Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani recently visited Gujarat’s iconic Somnath Temple, accompanied by wife Nita Ambani and son Anant Ambani. The family offered prayers at the revered shrine, continuing a long-standing personal tradition.
Visuals from the visit were shared by news agency PTI, showing the Ambanis performing rituals at the temple amid tight security. The family is known to visit the Somnath Mahadev Temple at the beginning of each year, seeking blessings before embarking on new personal and professional journeys. They had made a similar visit last year as well.
Located at Prabhas Patan near Veraval in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, the Somnath temple holds immense religious significance. It is believed to be the first among the twelve jyotirlinga shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva and is one of the most prominent pilgrimage sites in the country. Apart from its spiritual importance, Somnath is also a major tourist destination, drawing devotees and visitors from across India and abroad.
According to a Sanskrit inscription on one of the towers within the temple complex, the path from the shrine’s southern direction to the South Pole is unobstructed, a detail that often draws the interest of devotees and historians alike. Over centuries, the temple has stood as a symbol of resilience, having been rebuilt multiple times following destruction.
The temple visit comes at a time when Mukesh Ambani is also in the spotlight for outlining an ambitious technological vision for Reliance Industries Limited. In a recent manifesto addressed to over 600,000 Reliance employees and their families, Ambani described Artificial Intelligence as “the most consequential technological development in human history”.
He said the world has only seen “the tip of the iceberg” when it comes to AI’s potential, adding that, if deployed responsibly, it could help solve some of humanity’s most complex challenges. “It is our responsibility to contribute to the shaping of that future, for India and the rest of the world,” Ambani stated, signalling Reliance’s intent to play a leading role in India’s AI-driven transformation.
Ambani outlined Reliance’s goal of becoming an “AI-native deep-tech company”, building on its role in India’s digital revolution. He emphasised a clear national objective, stating that the group’s motto is “Affordable AI for every Indian”, aimed at transforming every aspect of the economy and daily life. The first phase of Reliance’s AI roadmap will focus on integrating AI across its internal operations, with the aim of delivering a significant improvement in productivity and outcomes across the organisation.
