PM repeats call for saving fuel, cutting gold buy; bats for work from home
Somnath, May 11: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday performed ‘Maha Pooja’ and other rituals at the Somnath Temple as part of the Somnath Amrut Mahotsav marking 75 years of the inauguration of the restored shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva.
After holding a roadshow here, the prime minister entered the temple and performed ‘Maha Pooja’ and ‘Jalabhishek’, the ritual of pouring holy water over the Shivling amid chanting of Vedic mantras.
Modi also witnessed ‘Kumbhabhishek’, wherein holy water gathered from prominent pilgrimage sites across the country was sprinkled atop the temple’s ‘shikhar’ (towering spire) using a crane.
The Somnath Amrut Mahotsav is being organised to commemorate 75 years since the inauguration of the restored temple by India’s first President, Dr Rajendra Prasad, in 1951.
The prime minister, accompanied by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and his deputy Harsh Sanghavi, watched an airshow performed by the Indian Air Force’s Suryakiran aerobatic team (SKAT) over the temple.
Using indigenous smoke pods, the jets of the Suryakiran team released saffron, white and green smoke to create the image of the tricolour in the sky.
The prime minister is scheduled to address a public gathering at Sadbhavana Ground later in the day. (Agencies)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday reiterated his call for reduced fuel consumption, greater use of public transport and electric vehicles by citizens, and urged people to defer gold purchases amid the West Asia crisis which has caused large-scale disruptions.
Addressing a gathering in Vadodara after inaugurating the Sardar Dham Hostel built by the Patidar community, Modi appealed to people to opt for work from home, a pandemic-era practice, wherever possible and reduce foreign travel.
“The West Asia crisis is one of the worst in the decade; just as we overcame the COVID-19 pandemic, we will come out of this also,” the Prime Minister asserted.
Modi noted citizens had always fulfilled their responsibilities whenever the country faced war or any other major crisis.
“Whenever India faced war or any other major crisis, citizens fulfilled their responsibilities upon the government’s appeal; we need to do the same today,” the PM told the gathering.
The prime minister stressed the need for reduced imports — India heavily relies on West Asia for crude oil and LPG — and avoid unnecessary expenditure involving foreign currency.
“We must make every effort to reduce the use of imported products and avoid personal activities that involve spending foreign currency,” Modi maintained.
Calling for fuel conservation measures, he urged people to reduce fuel consumption and shift to public transport or electric vehicles.
He appealed to citizens to defer gold buying in view of the prevailing global situation as a significant amount of foreign exchange goes into importing the precious metal.
Modi had spoken about these austerity measures for the first time in the backdrop of the West Asia crisis while speaking at an event in Telangana on Sunday and reiterated them in Gujarat a day later.
Somnath rose every time invaders destroy it: Sinha
Jammu Tawi, May 11: Describing Somnath Temple as a guiding light ushering Bharat towards new horizons, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday said it was looted and destroyed 17 times by invaders but it rose again each time in full splendor.
LG Sinha performed Puja on Somnath Swabhiman Parv, a celebration of 1,000 years of unbroken faith and unyielding resolve. He also attended a public event organized on the sacred occasion at Lok Bhavan.
The Lieutenant Governor said despite countless atrocities and invasions by aggressors, Somnath has remained a guiding light ushering Bharat towards new horizons.
“From the consecration of the rebuilt Somnath on May 11, 1951, to this day, this center of faith has ignited the deepest spirit in every Indian. I am confident that Somnath’s blessings will continue to inspire us to march forward with renewed resolve,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
He also stated that Somnath Temple has always awakened new possibilities across the nation and laid foundation of a new India.
“Somnath is a celebration of India’s rich spiritual and cultural heritage. Somnath embodies the divinity of our land. Somnath is eternal prayer. Somnath is inseparable from our culture and its sanctity lives in every Indian heart,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
The Lieutenant Governor observed that Somnath is the very core of our eternal culture’s existence and its purity is intertwined with the soul of every Indian.
“Somnath is the divinity of India. Somnath is dedication. Somnath is devotion. Somnath is eternal prayer. Somnath is the thirst for truth. Somnath is the radiant light of luminous saints. Somnath is our pride. Somnath is our strength,” he said.
The Lieutenant Governor said: “No other temple or sacred site looted and destroyed 17 times, only to rise again each time in full splendor.”
“The Somnath temple stands alone as the foremost example. Invaders and rulers from Mahmud Ghaznavi to Alauddin Khilji and Zafar Khan, plundered and razed it time and again. Yet, despite repeated destruction, Somnath endured in our collective soul and later rebuilt by countless great kings,” he said, adding, “On this occasion, I bow to those great souls who, in various ways, not only preserved Somnath’s eternal sanctity but stood firm to defend the temple from invaders. I pay homage to Bhim Dev, Jayapal, Anandpal, and Maharaja Dharsen.
I also offer tribute to the Iron Man, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who, after India’s independence, directed the temple’s reconstruction on November 12, 1947 and on May 11, 1951, then President of India Dr. Rajendra Prasad performed the consecration ceremony.”
The Lieutenant Governor said that Somnath Temple’s immortality teaches us to channel the nation’s entire strength into creation, drawing inspiration from the past to make it the bedrock of life, and build India’s golden future.
The Lieutenant Governor said that the rebuilding of Somnath Temple is a symbol of inner victory for every person, a lamp of faith and resolve burning for millennia.
“Somnath Temple is a beacon of the nation. Without Somnath, our society would be lifeless,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
