Somnath Amrut Mahotsav: PM Modi performs 'Maha Pooja' at Somnath temple, witnesses air show

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday performed Maha Pooja and other rituals at the Somnath Temple as part of the Somnath Amrut Mahotsav marking 75 years of the inauguration of the restored shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday performed 'Maha Pooja' and other rituals at the Somnath Temple as part of the Somnath Amrut Mahotsav marking 75 years of the inauguration of the restored shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva. After holding a roadshow here, the prime minister entered the temple and performed 'Maha Pooja' and 'Jalabhishek', the ritual of pouring holy water over the Shivling amid chanting of Vedic mantras. Modi also witnessed 'Kumbhabhishek', wherein holy water gathered from prominent pilgrimage sites across the country was sprinkled atop the temple's 'shikhar' (towering spire) using a crane. The Somnath Amrut Mahotsav is being organised to commemorate 75 years since the inauguration of the restored temple by India's first President, Dr Rajendra Prasad, in 1951. The prime minister, accompanied by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and his deputy Harsh Sanghavi, watched an airshow performed by the Indian Air Force's Suryakiran aerobatic team (SKAT) over the temple. Using indigenous smoke pods, the jets of the Suryakiran team released saffron, white and green smoke to create the image of the tricolour in the sky. The prime minister is scheduled to address a public gathering at Sadbhavana Ground later in the day.