NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Somnath on Saturday to begin a three-day visit to Gujarat, during which he will participate in events marking the Somnath Swabhiman Parv, attend the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference, and hold talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel and other senior leaders received the Prime Minister at the helipad near the Somnath Temple in Gir Somnath district.In a post on X, PM Modi said, “Feeling blessed to be in Somnath, a proud symbol of our civilisational courage. This visit comes during SomnathSwabhimanParv, when the entire nation has come together to mark a thousand years since the first attack on the Somnath Temple in 1026. Grateful to the people for the warm welcome.”Later in the evening, PM Narendra Modi received a rousing welcome as he arrived at Somnath temple to attend the parv. PM will also participated in Omkar Mantra chanting at the temple and witness a drone show depicting key historical events linked to Somnath.According to a government release, nearly 3,000 drones were used. PM Modi will also chair a meeting of the Shree Somnath Trust in his capacity as its chairman.
On Sunday, he will take part in the Shaurya Yatra, a ceremonial procession honouring those who died defending the Somnath temple, featuring a symbolic march of 108 horses.He will offer prayers at the temple and address a public function marking the Swabhiman Parv, which commemorates 1,000 years since Mahmud of Ghazni’s invasion of the temple in 1026. The celebrations also mark 75 years of the temple’s restoration, completed in 1951 after efforts led by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.Later in the day, PM Modi will travel to Rajkot to attend the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference for the Kutch and Saurashtra region, where he will inaugurate a trade show and exhibition. He is also set to announce 14 greenfield smart GIDC estates and inaugurate a GIDC medical device park. In the evening, he will inaugurate the remaining stretch of Phase 2 of the Ahmedabad Metro between Sector 10A and Mahatma Mandir.On Monday, the Prime Minister will host German chancellor Friedrich Merz. The two leaders will visit Sabarmati Ashram and attend the international kite festival before holding bilateral talks at Mahatma Mandir Convention Centre in Gandhinagar. They will review progress in the India-Germany strategic partnership, which has completed 25 years, followed by delegation-level talks and a joint press statement. The ministry of external affairs said the leaders will also interact with business representatives and discuss regional and global issues.
