Mega Drone Show Features Somnath Temple and Lord Shiva

A stunning drone show illuminated the night sky with depictions of the Somnath temple and Lord Shiva, witnessed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Somnath Swabhiman Parv, marking a historic milestone.

India

-Krishna Kripa

A
spectacular
drone
show
illuminated
the
night
sky
near
the
ancient
Somnath
temple
on
Saturday.
The
event,
part
of
the
Somnath
Swabhiman
Parv,
featured
thematic
formations
like
images
of
Lord
Shiva
and
a
shivling.
Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi,
who
was
visiting
the
temple
town
for
two
days,
attended
the
show,
officials
confirmed.

The
Swabhiman
Parv
commemorates
1,000
years
since
Mahmud
of
Ghazni’s
invasion
of
the
Somnath
temple.
Despite
numerous
attempts
to
destroy
it,
the
temple
stands
as
a
symbol
of
resilience
and
national
pride.
The
Prime
Minister’s
Office
stated
that
collective
efforts
have
restored
it
to
its
former
glory.

Drone
Show
Highlights

The
drone
show
was
described
as
one
of
the
largest
near
a
temple
site
in
India.
It
paid
tribute
to
historical
figures
like
Vallabhbhai
Patel
and
Veer
Hamirji
Gohil.
Gohil
was
a
16th-century
Rajput
warrior
known
for
defending
the
temple
against
invaders.
The
show
also
depicted
Prime
Minister
Modi
in
separate
formations.

BotLab,
a
tech
company
incubated
at
IIT
Delhi,
executed
the
show.
They
previously
organised
drone
displays
for
significant
events,
such
as
Ayodhya’s
Ram
temple
ceremony
in
January
2024.
A
BotLab
team
member
described
it
as
a
“thematic
aerial
narrative” blending
spirituality,
history,
and
national
identity.

Historical
Significance

The
show
included
a
depiction
of
the
destruction
faced
by
the
Somnath
temple
over
the
past
century.
After
India’s
independence,
Vallabhbhai
Patel
led
restoration
efforts.
A
key
milestone
was
reached
in
1951
when
President
Rajendra
Prasad
formally
opened
the
restored
temple
to
devotees.

One
formation
illustrated
Shiv
Tandav,
symbolising
divine
energy
and
balance.
Another
displayed
‘Akhand
Somnath,
Akhand
Bharat’,
representing
civilisational
continuity.
These
formations
aligned
with
specific
historical
or
spiritual
themes,
according
to
a
company
representative.

Visual
Spectacle

The
planned
formations
included
a
280-metre
image
of
Lord
Shiva
and
a
330-metre
shivaling.
“According
to
the
plan,
the
show
will
feature
3,000
drones
and
last
around
15
minutes,”
said
a
person
familiar
with
the
matter
earlier.

The
main
road
leading
to
the
temple
was
adorned
with
hoardings
and
banners
for
the
occasion.
Many
banners
bore
the
festival’s
name
and
‘Akhand
Somnath,
Akhand
Bharat’ inscription.
This
visual
spectacle
combined
precision-controlled
light
formations
with
cultural
narratives.

The
sequence
depicted
Somnath’s
journey
from
cosmic
origins
to
modern
India.
It
highlighted
how
spirituality
and
history
intertwine
with
national
identity
through
these
aerial
displays.

With
inputs
from
PTI