Somnath: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today began his three-day visit to his home state of Gujarat after arriving at Rajkot Airport.

At the airport, he was welcomed by State Cabinet Minister Kunvarjibhai Bavaliya, the Mayor of Rajkot, the Chief Secretary of the Gujarat government, the in-charge Director General of Police of Gujarat, and other senior officials. After a brief halt of around five minutes at the airport, the Prime Minister departed for Prabhas Patan by helicopter.

Watch | PM Narendra Modi arrives in Prabhas Patan for the Somnath Swabhiman Parv.https://t.co/tsgmq04qml pic.twitter.com/J97RPKz9bb

— DeshGujarat (@DeshGujarat) January 10, 2026

In pictures: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at Rajkot Airport beginning his three-day visit to home state of Gujarat pic.twitter.com/FKQRexsPAs

— DeshGujarat (@DeshGujarat) January 10, 2026

Upon reaching Prabhas Patan, he is scheduled to participate in the Somnath Swabhiman Parv, a major cultural and spiritual event being held at the historic Somnath Temple. PM Modi is also likely to chair the meeting of the Somnath Temple Trust, of which he is the Chairman.

Later in the evening, the Prime Minister will take part in the Omkar Mantra chanting at the temple around 8 pm, followed by a drone show involving 3,000 drones at the temple complex. He will be taking the night halt at Somnath Circuit House.

On Saturday, January 11, he will join the Shaurya Yatra at around 9.45 am. The ceremonial procession honours the warriors who laid down their lives to protect the Somnath Temple and will feature a symbolic march of 108 horses, representing courage and sacrifice. After the yatra, the Prime Minister will perform darshan and pooja at the temple and later address a public gathering in Somnath.

The Somnath Swabhiman Parv, being observed from January 8 to 11, marks 1,000 years since the invasion of the temple by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1026. Despite repeated attempts at destruction, the temple has endured as a powerful symbol of faith and resilience. Following Independence, its restoration was spearheaded by Sardar Patel, and the reconstructed temple was inaugurated in 1951 by then President Dr. Rajendra Prasad.

The year 2026 also marks 75 years of the temple’s post-Independence restoration, lending added significance to the celebrations. As part of the Swabhiman Parv, hundreds of saints from across the country have gathered at Somnath, with the programme featuring 72 hours of continuous ‘Om’ chanting within the temple premises, creating a deeply spiritual atmosphere. DeshGujarat