Somnath symbolises faith, civilisational spirit: LG Sinha

Srinagar, May 11: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday described the Somnath Temple as a symbol of India’s enduring spiritual and cultural heritage, saying its repeated reconstruction over centuries reflected the resilience and continuity of the country’s civilisational ethos. Addressing the ‘Somnath Swabhiman Parv’ event at Lok Bhavan to mark 1000 years of the temple’s legacy, LG Sinha said Somnath had remained a source of faith and inspiration despite periods of destruction and rebuilding across history. He said the temple represented devotion, cultural continuity, and collective resolve, while paying tribute to historical figures associated with its protection and post-Independence reconstruction, including Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and former President Rajendra Prasad. The LG said that despite countless atrocities and invasions by aggressors, Somnath had remained a guiding light ushering India towards new horizons. “From the consecration of the rebuilt Somnath on May 11, 1951, to this day, this centre of faith has ignited the deepest spirit in every Indian. I am confident that Somnath’s blessings will continue to inspire us to march forward with renewed resolve,” he said. LG Sinha said that Somnath Temple had always awakened new possibilities across the country and laid foundation of a new India. “Somnath is a celebration of India’s rich spiritual and cultural heritage. Somnath embodies the divinity of our land. Somnath is eternal prayer. Somnath is inseparable from our culture and its sanctity lives in every Indian heart,” he said. The LG said that Somnath was the very core of eternal culture’s existence and its purity was intertwined with the soul of every Indian. “Somnath is the divinity of India. Somnath is dedication. Somnath is devotion. Somnath is eternal prayer. Somnath is the thirst for truth. Somnath is the radiant light of luminous saints. Somnath is our pride. Somnath is our strength,” he said. LG Sinha said that no other temple or sacred site was looted and destroyed 17 times, only to rise again each time in full splendor. “The Somnath temple stands alone as the foremost example. Invaders and rulers from Mahmud Ghaznavi to Alauddin Khilji and Zafar Khan, plundered and razed it time and again. Yet, despite repeated destruction, Somnath endured in our collective soul and later rebuilt by countless great kings. On this occasion, I bow to those great souls who, in various ways, not only preserved Somnath’s eternal sanctity but stood firm to defend the temple from invaders. I pay homage to Bhim Dev, Jayapal, Anandpal, and Maharaja Dharsen. I also offer tribute to the Iron Man, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who, after India’s independence, directed the temple’s reconstruction on November 12, 1947 and on May 11, 1951, then President of India Rajendra Prasad performed the consecration ceremony,” he said. The LG said that Somnath Temple’s immortality teaches to channel the nation’s entire strength into creation, drawing inspiration from the past to make it the bedrock of life, and build India’s golden future. He said that the rebuilding of Somnath Temple was a symbol of inner victory for every person, a lamp of faith and resolve burning for millennia. “Somnath Temple is a beacon of the nation. Without Somnath, our society would be lifeless,” LG Sinha said. Satish Sharma, Minister for Youth Services & Sports; Atal Dulloo, Chief Secretary; Nalin Prabhat, DGP; Shaleen Kabra, Additional Chief Secretary, Jal Shakti Department; Chandraker Bharti, Principal Secretary Home Department; Brij Mohan Sharma, Principal Secretary Culture Department, Administrative Secretaries; senior officials, and prominent citizens from different walks of life also attended the Somnath Swabhiman Parv event.