Priyanka Chopra's Telugu greeting steals the show at Varanasi event. Watch

On this Special Report, India Today's Gujarat Bureau Chief Brijesh Doshi reports from the Somnath Temple on the 'Somnath Swabhiman Parv'. The event marks 1000 years since Mahmud of Ghazni's attack and 75 years since Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's dream of the temple's redevelopment. A key part of the celebration is the 'Sauriya Yatra', a tribute to ancient warriors, as Brijesh Doshi explains, 'this is the showcasing of the, and it is giving a tribute to those fighters who fought for the pride of the Somnath 1000 years ago.' The Prime Minister, who is also the chairman of the Somnath Trust, is scheduled to participate in the yatra, perform a special puja, and address a gathering on the temple's long history of resilience and reconstruction. The report also recounts the fierce battle in 1026, where over 5000 devotees died defending the sacred Jyotirlingam from invaders.

In this special report, India Today's correspondent Piyush Mishra covers Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to Gujarat for the 'Somnath Swabhiman Parva'. The event marks a millennium of the temple's resilience since the 1026 invasion. Mishra reports that 'the big message which PM Narendra Modi has been sending out to the people is that this 1000 year of fight is not about remembering what happened 1000 years back, but it is also about telling to the people as to how our ancestors have fought back.' The Prime Minister participated in a 72-hour Omkar chanting, witnessed a drone show, and is set to lead a 'Shaurya Yatra', a procession with 108 horses honouring the warriors who defended the shrine. The report highlights the spiritual significance of Somnath as the first of the twelve Jyotirlingas, standing as a symbol of India's enduring faith and civilisational spirit.

In a candid reflection on India Today's UnPolitics podcast, India's first individual Olympic gold medallist, Abhinav Bindra, reveals the profound personal cost of his historic 2008 Beijing Olympics victory. The decorated shooter details his obsessive and unconventional training methods, which included recreating the Olympic shooting range in a marriage hall and undergoing laser surgery for stability.

A major aviation scare unfolded in Odisha when a nine-seater India One aircraft on its way from Bhubaneswar to Rourkela crash-landed. The pilots executed a controlled forced landing in an open area about 15-20 km from the airport after sending a May Day call, averting a more significant tragedy. Seven people were reported injured and were subsequently rushed to hospitals in Rourkela. An unidentified official stated that a probe has been ordered, noting, 'The special investigation team came to ensure that the aircraft should not be touched.' The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) have been informed and are monitoring the situation closely.