Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, right, and State Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath perform rituals at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Photo: @CMOfficeUP/X via PTI
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday (May 11, 2026) in Varanasi, described the history and present of Sanatan Dharma as glorious, adding that foreign invaders attempted to destroy India’s spiritual and cultural identity, but they could not break the soul of India.
“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. The everlasting call of India’s immortality and timelessness is evident in its spiritual and cultural heritage. Those who attempted to obliterate Sanatan have ultimately become dust. Presently, there remains no one to even recall the names of those invaders. The Sanatan culture is indomitable,” said Mr. Adityanath
He was addressing the ‘Somnath Sankalp Mahotsav’ organised as part of the Somnath Swabhiman Parv at the Tryambakeshwar Multipurpose Hall in the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham complex.
The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister added that under the inspiration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the vision of ‘Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat’ is becoming a reality. “Kashi Vishwanath Dham, the establishment of Mahakal Mahalok, the grand Ram Mandir at Shri Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya and several other sacred pilgrimage sites associated with the Sanatan tradition are embarking on a new journey of development while restoring their grandeur,” said the Chief Minister, thanking the Prime Minister on behalf of the people of U.P.
The U.P. CM said the ‘Somnath Sankalp Mahotsav’ marks the clarion call for the resurgence of India’s cultural consciousness, spiritual tradition and national self-respect. “Kashi and Somnath are two eternal pillars of India’s civilisational consciousness. On one side stands Baba Vishwanath Dham on the sacred banks of Maa Ganga in the north, and on the other stands Lord Somnath Mahadev, the first Jyotirlinga, on the western seashore. While Kashi has preserved the uninterrupted spiritual stream of Sanatan on the banks of the Ganga, Somnath has kept alive the flame of our self-respect and renaissance,” he said.
“Kashi Vishwanath Dham and Somnath Temple now serve as emblems of pride and recount the story of India’s self-respect. Iron Man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Ji had committed to the reconstruction of the Somnath Temple. In spite of numerous obstacles and challenges, Patel proceeded resolutely. The rebuilding of the Somnath Temple symbolized liberation from subjugation and the revival of the nation’s dignity. This same spirit is also evident in Kashi,” said Mr. Adityanath.
Mr. Adityanath accused certain elements for opposing the advancement of spiritual and cultural sites that represent India’s self-respect. “These are the same individuals who resisted the re-establishment ceremony of the Somnath Temple and consistently obstructed the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. However, under the effective leadership of the Prime Minister, we are currently witnessing the celebrations of the Swabhiman Parv and the Amrit Parv for the re-establishment of Somnath Mahadev from Kashi Vishwanath Dham,” said the CM, adding India’s first President Dr. Rajendra Prasad, despite opposition from the government of that time, attended the re-establishment ceremony of Somnath Mahadev Temple 75 years ago.
On the occasion, U.P. Minister Anil Rajbhar, Dayashankar Mishra ‘Dayalu’, Hansraj Vishwakarma, Mayor Ashok Tiwari, MLAs Tribhuvan Ram, Avdhesh Singh, Saurabh Srivastava, Sunil Patel, Legislative Council member Dharmendra Singh, District Panchayat Chairperson Poonam Maurya, Kashi Vidwat Parishad President and Padma awardee Prof. Vashishtha Tripathi were present.
Published – May 11, 2026 04:29 pm IST
