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Somnath… proceeding this connection instils a consciousness of pridefulness successful our hearts and minds. It is the eternal proclamation of India’s soul. This majestic temple is situated connected the occidental seashore of India successful Gujarat, astatine a spot called Prabhas Patan.
The Dwadasha Jyotirling Stotram mentions the 12 Jyotirlings crossed India.The stotram begins with “Saurashtre Somnatham Ch”, symbolising the civilisational and spiritual value of Somnath arsenic the archetypal Jyotirling.It is besides said: Somalingam Naro Drishtva Sarvapapaih PramuchyateLabhte Phalam Manovaanchitam Mritah Svargam SamaashrayetIt means: Just the show of Somnath Shivling ensures that a idiosyncratic is freed of sins, achieves their righteous desires and attains eden aft death.Tragically, this precise Somnath, which drew the reverence and prayers of millions, was attacked by overseas invaders, whose docket was demolition, not devotion.The twelvemonth 2026 is important for the Somnath Temple. It has been 1,000 years since the archetypal onslaught connected this large shrine. It was successful Jan of 1026 that Mahmud of Ghazni attacked this temple, seeking to destruct a large awesome of religion and civilisation, done a convulsive and barbaric invasion.
Yet, 1 1000 years later, the temple stands arsenic glorious arsenic ever due to the fact that of galore efforts to reconstruct Somnath to its grandeur. One specified milestone completes 75 years successful 2026. It was during a ceremonial connected May 11th, 1951, successful the beingness of the past President of India, Dr Rajendra Prasad, that the restored temple opened its doors to devotees.The archetypal penetration of Somnath a 1000 years agone successful 1026, the cruelty that was unleashed upon the radical of the municipality and the devastation that was inflicted upon the shrine person been documented successful large item successful assorted humanities accounts.When you work them, the bosom trembles. Each enactment carries the value of grief, cruelty and a sorrow that refuses to slice with time.Imagine the interaction it had connected Bharat and the morale of the people. After all, Somnath had large spiritual significance. It was besides connected the coast, giving spot to a nine with large economical prowess, whose oversea traders and seafarers carried tales of its grandeur acold and wide.Yet, I americium arrogant to authorities unequivocally that the communicative of Somnath, a 1000 years aft the archetypal attack, is not defined by destruction.
It is defined by the unbreakable courageousness of crores of children of Bharat Mata.The medieval barbarism that began a 1000 years agone successful 1026 went connected to ‘inspire’ others to repeatedly onslaught Somnath. It was the commencement of an effort to enslave our radical and culture. But, each clip the temple was attacked, we besides had large men and women who stood up to support it and adjacent made the eventual sacrifice. And each azygous time, procreation aft generation, the radical of our large civilisation picked themselves up, rebuilt and rejuvenated the temple.
It is our privilege to person been nurtured by the aforesaid ungraded that has nurtured greats similar Ahilyabai Holkar, who made a noble effort to guarantee devotees tin commune astatine Somnath.In the 1890s, Swami Vivekananda visited Somnath and that acquisition moved him. He expressed his feelings during a lecture successful Chennai successful 1897 erstwhile helium said, “Some of these aged temples of confederate India and those similar Somnath of Gujarat volition thatch you volumes of wisdom, volition springiness you a keener penetration into the past of the contention than immoderate magnitude of books.
Mark however these temples carnivore the marks of a 100 attacks and a 100 regenerations, continually destroyed and continually springing up retired of the ruins, rejuvenated and beardown arsenic ever! That is the nationalmind, that is the nationalist lifecurrent.
Follow it and it leads to glory. Give it up and you die; decease volition beryllium the lone result, annihilation, the lone effect, the infinitesimal you measurement beyond that beingness current.”The ineffable work of rebuilding the Somnath Temple aft Independence came to the capable hands of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
A sojourn during Diwali clip successful 1947 moved him truthful overmuch that helium announced that the temple volition beryllium rebuilt there. Finally, connected May 11th, 1951, a expansive temple successful Somnath opened its doors to devotees and Dr Rajendra Prasad was contiguous there. The large Sardar Sahib was not live to spot this historical day, but the fulfilment of his imagination stood gangly earlier the nation.The past Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, was not excessively enthused with this development.
He did not privation the honourable President arsenic good arsenic ministers to subordinate with this peculiar event. He said that this lawsuit created a atrocious content of India. But Dr Rajendra Prasad stood steadfast and the remainder is history. No notation of Somnath is implicit without recalling the efforts of KM Munshi, who supported Sardar Patel precise effectively.
His works connected Somnath, including the book, ‘Somanatha: The Shrine Eternal’, are highly informative and educative.Indeed, arsenic the rubric of Munshi Ji’s publication conveys, we are a civilisation that carries a consciousness of condemnation astir the eternity of tone and of ideas. We firmly judge that that which is eternal is indestructible, arsenic outlined successful the celebrated Gita verse “ Nainam Chhindanti Shastraani ...”. There tin beryllium nary amended illustration of our civilisation’s indomitable tone than Somnath, which stands gloriously, overcoming likelihood and struggles.It is this aforesaid tone that is disposable successful our nation, 1 of the brightest spots of planetary growth, having flooded centuries of invasions and assemblage loot. It is our worth systems and the determination of our radical that person made India the centre of planetary attraction today. The satellite is seeing India with anticipation and optimism.They privation to put successful our innovative youngsters. Ourart, culture, euphony and respective festivals are going global.
Yoga and Ayurveda are making a worldwide impact, boosting steadfast living. Solutions to immoderate of the astir pressing planetary challenges are coming from India.Since clip immemorial, Somnath has brought unneurotic radical from antithetic walks of life. Centuries ago, Kalikal Sarvagna Hemchandracharya, a respected Jain monk, came to Somnath. It is said that aft praying there, helium recited a verse, “ Bhavabijaankurjananaaraagaadyaah Kshayamupagataa Yasya” .
It means: Salutations to That One successful whom the seeds of worldly becoming are destroyed, successful whom passionateness and each afflictions person withered away.
Today, Somnath holds the aforesaid quality to awaken thing profound wrong the caput and soul.A 1000 years aft the archetypal onslaught successful 1026, the oversea astatine Somnath inactive roars with the aforesaid strength arsenic it did backmost then. The waves that lavation the shores of Somnath archer a story. No substance what, conscionable similar the waves, it kept rising again and again.
The aggressors of the past are present particulate successful the wind, their names synonymous with destruction. They are footnotes successful the annals of history, portion Somnath stands bright, radiating acold beyond the horizon, reminding america of the eternal tone that remained undiminished by the onslaught of 1026.
Somnath is simply a opus of anticipation that tells america that portion hatred and fanaticism whitethorn person the powerfulness to destruct for a moment, religion and condemnation successful the powerfulness of goodness person the powerfulness to make for eternity.If the Somnath Temple, which was attacked a 1000 years agone and faced continuous attacks thereon, could emergence again and again, past we tin surely reconstruct our large federation to the glory it embodied a 1000 years agone earlier the invasions. With the blessings of Shree Somnath Mahadev, we determination guardant with a renewed resoluteness to physique a Viksit Bharat, wherever civilisational contented guides america to enactment for the payment of the full world.Jai Somnath!(Narendra Modi is the Prime Minister of India and is besides the president of the Shree Somnath Trust)
