Somnath Swabhiman Festival Celebrated At Lingaraj Temple; CM Attends Event In Ekamra Kshetra

On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the reconstruction of the Somnath Temple, the ‘Somnath Swabhiman Festival’ was celebrated today in a spiritual atmosphere at the Lingaraj Temple in Ekamra Kshetra.

Chief Minister Shri Mohan Charan Majhi attended the event as the chief guest. In his address, he highlighted the deep and invisible connection between Somnath and Lingaraj, stating that if Somnath is the guardian of India in the west, then Lingaraj represents the steadfast strength of the east.

A special spiritual atmosphere was created at Ekamra Peetha when the Chief Minister watched the live broadcast from the Somnath Temple in Prabhas Patan, Gujarat, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was leading the grand ceremony.

From Gujarat, the Prime Minister, as Chairman of the Shri Somnath Temple Trust, delivered his address and participated in the rituals, which the Chief Minister viewed with devotion and shared the moment with devotees at the Lingaraj Temple.

In his speech, the Chief Minister emphasized the protection of Indian culture and the development of Shaiva pilgrimage centers. Recalling the history of Somnath Temple, he stated that its reconstruction marked the beginning of the restoration of Indian civilization under the leadership of the Iron Man, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. He added that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is experiencing a cultural renaissance.

Referring to history, he noted that despite repeated destruction attempts by invaders to erase India’s spiritual identity, the faith of Sanatan traditions ensured the temple’s rebirth every time.

Remembering the historic event of 1951, the Chief Minister said that the reconstruction of the Somnath Temple became possible due to the firm determination of Sardar Patel. Criticizing the political obstacles and opposition at the time, he stated that today, under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, ‘New India’ takes pride in its identity. The Prime Minister’s vision of “Development as well as Heritage” is reflected in projects ranging from the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor to the grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

Speaking about Odisha’s development, the Chief Minister stated that his government is committed to strengthening the state’s cultural and spiritual foundations.

In line with the Prime Minister’s policy of “Development as well as Heritage,” the Odisha Government is investing ₹330 crore for the development of Ekamra Kshetra and ₹1,000 crore for projects such as the Shri Jagannath Museum, which will help establish Odisha as the cultural capital of India.

He further stated that promoting the ‘Orange Economy’—a culture-based economy—through tourism and heritage development is a key objective of the government to generate employment opportunities for local people.

In conclusion, drawing inspiration from Sardar Patel’s courage and the Prime Minister’s vision, he called upon the four-and-a-half crore people of Odisha to work together toward building a “Prosperous Odisha” and a “Developed India.”

The event was attended by Bhubaneswar MP Smt. Aparajita Sarangi, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Shri Suresh Pujari, Ekamra MLA Shri Babu Singh, Culture Secretary Dr. Bijay Ketan Upadhyay, and Khordha District Collector Shri Amrit Ruturaj, among others.