PM Modi Holds Grand Shaurya Yatra With 108 Horses To Honour Warriors Who Defended Somnath Temple

Somnath: Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the Shaurya Yatra on Sunday, the second day of his Gujarat visit, as part of the Somnath Swabhiman Parv. The Yatra features a symbolic procession of 108 horses, reflecting valour and sacrifice. The event is being held to mark 1,000 years of the undeterred spirit and civilisational continuity of India since the first invasion at Somnath Temple.

Visuals from the event showed him standing in an open vehicle decorated with flowers. The Prime Minister was accompanied by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi. During the procession, the Prime Minister played the conch and acknowledged the greetings of the gathered crowd.

“Somnath stands as a beacon of eternal divinity. Its sacred presence continues to guide people across generations. Here are highlights from yesterday’s programmes, including the Omkar Mantra chanting and drone show,” PM Modi posted on X ahead of the Somanth Yatra.

The Shaurya Yatra is a ceremonial procession organised to honour the warriors who laid down their lives defending the Somnath Temple throughout the ages, especially during the various waves of invasions. The procession will feature a symbolic march of 108 horses, representing valour, bravery, and sacrifice.

After the procession, the Prime Minister is slated to perform darshan and pooja at the Somnath Temple, and then address a public function in Somnath.

Approximately 350 students from the Brahmarshi Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya in Gujarat's Kheda participated in the Yatra, leading the procession ahead of the horses and playing the conch (shankh) and damru.

"We have come from Nadiad in Kheda district. We are from Brahmarshi Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya, and Dahyabhai Shastri is with us, along with all his students. Around 350 students have come here, and all of us will take part in the Shaurya Yatra. Our children will play the conch (shankh) and damru, and we will lead the procession ahead of the horses," Sanjay Brahmbhatt from the Brahmarshi Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya told ANI ahead of the yatra.

"We have come from Bharuch. We are from Shri Narmada Sanskrit Ved Pathshala, Bharuch, and everyone here has come to play the damru and sound the conch. We want to welcome Modi ji with the chanting of mantras," a representative of Shri Narmada Sanskrit Ved Pathshala in Bharuch told ANI ahead of the event.

PM Modi offered prayers, joined the Omkar mantra chanting and witnessed a special drone show on Saturday as part of the festivities.

What Is The Somnath Swabhiman Parv

The Somnath Swabhiman Parv, being held from January 8 to January 11, 2026, marks the 1,000th anniversary of Mahmud of Ghazni's first attack on the Somnath Temple in 1026.

The attack marked the beginning of a long period during which the temple was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt over centuries. However, Somnath withstood the test of time, and never ceased to exist in the collective consciousness of the people, proving that it was a living embodiment of belief, identity, and civilisational pride of India.

On Kartak Sud 1, Diwali day, November 12, 1947, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel visited the ruins of Somnath and expressed his resolve to rebuild the temple, viewing its restoration as essential to reviving India's cultural confidence. The reconstruction, carried out with public participation, culminated in the consecration of the present temple on May 11, 1951, in the presence of then-President Rajendra Prasad.

In 2026, India marks 75 years since the historic 1951 ceremony, reaffirming India's civilisational self-respect. Believed to be the first among the 12 Aadi Jyotirlingas, the historic Somnath Temple, crowned by a 150-foot shikhar, stands majestically along the Arabian Sea, symbolising the nation's faith and national resolve. (With ANI inputs)

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