Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday flagged off the historic Somnath Swabhiman Yatra 2026, marking Odisha’s participation in a nationwide pilgrimage initiative commemorating the 1,000th anniversary of the first attack on the Somnath Temple and the 75th year of its post-Independence reconstruction. More than 1,100 devotees boarded a special train from Bhubaneswar to the revered Somnath shrine in Gujarat.
Flagging off the train, Majhi described the pilgrimage as a journey of faith, devotion, and cultural pride rather than merely a rail trip. He said the yatra symbolises the spiritual connection between Lord Jagannath in the East and Lord Somnath in the West, reflecting India’s enduring traditions of unity and religious consciousness.
The pilgrimage is part of the year-long Somnath Swabhiman Parv being organised across the country by the Union Ministry of Culture. The programme commemorates two significant milestones in the history of the famed temple—the 1,000th anniversary of the first invasion of Somnath by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1026 and the 75th platinum jubilee of the temple’s reconstruction after Independence under the inspiration of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
Large-scale pilgrimages are being organised from different states as part of the national campaign. Similar yatras have already seen more than 1,000 devotees depart from Lucknow and around 1,300 pilgrims from Delhi for Prabhas Patan, where the Somnath Temple is located.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Vikas Bhi, Virasat Bhi” has found expression at Somnath through the development of modern tourism and pilgrimage infrastructure. He highlighted the creation of museums, exhibition halls, sea-facing pathways, and other facilities under the PRASHAD scheme, which have transformed the temple complex into a major spiritual and tourist destination.
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