Invaders who tried to erase Sanatan turned to dust: Yogi

Varanasi: Stating that temples like Kashi Vishwanath and Somnath reflect how Sanatan is not confined within temple walls but is deeply rooted in India’s collective consciousness, chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday said invaders who attempted to destroy Sanatan traditions were reduced to dust.“Several foreign invaders, including Mohammad Ghori, attempted to destroy India’s spiritual and cultural identity. Aurangzeb demolished the ancient temple of Baba Vishwanath and erected a symbol of slavery in its place, but they could not break the soul of India. They failed to understand that Sanatan does not reside only within the walls of temples, but also in the consciousness of India. Today, there is no one left to take the names of those invaders,” the CM said.He was addressing a gathering at the ‘Somnath Sankalp Mahotsav’ organized under the Somnath Swabhiman Parv, along with Governor Anandiben Patel.Referring to Mahmud Ghaznavi and other foreign invaders, he said: “They attacked the Somnath Temple 17 times nearly a thousand years ago in an attempt to destroy its grandeur. The invaders believed that by breaking idols and looting the glory of temples, they could erase the soul of India., but they failed.”He added, Kashi Vishwanath Dham and Somnath Mahadev Temple today stand as symbols of pride and narrate the saga of India’s self-respect. “Iron Man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had resolved to rebuild the Somnath Temple. Despite several obstacles and challenges, Patel moved ahead firmly. The reconstruction of Somnath Temple was a declaration of freedom from slavery and the restoration of the nation’s self-respect. We see the same spirit in Kashi as well,” he said.Taking a swipe at critics, Yogi said, even today there are many forces that do not want the development of spiritual and cultural sites symbolizing India’s self-respect. These are the same people who had opposed the re-establishment ceremony of Somnath Temple and continuously created hurdles in the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.“But under the successful leadership of the Prime Minister, today we are witnessing from Kashi Vishwanath Dham the celebrations of the Swabhiman Parv and the Amrit Parv of the re-establishment of Somnath Mahadev,” he said.CM Yogi also mentioned India’s first President Dr Rajendra Prasad, saying that despite opposition from the government of that time, he had attended the re-establishment ceremony of Somnath Mahadev Temple 75 years ago.In his address, Yogi stated, under the inspiration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the vision of ‘Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat’ is becoming a reality. “This vision is visible through the grand re-establishment, beautification and other development works at the Somnath Mahadev Temple in Saurashtra... Kashi Vishwanath Dham, the establishment of Mahalok at Mahakal in Indore, the construction of the grand Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, along with numerous sacred pilgrimage sites connected to Sanatan tradition, are charting a new journey of development with their splendour,” said Yogi describing PM Modi as the driving force behind all this.“Today’s event is a proclamation of the renaissance of Indian cultural consciousness, spiritual tradition and national self-pride. The Somnath Swabhiman Parv is a novel effort to connect India with its roots. Kashi in north and Somnath in west are two immortal pillars of light of India’s civilizational consciousness,” Yogi said.While Kashi on the banks of the Ganga has kept the spiritual stream of Sanatan unbroken, Somnath has kept the flame of our self-pride and renaissance burning, he added.The guests present also watched the live telecast of PM Modi performing a special Mahapuja, along with Kumbhabhishek, flag hoisting, flower showering and other rituals during the main event being held at Somnath Temple in Gujarat.Cultural performances immerse audience in a ‘spiritual Ganga’Renowned artists made the atmosphere devotional and Shiv-centric through cultural performances at the Somnath Sankalp Mahotsav. The audience experienced immense bliss, as if taking a dip in the ‘spiritual Ganga’.Kathak dancer Ankita Bhattacharya, along with her team, performed Shiv Tandav, while Divya Srivastava and accompanying artists presented hymns in praise of Lord Somnath. Anshuman Maharaj of the Banaras Gharana and accompanying artists captivated the audience with a soulful sarod recital.