‘1,000 Years Later…’: PM Modi Writes On Somnath Temple’s Endurance Through Repeated Attacks
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reflected on the enduring legacy of the Somnath temple, saying its survival and revival over the past 1,000 years stand as a testament to India’s resilience. In a blog marking a millennium since the first attack on the shrine in 1026 AD, the Prime Minister described Somnath as a timeless symbol of the nation’s civilisational and spiritual strength, rising again despite repeated attempts to destroy it.
He noted that the first destruction of the temple took place exactly 1,000 years ago, in 1026 AD, yet Somnath today stands in renewed splendour on the western coast of Gujarat at Prabhas Patan.
Describing Somnath as an “eternal proclamation of India’s soul”, the Prime Minister, who is also the head of the Somnath Temple Trust, highlighted its place as the first of the twelve Jyotirlings mentioned in the Dwadasha Jyotirling Stotram. He wrote that for centuries the shrine has drawn the faith and devotion of millions.
At the same time, he recalled the tragedy of its repeated destruction by foreign invaders, whose aim, he said, was demolition rather than devotion. With 2026 marking a millennium since the first attack by Mahmud of Ghazni, the Prime Minister said the temple’s survival reflects India’s resilience and enduring spiritual strength.
“Somnath had great spiritual significance. It was also on the coast, giving strength to a society with great economic prowess, whose sea traders and seafarers carried tales of its grandeur far and wide.Yet, I am proud to state unequivocally that the story of Somnath, a thousand years after the first attack, is not defined by destruction. It is defined by the unbreakable courage of crores of children of Bharat Mata,” wrote PM Modi.
He wrote that Somnath has, since ancient times, united people across faiths and traditions. Citing a Jain monk’s prayer centuries ago, he said the temple continues to awaken the mind and soul. Even a thousand years after its destruction, Somnath stands as a lasting symbol of faith, resilience and hope.
PM Modi wrote, “Since time immemorial, Somnath has brought together people from different walks of life. Centuries ago, Kalikal Sarvagna Hemchandracharya, a respected Jain monk, came to Somnath. It is said that after praying there, he recited a verse, “भवबीजाङ्कुरजनना रागाद्याः क्षयमुपगता यस्य।”. It means – Salutations to That One in whom the seeds of worldly becoming are destroyed, in whom passion and all afflictions have withered away.” Today, Somnath holds the same ability to awaken something profound within the mind and soul. A thousand years after the first attack in 1026, the sea at Somnath still roars with the same intensity as it did back then. The waves that wash the shores of Somnath tell a story. No matter what, just like the waves, it kept rising again and again. The aggressors of the past are now dust in the wind, their names synonymous with destruction. They are footnotes in the annals of history, while Somnath stands bright, radiating far beyond the horizon, reminding us of the eternal spirit that remained undiminished by the attack of 1026. Somnath is a song of hope that tells us that while hate and fanaticism may have the power to destroy for a moment, faith and conviction in the power of goodness have the power to create for eternity,” said PM Modi.
