PM Modi Leads Shaurya Yatra at Somnath

Prime Minister honours temple defenders, offers prayers at historic shrine in Gujarat

January 11, 2026: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday led the ‘Shaurya Yatra’ in Gujarat’s Gir Somnath district, a ceremonial procession organised to honour those who sacrificed their lives defending the Somnath temple. The yatra, part of the Somnath Swabhiman Parv, featured a procession of 108 horses symbolising valour and sacrifice. Large crowds lined the one-km route from Shankh Circle to Veer Hamirji Gohil Circle, greeting the prime minister as he waved from a specially designed vehicle alongside Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.

During the procession, young priests played damru, an instrument associated with Lord Shiva, as artists from across the country, including Jammu and Kashmir, performed traditional dances on stages set up along the route. At one point, PM Modi joined the ritual moment by playing the damru himself. The yatra concluded at Veer Hamirji Gohil Circle, where the prime minister paid floral tributes to Hamirji Gohil, who laid down his life defending the Somnath temple during an invasion in 1299 AD.

Later, PM Modi offered prayers at the Somnath temple amid Vedic chants and paid homage to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, whose statue stands near the temple entrance. Patel played a key role in the restoration of the temple after Independence, leading to its reopening in 1951. The Somnath Swabhiman Parv marks 1,000 years since Mahmud of Ghazni’s invasion in 1026 and commemorates the enduring resilience of the temple, which remains a powerful symbol of faith, cultural pride and national resolve.