Somnath: A brief history of the temple, and why Nehru opposed the President inaugurating it
Context- On January 22, the Ram temple in Ayodhya will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This event mirrors a similar one from seventy-three years ago when a temple was opened in a lavish ceremony by the President of India, despite the Prime Minister’s objections to the government’s close involvement with a religious occasion.
The narrative of Jawaharlal Nehru expressing his concerns about President Rajendra Prasad’s attendance at the ceremony is widely recognized. However, Nehru’s reasons for his reservations are often overlooked in common narratives. The role of the British in portraying Somnath as a symbol of Hindu victimization by Muslims is also frequently disregarded.
Somnath, till 1947
- The Somnath temple, located in Prabhas Patan, Veraval, Gujarat, is a significant Hindu pilgrimage site. It has faced numerous attacks throughout history, notably by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1026 CE. However, not all Muslim rulers were against it.
- For instance, Akbar allowed the worship of the linga in the temple in the 16th century.
- Three generations after Akbar, Aurangzeb ordered the temple’s destruction and its conversion into a mosque. The temple gradually fell into disrepair until 1782, when Maratha queen Ahalyabai Holkar built a small temple at the site.
- In 1842, British Governor General Lord Ellenborough highlighted the temple as a symbol of Islamic excesses on Hindus. He claimed to have avenged an 800-year-old insult by returning the “gates of Somnath” taken by Mahmud of Ghazni, although these gates were later found to be unrelated to the temple.
- This narrative persisted, and as communal tensions rose before Independence, many Hindus saw the restoration of Somnath as crucial to Hindu pride, with Congress leader K M Munshi being one of the most vocal proponents.
After Independence
- Following Independence, the Nawab of Junagadh, where the Somnath temple is situated, chose to join Pakistan, a decision that was largely opposed by his subjects. This led to a rebellion, forcing the Nawab to flee.
- On November 12, 1947, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who was India’s Home Minister at the time, visited Junagadh. During a large public meeting, he announced plans to rebuild the Somnath temple.
- The Union Cabinet, led by Nehru, supported this decision. However, when Patel, Munshi, and others informed Mahatma Gandhi about the plan, he proposed that the project should be funded by the public rather than the government.
- This suggestion was accepted, and a Trust was subsequently established under Munshi to oversee the project.
Nehru’s letters to Rajendra Prasad on Somnath
- By the time the Somnath temple was ready for inauguration, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had passed away. K M Munshi approached President Rajendra Prasad for the inauguration, despite Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s opposition.
- Nehru expressed his concerns about the government associating with a religious event in letters to Prasad and the Chief Ministers. He was particularly concerned about the Saurashtra government’s contribution of Rs 5 lakh towards the ceremony, given the country’s economic conditions.
- Nehru also opposed a circular sent to Indian ambassadors asking them to collect and send water from major rivers and soil and twigs from mountains of the countries they were accredited to, for the temple. He asked the Ministry of External Affairs to ignore these requests.
Conclusion- The reconstruction of the Somnath temple in the post-Independence era of India was a significant event that highlighted the complexities of a secular government engaging with religious institutions. Despite opposition from Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who was concerned about the implications of the government’s association with a religious ceremony, the temple was rebuilt.
The event underscored the delicate balance between respecting religious sentiments and maintaining the secular fabric of the nation. It also brought to the fore the enduring influence of historical narratives in shaping contemporary socio-political discourse. The Somnath temple, thus, stands not just as a religious monument, but also as a symbol of a critical juncture in India’s history.
