By Dr. C.D. Sreenivasa Murthy
The famous Somnath temple was in Junagadh State (or Junagarh, a Princely State in Gujarat) before Independence and was known for its splendour and wealth. It was first plundered and destroyed by Gazni Mahamood in 1025 and subsequently by many more foreign invaders. After India’s Independence and the accession of Junagarh State into Indian Union, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the then Union Home Minister, pledged that Somnath should be reconstructed and restored to its original glory. When Patel broached this subject with Mahatma Gandhi, Gandhiji endorsed the plan but said that the contribution for the reconstruction of the temple should come from the public. Patel accepted this advice. With the demise of Patel, the task of the restoration of the temple was ably led by K.M. Munshi, a Cabinet Minister in the then Prime Minister Nehru’s Government.
