WATCH: PM Modi attends thrilling IAF Surya Kiran airshow at Somnath Temple celebrations

The Indian Air Force's renowned Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) presented an air show over the Somnath Temple on May 11 as part of the 'Somnath Amrut Mahotsav-2026' celebrations marking 75 years of the temple's reconstruction. The event was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who also took part in the Vishesh Maha Puja, followed by the Kumbhabhishek and Dhvajarohan ceremonies, marking the consecration rituals and hoisting of the temple flag.

An officials released confirmed that rehearsal for this event was conducted over the temple on Sunday morning, where spectators gathered in large numbers, lauding the work of pilots after they executed precision formations and close-range flying show in the skies above the temple town.

The team, headed by Group Captain Ajay Dasharathi, consists of 13 pilots, while around 25 to 30 Indian Air Force personnel from the Jamnagar station oversee operational duties such as flypast coordination, aviation safety, bird hazard control, weather monitoring, and signal communication, according to the release.

Established in 1996, the Surya Kiran team has performed more than 800 aerial displays across India and has also represented the Indian Air Force internationally in countries including China, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates, the statement added.

Also read: ‘Curb fuel use, avoid foreign travel and buying gold,’ PM Modi appeals nation to help tide over crisis