On July 20, 2026, the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Bihar, Shri Samrat Choudhary, flagged off the 'Somnath Swabhiman Yatra' from Patliputra Junction in Patna, Bihar. A special train, carrying more than 1,100 devotees, embarked on a spiritual and cultural journey to the sacred Somnath Jyotirlinga in Gujarat as part of the ‘Somnath Swabhiman Parv,’ an initiative of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, to commemorate 1,000 years of unwavering faith, devotion and the enduring legacy of Somnath and 75 years since its post-independence reconstruction and reopening in 1951.
The event was also graced by Shri Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Hon'ble Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Water Resource, Government of Bihar; Dr. Pramod Kumar, Hon’ble Minister of Art, Culture and Youth, Mines and Geology, Government of Bihar; Shri Ram Kripal Yadav, Hon’ble Minister of Cooperation, Government of Bihar; Shri Sanjeev Chaurasia, MLA, Digha; and Shri Sanjay Saraogi, MLA, Darbhanga, along with other dignitaries, officials and devotees.
Addressing the gathering, Hon’ble CM of Bihar, Shri Samrat Choudhary, remarked that more than 1,100 devotees travelling to Somnath were representing Bihar and its people. Carrying the sacred Kalash and Dhwaj, they embodied the aspirations and sentiments of nearly 14 crore people of the state. Further in his address, the Hon’ble CM also highlighted the significance of Somnath Temple as a symbol of India’s glorious civilisational heritage and cultural resilience.
During the event, Hon’ble Deputy CM of Bihar, Shri Vijay Kumar Choudhary, said that the pilgrims were carrying with them the emotions and sentiments of the people of Bihar to the sacred feet of Lord Somnath. He said that the yatra represented Bihar’s deep cultural and spiritual connection with the civilisational heritage of India.
The 6-day ‘Somnath Swabhiman Yatra’ from Bihar, ending on 26th July 2026, is part of a special nationwide initiative of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, under the ‘Somnath Swabhiman Parv’, and will include spiritual and cultural activities like evening aarti and a visit to the sacred Somnath Temple, among others. Through its ‘Chalo Chalein Somnath’ campaign, the Ministry is facilitating citizens from across the country to connect with the sacred Somnath Jyotirlinga and engage with India’s rich spiritual, historical and cultural heritage. So far, nine such yatras have already been successfully flagged off from states including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, New Delhi, J&K, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh.
