This Somnath business: Letters reveal Nehru's 'unease' over temple reconstruction

At the Somnath Amrut Mahotsav in Gujarat marking 75 years since the restored Somnath Temple's inauguration, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said leaders involved in rebuilding the temple after Independence had faced opposition from India's first PM, Jawaharlal Nehru.

"Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and India's first President Dr Rajendra Prasad made immense efforts to rebuild the Somnath temple, but they faced opposition from then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. No power in the world can make India bow down or force it to yield to pressure," PM Modi said in his address.

The remarks drew attention to a series of letters written by Nehru in 1950 and 1951 concerning the reconstruction and consecration of the Somnath Temple. In the correspondence, addressed to several political leaders and officials, Nehru repeatedly expressed discomfort over any association of the Government of India with the temple project.

The letters were written to figures including KM Munshi (then Food Minister and chief organiser of the project), Rajendra Prasad, Jam Saheb of Nawanagar, Mridula Sarabhai and RR Diwakar.

In one of the letters, Nehru wrote:

"I have been much distressed at the association of the Government of India with the ceremony that is taking place at Somnath I think all this association is most unfortunate".

He also wrote:

"I have been feeling a little uncomfortable at your references to the rebuilding of the Somnath temple. As a Government, we cannot undertake the building of any religious edifices any project for a large scale building of a temple seems rather out of place".

The correspondence also reflected Nehru's concerns that any government role in the reconstruction could be interpreted as state endorsement of religion and could invite similar demands from other religious groups.

LETTER TO KM MUNSHI [JULY 20, 1950]

"My dear Munshi,

I have been feeling a little uncomfortable at your references to the rebuilding of the Somnath temple. As a Government, we cannot undertake the building of any religious edifices. If once we begin doing so, we might be asked to favour a variety of religions. Also in the present economic condition of the country and the great lack of residential accommodation, any project for a large scale building of a temple seems rather out of place.

Yours sincerely,
Jawaharlal Nehru"

Nehru also raised concerns over the participation of former President Rajendra Prasad in the consecration ceremony. Although Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had laid the foundation stone before his death and Rajendra Prasad intended to attend the ceremony in a personal capacity, Nehru expressed reservations.

LETTER TO C RAJAGOPALACHARI [MARCH 11, 1951]

"I wrote to him that while there was obviously no objection to his visiting this temple...on this particular occasion the inauguration of the temple would have a certain significance. I would have preferred if he had not associate himself in this way"

Even after Rajendra Prasad conveyed his decision to attend, Nehru continued to communicate his concerns in letters to RR Diwakar on April 28, 1951 and to the Jam Saheb on April 22, 1951.

A major point of concern for Nehru was the reported circulation of requests to Indian embassies abroad seeking waters from rivers such as the Hoang Ho, Yangtze and Pearl River, along with twigs from the Tien Shan mountains, for rituals linked to the consecration ceremony.

Nehru described the move as 'fantastic' and 'embarrassing' and said it could affect India's image as a secular state.

LETTER TO KM PANIKKAR [April 17, 1951]

"My dear Panikkar,

...I entirely agree with what you have written about the Somnath temple business. The whole thing is fantastic. I have in fact said so to the President and to Mr Munshi who is the chief patron and organiser. Indeed I asked the President not to associate himself with this. But he had already agreed and it was difficult for me to come in his way at this late stage. I have tried therefore to tone down the effects of his visit and what he is going to do there....

Yours sincerely,
Jawaharlal Nehru"

In another letter, Nehru stated:

"Our Ambassador in Peking writes to me that he has received a letter from the trustees of the Somnath temple asking the Embassy to collect and send waters I am myself equally upset at the thought..."

He also instructed embassies to avoid involvement in such requests and said foreign governments could perceive India as acting officially in a religious matter.

LETTER TO MRIDULA SARABHAI [April 24, 1951]

"My dear Mridula,

Your letter. This business of the Somnath temple has given me much trouble and as a matter of fact, sometime ago I spoke to Rajendra Babu about it and wrote to him also. After some correspondence, I said that having put my views before him clearly, I did not wish to come in the way of his personal inclination.

About Saurashtra giving 5 lakhs. I rather think that the news is not quite correct. I am not sure and I am enquiring. In any event, this had nothing to do with Rajendra Babu.

It is far too late to change the President’s plans now, even if he wanted to do so. I do not think it is worthwhile your writing to him. You may, if you like, see him and tell him briefly how you feel about it and about the criticism of the Gujarati Press to which you refer.

Yours,
Jawaharlal"

Nehru reiterated similar concerns in letters dated April 22, 1951 to both the Jam Saheb and KM Munshi. He wrote that the Government of India had "nothing to do with this matter" and also questioned reports that the Saurashtra government would spend Rs 5 lakh on the ceremony.

LETTER TO JAM SAHEB [April 22, 1951]

"My dear Jam Saheb,

I am greatly worried about this coming installation ceremony at the Somnath temple. If it was merely a private affair, it is none of my concern. But there is a widespread belief that this is a governmental affair. Some people think that the Government of India is concerned with it and certainly people believe that the Saurashtra Government is concerned. Indeed a news item in the Press stated that the Saurashtra Government is going to spend Rs 5 lakhs over this installation ceremony.

So far as the Government of India is concerned, I am going to make it perfectly clear in answer to questions in Parliament that they have nothing to do with this matter. But I can hardly say that about the Saurashtra Government, although I think their association as a Government is not proper and they should not spend Government funds on it. I have written to the Chief Minister about this also.

My real difficulty is that the President is going to the ceremony. I have pointed out to him that this might be misunderstood. But I do not wish to come in the way of his personal inclination in the matter.

I was surprised to learn the other day that you had issued some kind of a circular letter to various foreign missions of ours asking them to send waters of rivers and sometimes the soil from their respective countries. Some foreign missions have protested against this to us and pointed out that this puts them in a very false position. Anyhow an impression is created that we are moving governmentally in this matter. Your own position is not only that of Chairman of the Somnath trustees, but also that of Rajpramukh of Saurashtra. All this naturally is confusing to the foreign mind and leads them to draw certain inferences which are not really justified by the facts.

I do not quite know what I can do in the matter. But whenever occasion offers itself, I shall have to make it perfectly clear that we as a Government are not concerned with this ceremony. Pakistan of course is taking great advantage of this to try to prove that we are not a secular State. Poor Afghanistan has been dragged into the picture by a false story also.

Yours sincerely,
Jawaharlal Nehru"

While Nehru consistently opposed any official association of the state with the reconstruction effort, Patel had supported the rebuilding of the Somnath Temple after Independence. Rajendra Prasad attended the installation ceremony on May 11, 1951 despite Nehru's reservations.

KM Munshi, who played a key role in the reconstruction effort, later documented the rebuilding process and said the temple had been reconstructed through public contributions.