​Yogi: India on path to reclaim Sanatan glory

Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said that the country is now on the path to reclaiming its glorious Sanatan heritage, and that the foundation of the nation has remained strong despite being subjected to repeated foreign invasions.Flagging off a special train carrying a large number of devotees from Uttar Pradesh to Somnath Temple in Gujarat for the Somnath Swabhiman Parva, Yogi said that although a majority of citizens desired cultural freedom soon after India attained political independence, such sentiments remained suppressed for a long time.Yogi said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country is progressing rapidly on the path of development and would re-establish its identity with renewed self-respect in the coming years. He said the spirit of ‘Yato Dharmastato Jayah’ (where there is righteousness, there is victory) reflects India’s cultural resilience and enduring faith in Sanatan culture, adding that a decade ago, few could have imagined the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.“Today, not only across the country but even abroad, people chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ with pride,” he said.“Sanatan Dharma represents an eternal path. Despite repeated attacks, our faith could neither be broken nor bent by invaders. The first Jyotirlinga at Somnath was attacked centuries ago and was looted, desecrated and damaged. While the attackers have vanished from history, our culture continues to thrive and move forward with renewed strength,” Yogi said.Recalling the role of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Rajendra Prasad in rebuilding the Somnath temple after Independence, the chief minister said that while India attained political freedom in 1947, the aspiration for cultural freedom is being fulfilled now.He said the then Congress leadership opposed both the reconstruction and the consecration of the temple and even objected to the participation of the President at the ceremony.The chief minister also cited the redevelopment of the Kashi Vishwanath Dham, the Vindhyavasini temple corridor, improved infrastructure in the Mathura-Vrindavan region, and large-scale religious events such as the Kumbh in Prayagraj as symbols of India’s cultural revival.More than 1,000 devotees from Uttar Pradesh have departed for Somnath as part of the yatra.