Overview
- The special train, which left Thursday from Bhopal’s Rani Kamalapati station, carried about 1,100 devotees and will take on more passengers at Ujjain.
- The pilgrimage is run by the Madhya Pradesh Culture Department under the Somnath Swabhiman Parv and includes prayers, rituals, and cultural programs in Somnath before a return on May 11.
- Before departure, the chief minister performed worship of a kalash filled with water from 21 rivers, presented as a symbol of unity and shared heritage.
- Yadav linked the yatra to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘heritage with development’ agenda and claimed Ujjain now draws nearly 150,000 daily visitors, a figure he cited to argue that religious tourism boosts local jobs and business.
- Somnath, revered as the first of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva, is often invoked as a sign of resilience after past destructions, and the broader Swabhiman Parv began with multi-state events in January.