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Saurashtra Somnath Cha, Sri Shaile Mallikarjunam, Ujjayinyan Mahakalam Oonkaram Amleshwaram.’ This line of Dwadash Jyotirlinga Stotram shows that when the 12 sacred Jyotirlingas of India are described, Somnath is mentioned first. This shows the advanced place of Somnath in the culture of India and its indestructible cultural and spiritual importance.

In the last two decades, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Somnath Temple has entered the ‘Golden Age’. After he became the Chairman of Shri Somnath Trust, a new chapter has started in the development of Somnath.

In the year 2026, one thousand years have been completed since the first attack on Somnath by Mahmud Ghaznavi in ​​1026. Today, even after a thousand years, the Somnath temple stands firm with full glory. Incidentally, 75 years of reconstruction of Somnath temple are going to be completed in 2026 itself.

The reconstruction of this grand temple was completed on May 11, 1951 and then it was open to devotees. Making this landmark event more special, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Somnath on January 11 and will be present at the ‘Somnath Swabhiman Parv’.

With 1,666 golden vases and 14,200 flags on the summit, the Somnath Temple stands as a reflection of the steadfast devotion, perseverance and artistry of three generations. Every year lakhs of people come to visit this Jyotirlinga. From the year 2020 to 2024, an estimated 97 lakh devotees have come to visit Somnath annually.

The number of devotees for Bilva Puja in the last 2 years was recorded at 13.77 lakh, out of which 3.56 lakh devotees came during Mahashivratri 2025. Today, the facility of online booking and postal prasad ensures that the sanctity of Somnath transcends the boundaries of the temple and reaches all the devotees.

Light and sound shows and festivals have also been an attraction for the devotees in Somnath temple. Over the last 3 years, more than 10 lakh people have seen the light and sound show narrating the saga of Somnath.

Talking about the festivals being celebrated in the Somnath courtyard, last year the 1,500 year old dance traditions were revived in the Vande Somnath Art Festival, which shows that Somnath is not only a center of faith but also highlights the cultural heritage.

In order to make the journey to Somnath more simple and comfortable for the devotees, significant improvements in connectivity have been made. Due to the Rs 828 crore project ‘Jetpur-Somnath Four Lane Highway’, the passengers and devotees have got the facility of expressway.

Due to Sabarmati-Veraval Vande Bharat Express, the journey from Ahmedabad to Somnath has now become faster and easier. Apart from this, after the reopening of Keshod Airport in the year 2022 and the inauguration of Rajkot International Airport in 2023, reaching Somnath has become accessible for international tourists.

Somnath, which was recognized as ‘Swachh Iconic Place’ in the year 2018, has today become a great example of sustainable development and innovation. Temple flowers are now converted into vermicompost at waste segregation centers and used to cultivate 1,700 Bilva trees.

Under the Mission Life initiative, paver blocks are prepared every month from plastic waste. About 4,700 plastic-fly ash blocks will be produced here every month, which will generate income for local women self-help groups and recycle 125 tonnes of plastic annually.

Six rainwater harvesting wells and one reservoir, rehabilitated at a cost of Rs 62 lakh, purify about 30 lakh liters of sewage water every month, which is used for afforestation, while eight sewage purification plants installed at an investment of Rs 160 lakh in 2019-20 have filtered 20.53 crore liters of water for agriculture and landscape irrigation.

Miyawaki Forest, spread over an area of ​​72,000 square feet and rich in 7,200 trees, provides protection from the sea and alkaline winds. According to a study by IIT-Kanpur, this forest will absorb 93,000 kg of carbon dioxide annually after two years.

Not only this, in the spirit of service, the sacred water of Abhishek is purified by the trust through a nine-level purification plant and distributed as ‘Som Ganga water’ for Rs. 15. More than 1.13 lakh families have benefited from this till December 2024. Through all these efforts, Somnath is moving towards becoming a net-zero temple.

Somnath is included in the top 10 most searched places by Indians on Google. Moreover, the social media impressions of Somnath have crossed 1.37 billion in 2025, which shows the reverence and spiritual importance of Somnath among devotees across the world. Somnath Temple, a symbol of India’s faith and self-respect, also inspires us to move forward to build a developed India.

Emphasizing this, the Prime Minister had written, “If the Somnath temple which was destroyed a thousand years ago can be rebuilt in full glory, then we can also recreate the prosperous India of a thousand years ago.”