Not easy to erase India's Sanatan Dharma, culture: Amit Shah on Somnath temple rebuilding

Ahmedabad: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said it is not easy to erase India's Sanatan Dharma, culture, and people's faith, citing the reconstruction of the Somnath temple despite repeated attempts to destroy it over the centuries.

Those who attacked the temple eventually disappeared, but the temple still stands proudly at the same place on the seashore in Gujarat's Gir Somnath district, he said.

Shah was addressing a gathering at Mansa town in Gandhinagar district after inaugurating and laying the foundation stone for various projects of Rs 267 crore.

On January 11, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Somnath Swabhiman Parv, marking 1,000 years since Mahmud of Ghazni's invasion of the Somnath temple in the year 1026, he noted.

Today, 1,000 years later and after being destroyed 16 times, the Somnath temple still stands tall with its flag soaring into the sky, Shah said.

Under the leadership of PM Modi, a magnificent Somnath corridor is also being built there, he informed the audience.

"This is a message to the whole world that it is not so easy to erase India's Sanatan Dharma, Indian culture, and the faith of the Indian people. It is eternal and immortal, like the sun and the moon. This Somnath temple is a symbol of India's faith, belief, and pride," he added.

Somnath Swabhiman Parv will be celebrated for an entire year, and many programmes will be held across the country to stir the soul of India, awaken its consciousness, and take the roots of Sanatan Dharma to the deepest levels, Shah said.

"A thousand years ago, our magnificent Somnath temple was destroyed by Mahmud Ghazni. After that, it was repeatedly attacked by other invaders, such as Alauddin Khilji, Ahmed Shah, Mahmud Begada, and Aurangzeb. But the temple was rebuilt every time," he said in his address.

"The destroyers believed in destruction, and the builders believed in creation. Today, 1,000 years later, those destroyers have disappeared, but the Somnath temple still stands proudly in front of the sea," the senior BJP leader pointed out.

After Independence, this temple was rebuilt with the efforts of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, KM Munshi, Maharaja of Jamnagar, and the first President, Dr Rajendra Prasad. They all had taken a resolve to restore it, Shah said.

"The intention behind that resolve was that the attack on Somnath was not just an attack on a temple, it was an attack on our faith, our religion and self-respect. And the answer to that cannot be another attack. The answer lies in protecting our self-respect," the Union minister noted.

Among other projects, Shah inaugurated a sports complex at Mansa town, his native place.

For future requirements and in line with global standards, Shah said some more facilities are required to be incorporated in the sports complex.

"Therefore, I have decided to collect Rs 15 crore through CSR funds to add all the necessary facilities in this complex. It is the responsibility of the elected representatives of this region to ensure that the children from the surrounding areas utilise these facilities," he said.

Shah said the Gujarat government is making Ahmedabad a 'sports hub city' that will attract the attention of the entire world.

In 2030, athletes from several countries will be coming to Ahmedabad to participate in the Commonwealth Games and efforts are also on to get hosting rights for the 2036 Olympics, he added.