Srinagar, May 11 (KNO): Describing Somnath Temple as a guiding light ushering Bharat towards new horizons, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday said it was looted and destroyed 17 times by invaders but it rose again each time in full splendor.
LG Sinha, according to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) performed Puja on Somnath Swabhiman Parv, a celebration of 1,000 years of unbroken faith and unyielding resolve. He also attended a public event organized on the sacred occasion at Lok Bhavan.
The Lieutenant Governor said despite countless atrocities and invasions by aggressors, Somnath has remained a guiding light ushering Bharat towards new horizons.
“From the consecration of the rebuilt Somnath on May 11, 1951, to this day, this center 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,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
He also stated that Somnath Temple has always awakened new possibilities across the nation 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,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
The Lieutenant Governor observed that Somnath is the very core of our eternal culture’s existence and its purity is 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.
The Lieutenant Governor said: “No other temple or sacred site 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,” he said, adding, “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 Dr. Rajendra Prasad performed the consecration ceremony.”
The Lieutenant Governor said that Somnath Temple's immortality teaches us 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.
The Lieutenant Governor said that the rebuilding of Somnath Temple is 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,” the Lieutenant Governor 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; Shri 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—(KNO)