1,150 Devotees Head to Somnath on Flagged Train from Patna

Patna, July 20 – A specially arranged train, green‑flagged by Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, set out from Patna Junction carrying 1,150 devotees on a pilgrimage to the Somnath Jyotirlinga.

The launch was part of the "Somnath Svabhiman Parv", an event designed to boost religious tourism and showcase Bihar’s cultural legacy. The chief minister inspected the train’s facilities, spoke with passengers and extended wishes for a blessed and secure voyage.

The ceremony began with the lighting of a diya, the beating of drums and the sound of conch shells, aligning with the festival’s motto "Somnath Svabhiman Parv – A Tale of Unbreakable Faith". The CM awarded a ceremonial kalash to devotee Shobha Singh and a flag to Ajit Kumar, symbolising the state’s pride.

In his address, the CM noted that the pilgrims hailed from various districts of Bihar. He said the flags and kalashes accompanying the journey embody Bihar’s dignity, self‑respect and cultural heritage, and urged the travelers to spread the message of Bihar’s rich traditions and eternal values across the country.

Comprehensive arrangements for comfort and security have been put in place. The chief minister affirmed that with Lord Somnath’s blessings, development will flourish in Gujarat and across India, and that Bihar will also ascend to new peaks of prosperity and cultural renaissance.

He recalled the historic sack of the Somnath temple by invaders a millennium ago and the destruction of the great Nalanda University. He highlighted the temple’s reconstruction 75 years after independence, largely due to the efforts of Dr. Rajendra Prasad, and praised recent initiatives by national leaders that have revived Nalanda as a symbol of India’s cultural resurgence.