Bhubaneswar, Jun 15: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday launched the Somnath Swabhiman Yatra 2026, flagging off a special train carrying around 1,100 devotees from the state to the Somnath Temple in Gujarat.

The yatra is part of a nationwide initiative celebrating India’s spiritual heritage and cultural identity. Addressing the gathering, CM Majhi described the pilgrimage as a journey of faith, devotion, and cultural pride. “Lord Jagannath in the East and Lord Somnath in the West symbolise India’s spiritual unity and timeless civilisational values,” he said.

ଓଡ଼ିଶାର ସାଂସ୍କୃତିକ ଓ ଆଧ୍ୟାତ୍ମିକ ଇତିହାସରେ ଆଜି ଏକ ସ୍ୱର୍ଣ୍ଣିମ ଅଧ୍ୟାୟ ସନ୍ନିବେଶିତ ହୋଇଛି। ଭୁବନେଶ୍ୱରଠାରେ ଆନୁଷ୍ଠାନିକ ଭାବେ ଐତିହାସିକ ‘ସୋମନାଥ ସ୍ୱାଭିମାନ ଯାତ୍ରା-୨୦୨୬’ ଅନ୍ତର୍ଗତ ଓଡ଼ିଶାର ପ୍ରାୟ ୧୧୦୦ରୁ ଅଧିକ ଶ୍ରଦ୍ଧାଳୁଙ୍କୁ ନେଇ ଗୁଜରାଟର ପବିତ୍ର ପ୍ରଭାସ ପାଟଣସ୍ଥିତ ପ୍ରଭୁ ସୋମନାଥଙ୍କ ଧାମ ଅଭିମୁଖେ ବାହାରିଥିବା… pic.twitter.com/EQESG65HbY

— Mohan Charan Majhi (@MohanMOdisha) June 15, 2026

The Chief Minister emphasized that the yatra commemorates 1,000 years since the 1026 AD attack on Somnath Temple by Mahmud of Ghazni and the 75th anniversary of the temple’s reconstruction after Independence. He noted that the reconstruction was undertaken under the inspiration of India’s first Deputy Prime Minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

CM Majhi also highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Vikas Bhi, Virasat Bhi”, under which Somnath has been developed into a world-class pilgrimage destination with modern facilities including museums, exhibition galleries, sea-facing pathways, and infrastructure under the PRASHAD scheme.

Apart from the 1,100 devotees from Odisha, more than 1,000 pilgrims from Lucknow and nearly 1,300 devotees from Delhi will also travel to Somnath as part of the initiative.
Also Read: PM Modi to Visit Odisha on June 20 for BJP Govt Anniversary

Odia Language, Literature and Culture Minister Suryabanshi Suraj said devotees from Odisha were carrying holy water from Bhubaneswar’s historic Bindusagar Lake and sacred soil from the Kedar Gouri Temple to Somnath, symbolizing the spiritual bond between Odisha and Gujarat.

The devotees will participate in temple darshan, grand evening aarti, Rudrabhishek rituals, continuous chanting of sacred mantras, and witness an advanced light-and-sound show depicting the temple’s glorious history.