PM Modi to visit Somnath Temple on January 11, hold yatra

The four-day ‘Somnath Swabhiman Parv’ began on Thursday (January 8, 2026) at the Somnath Temple near Veraval in Gujarat’s Gir Somnath district. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is scheduled to begin a three-day visit to Gujarat from January 10, will offer prayers at the temple on January 11 and lead the ‘Shaurya Yatra’, officials said. It will be a 1-km-long roadshow featuring 108 horses. 

The celebrations also mark 1,000 years since the first attack on the shrine by the Mahmud of Ghazni. Mr. Modi, in a post on X on Thursday, recalled his earlier visits to Somnath and highlighted the resilience of faith despite repeated attacks on the shrine. He said the assault in 1026 and subsequent invasions failed to weaken India’s spiritual resolve and instead strengthened cultural unity, leading to the temple’s repeated reconstruction. 

Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Gujarat Ministers Jitu Vaghani and Pradyuman Vaja were present at the inauguration.

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said the event has provided people across the country an opportunity to celebrate India’s heritage and cultural identity.