Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], January 9 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Somnath on January 10 and 11. Under his leadership and the guidance of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, the Government of Gujarat has organised 'Somnath Swabhiman Parv 2026' at Somnath, creating a deeply devotional atmosphere. To keep Somnath clean and sacred during the festival, the urban administration and sanitation workers are making a significant contribution, a press release stated.
To strengthen the devotional atmosphere through cleanliness, the urban administration and sanitation workers have played a key role. With coordinated efforts from various municipalities, a large-scale cleanliness drive is actively being implemented.
A large workforce has been mobilised to keep Somnath clean. More than 300 sanitation workers from Veraval Municipality and over 700 from Ahmedabad, Junagadh, Bhavnagar, and other municipal areas, totalling more than 1,000 workers, are deployed here. For the past five days, they have been working continuously, day and night, to maintain cleanliness in Somnath and Veraval.
Along with road cleaning and waste collection, excess grass removal and trimming of trees and foliage along the roads are being carried out on a priority basis. Intensive cleaning of main roads is being undertaken through modern mechanised sweeping machines. In addition, special sanitation teams have been deployed at accommodation facilities and community kitchen sites set up for devotees arriving from outside. For the convenience of pilgrims, arrangements for more than 40 mobile toilets (portable toilets) have also been ensured at various locations.
The 'Somnath Swabhiman Parv' held at Somnath is a major devotional festival witnessing lakhs of devotees. In this context, the efforts of the urban administration and sanitation workers are commendable. Their tireless work has ensured that Somnath and Veraval remain clean, beautiful, and sacred.
The Prime Minister will arrive in Somnath in the evening on 10th January. At around 8 PM, he will participate in Omkar Mantra chanting and thereafter view the drone show at the Somnath temple, the statement from the Prime Minister's Office said.
According to the statement, on January 11 at around 9:45 AM, PM Modi will take part in the Shaurya Yatra, a ceremonial procession organised to honour the countless warriors who laid down their lives defending the Somnath Temple. Thereafter, at around 10:15 AM, the Prime Minister will perform Darshan and Pooja in Somnath Temple. At around 11 AM, the Prime Minister will participate in a public function marking Somnath Swabhiman Parv.
Later in the day, Prime Minister will travel to Rajkot to participate in the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference for the Kutch and Saurashtra regions. At around 1:30 PM, he will inaugurate the trade show and exhibition at the conference. At around 2 PM, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference for the Kutch and Saurashtra Region at Marwadi University, Rajkot, and also address the gathering on the occasion.
From Rajkot, Prime Minister will travel to Ahmedabad. At around 5:15 PM at Mahatma Mandir metro station, Prime Minister will inaugurate the remaining stretch of Phase 2 of Ahmedabad metro from Sector 10A to Mahatma Mandir.
On 12th January, Prime Minister will meet the Federal Chancellor of Germany, H.E. Friedrich Merz, in Ahmedabad. At around 9:30 AM, the two leaders will visit the Sabarmati Ashram, followed by their participation in the International Kite Festival at the Sabarmati Riverfront at around 10 AM.