Prime Minister Modi commemorated the 1,000th anniversary of the Somnath Temple attack, honoring its symbolic resilience and restoration.

On the 1,000th anniversary of the attack on the Somnath Temple in 1026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the temple's lasting significance as a representation of India's tenacity and spiritual fortitude. He highlighted the temple's centuries-long destruction and reconstruction, including assaults by Mahmud of Ghazni, Alauddin Khilji, and Aurangzeb. He also gave credit to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and K. M. Munshi for spearheading the temple's post-independence restoration. Despite Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's initial reluctance, the temple was reopened in 1951 and is now a symbol of faith, tenacity, and civilizational continuity that has inspired India's contemporary rise.