Promenade has been developed under the PRASHAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive) scheme worth over Rs 47 crore ($6.3 million).
The Somnath Exhibition Centre, which is developed in the premises of ‘Tourist Facilitation Centre’, displays the exhibits from dismantled parts of the old temple and its sculptures having the Nagar style temple architecture.
The reconstructed temple precinct of Old (Juna) Somnath has been completed by Shree Somnath Trust at a cost of Rs 3.5 crore ($470,000).
This temple is also called Ahilyabai Temple since Queen Ahulyabai Holkar (1725-95) of Indore rebuilt it after finding the old temple in ruins. The old temple complex has been redeveloped for the safety of the visitors and with augmented capacity, officials said. Modi also paid her tributes.
Modi said after inaugurating the projects that India needs to strengthen its religious tourism. Praising the projects at Somnath Temple, the prime minister said they would help in providing employment to youth and educating them about the past.
Modi on the occasion also said that India, which was at the 65th position in the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index in 2013, jumped to the 34th position in 2019. He remembered the contribution of India’s first deputy prime minister and home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in building the present Somnath temple. He paid tributes to India’s first president Dr Rajendra Prasad and freedom fighter from Gujarat K M Munshi, who played a key role in the construction of the temple.
Union home minister Amit Shah, who also hails from Gujarat like Modi, also joined the event virtually. He said the developments done at Somnath will attract tourists at the temple. Vijay Rupani, the chief minister of Gujarat, took part in the event from Somnath. Former Indian deputy prime minister Lal Krishna Advani and the minister of state for tourism, Shripad Yasso Naik, were also present.
