Somnath, May 8: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the Somnath Amrut Mahotsav at the famous Somnath temple at Veraval in Gujarat on May 11, a state minister said on Friday.
The ceremony will mark 75 years since the inauguration of the restored temple by the then President of India, Rajendra Prasad.
“On May 11, prime minister Narendra Modi will participate in the Amrut Mahotsav at the historic temple,” said Gujarat cabinet minister Jitu Vaghani.
Modi will arrive at Jamnagar from Hyderabad on May 10 between 9.30 pm and 9.45 pm and will be welcomed at Lal Bangla Circle by state BJP leaders including MLA Rivaba Jadeja, MP Poonam Maadam and others, he said. The PM will stay overnight in Jamnagar before proceeding to Somnath on May 11.
“Even after the destruction 1,000 years ago, Somnath temple, a symbol of unbroken faith, is still standing. We will celebrate Somnath Virasat’s 75 years as part of the Amrut Mahotsav marking the day when Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel vowed to restore the temple,” Vaghani said.
Modi will conduct a roadshow from the helipad in Somnath to the statue of Veer Hamirji Gohil, he added.
Performers from the Bengali community in Gujarat are also expected to participate in the celebrations, the minister said.
As part of the event, an airshow by the Indian Air Force’s Suryakiran team will be presented.
Modi will be performing ‘Abhishek’, ‘Dhwaj Pooja’ and ‘Maha Pooja’ rituals at the temple. Flower petals will be showered on the temple from helicopters during the religious ceremonies, Vaghani said.
Later, the prime minister will speak at a public gathering at Sadbhavana Ground.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, ministers and BJP office-bearers are expected to attend the celebrations.
Following the Somnath event, PM Modi will leave for Vadodara and is expected to reach there at 4.45 pm on May 11. In Vadodara, the Prime Minister will inaugurate a hostel complex for students from the Patidar community, developed by the Sardar Dham Trust.
Later in the evening, a roadshow will be organized in Vadodara from Gada Circle to Motibhai Circle and onward to the airport, covering a distance of 1.5 km. The roadshow is expected to start at around 7 pm.
Modi on Friday mentioned his upcoming visit to the Somnath temple in a signed newspaper article.
“At the start of 2026, I had gone to Somnath for the Somnath Swabhiman Parv, marking a thousand years since the first attack on the Somnath Temple. Now, I will be back in Somnath on 11th May to mark 75 years since the inauguration of the restored temple by the then President of India, Dr Rajendra Prasad,” the PM wrote. (PTI)
