Ayodhya, May 8 (IANS) People belonging from diverse walks of life on Friday hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to the Somnath Temple in Gujarat on May 11. Calling the temple a “symbol” of India’s heritage, they asserted that the country’s culture has thrived despite repeated attempts to destroy it.

PM Modi will attend a ceremony in Somnath marking 75 years since the inauguration of the restored temple.

Jagadguru Paramhansacharya, Head (Peethadheeshwar) of Tapasvi Chhavni, called PM Modi as the representative of all those who follow the ‘Sanantan’ culture.

“Prime Minister Modi is reviving India’s culture which was tarnished during the period of Mughal rule. Somnath Temple is the soul of India’s culture,” he told IANS.

He emphasised that India’s culture has continued to thrive for several thousand years despite repeated attempts to destroy it.

Ayodhya Municipal Corporation Mayor, Girish Pati Tripathi, said that the Somnath Temple is not only the first of 12 ‘Jyotirlingas’ in the country but also a symbol of India’s spiritual and eternal culture.

“The Somnath Temple reflects that those cultures and traditions cannot be destroyed whose followers are determined to revive them,” he added.

Referring to Ayodhya’s Ram Temple, he said: “As residents of Ayodhya, it is a matter of pride for us that after 500 years of struggle, we could revive our cultural heritage.”

“It is a symbol of the Sanatan culture’s revival which is being witnessed by the whole world,” he added.

Journalist Raghuvar Sharan mentioned that he does not think separately about a particular community or religion.

However, he echoed that the Somnath Temple is an identity of a community’s pride and struggles.

“Remembering its history would be inspiring for all Indians,” he told IANS.

He mentioned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s aim is to draw people’s attention towards the country’s pride and heritage.

Local resident Nitin Mishra said: “Somnath Temple remains the primary centre of people’s devotion despite having come under attack multiple times.”

Mishra added that the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and the Somanth Temple in Gujarat are “symbols of our cultural renaissance”.

“Our heritage is a reflection of the fact that our ‘Sanatan’ has been so prosperous that no number of attacks will be able to destroy it,” he said.

–IANS

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