New Delhi, Jan 5 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday recalled the time when then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was not supportive of the idea of rebuilding Somnath Temple and did not want top constitutional authorities to be associated with it.
In a blog post, the Prime Minister mentioned that the sacred responsibility of rebuilding Somnath Temple, which was attacked by the invaders in 1026, fell upon Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel after Independence.
He recalled that Sardar Patel's visit to the site during Diwali in 1947 deeply moved him, leading to the decision to rebuild the temple at the same location.
"On May 11, 1951, a grand Somnath Temple was opened to devotees in the presence of Dr Rajendra Prasad," he said.
PM Modi noted that Nehru was against the idea of the government being officially involved in the restoration of the Somnath temple.
"The great Sardar Sahib was not alive to see this historic day, but the fulfilment of his dream stood tall before the nation. The then Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, was not too enthused with this development. He did not want the Honourable President as well as Ministers to associate with this special event. He said that this event created a bad impression of India. But Dr Rajendra Prasad stood firm, and the rest is history," PM Modi wrote in his blog post.
Despite Nehru's objections, Sardar Patel, K.M. Munshi (who led the construction efforts), and President Rajendra Prasad were strong proponents of the temple's restoration as a symbol of national pride. The temple was ultimately restored using money collected from public donations and not government funds.
PM Modi said no discussion on Somnath is complete without mentioning K.M. Munshi, who strongly supported Sardar Patel. Munshi's writings, including the book 'Somanatha: The Shrine Eternal', are "extremely informative and educative," PM Modi said, adding that the title itself reflects India's civilisational belief in the eternity of spirit and ideas.
Pointing out that 2026 marks the thousand years since the Somnath Temple was first attacked by the invaders in January 1026, PM Modi highlighted how the temple stands as the eternal proclamation of the Indian soul, asserting that while hate and fanaticism may have the power to destroy for a moment, faith and conviction in the power of goodness have the strength to create for eternity.
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