Ahmedabad, May 8 (IANS) As the Somnath temple prepares to complete 75 years since its reconstruction on May 11, a five-day religious observance, ‘Somnath Amrit Parv-2026’, began on Friday at the shrine in Gujarat with the commencement of rituals and ceremonies, drawing a steady flow of devotees from across India.

The celebrations opened at the temple’s yagna hall with recitative Atirudra rituals conducted by the Sompura Brahmin community.

Organisers said 51 Brahmins will participate in the Atirudra chanting sessions over five days, performing the recitations twice daily in morning and evening sittings lasting around three hours each.

From Saturday, the programme will expand with a three-day Homatmak Maharudra Yagna. In this segment, 45 Brahmins will carry out ritual offerings in accordance with scriptural procedures, with an estimated 1.25 lakh oblations to be made over the course of the ceremonies.

Sompura Brahmin community president Hemalbhai Bhatt said the rituals have been organised in connection with the completion of 75 years of the temple’s reconstruction.

“The observance is being undertaken through traditional Vedic practices and collective chanting as part of the Amrit Parv commemorations,” he said.

Bhatt added that the yagna has also been arranged with the intention of promoting global peace and human welfare at a time when international tensions and conflicts are ongoing in several parts of the world.

On May 11, marking the culmination of the celebrations, a Kumbhabhishek ritual will be performed at the temple spire using water collected from 11 sacred pilgrimage sites.

The ceremony will be conducted with Vedic chanting and prescribed scriptural rites. Throughout the Amrit Parv, the temple has been specially decorated for the occasion, with arrangements made for continuous rituals and worship.

The site has also seen a significant influx of devotees from different states, many of whom have been participating in darshan and witnessing the ongoing Vedic ceremonies.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also scheduled to visit Somnath in Gujarat on May 11, coinciding with the culmination of the Amrit Parv.

According to official details of his programme, he will perform darshan and pooja at the Somnath Temple and participate in the concluding rituals.

The five-day observance is expected to continue through multiple religious programmes leading up to the anniversary date, with the rituals forming the central focus of the commemorative events at the Somnath shrine.

–IANS

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