SOMNATH TEMPLE

Somnath Temple is one of the holiest pilgrimage destinations in India located in Prabhas
Patan Kshetra near Veraval in Saurashtra on the western coast of Gujarat. Somnath
temple is also referred to as Deo Pattan, Somnath Pattan or Prabhas Pattan. This
sacred temple is dedicated to Someshwara, another name of Lord Shiva. Somnath
means Lord of the Moon. The Shiva linga residing in the temple is one of the 12
jyotirlinga shrines of Lord Shiva in India. Millions of devotees visit the temple every year
to attain salvation.

History and Legend

1) Lord of Moon, Somraj had 27 wives all of whom were daughters of Daksha
Prajapati.
2) Somrajs growing partiality and infatuation towards Rohini and negligence towards
his other 26 wives infuriated father-in-law Daksha and he cursed Somraj to wane
and die.
3) Somraj followed Lord Bhramas advice and worshipped Lord Shiva to release him
from the curse. Lord Shiva cured Somrajs illness and gave him a privilege that in a
month, he would grow for fifteen days in one half and in the other half he would keep
losing one shade per day and decrease in size. Hence Somraj built the temple to
honor Lord Shiva.
4) Since the moon recuperated his light here, the town is also referred as Prabhasa.
5) The temple was originally built in gold by Somraj, the Moon God and later re-built by
Ravana with silver, then by Lord Krishna with sandalwood and then by King Bhimdev
of Anhilwad with stone.
6) The Somnath temple is considered a place of pride for Hindus. The temple has been
attacked and destroyed several times but has proven its miraculous magnetic power
by being revived by the faithful devotees after each time it was destroyed. Many
invaders either destroyed some parts of the temple or looted its wealth since in
ancient times, the temple was known as the treasure trove of wealth and goodies.
7) It is believed that the first temple was built before the Christian era. Maitraka Kings
of Vallabhi built the second temple. Arab governor of Sindh, Al-Junayd destroyed the
temple during invasion. The third temple was built by Pratihara King Nagabhata II.
There is no evidence or any historical record of an attack on Somnath by Al-Junayd.
But since it is known that Nagabhata has visited Someshwara during the time, he is
believed to have constructed the temple. Paramara King Bhoj of Malwa and Solanki
King constructed the fourth temple. Afghan ruler, Mahmud of Ghazni destroyed the
fourth temple. The fifth temple was constructed by Kumarpal and was destroyed by
Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. The reconstruction of the present temple began in 1947

by the then Deputy PM of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The First President of
India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad installed the Jyotirling in the new temple in 1951.

Significance of the Temple

1) The present temple is built in the Chalukya style of architecture.
2) The 155 feet and seven-storied structure of Somnath reflects the brilliance and skill
of the master masons of Gujarat.
3) Somnath temple also has Shikhara, Garbhagriha, Sabha Mandap and Nritya
Mandap. The Kalash on the top of the Shikhara weighs 10 tonnes.
4) The flag mast on the peak is 37 feet long and is changed three times during the day.
5) The temple is built in such a manner that no land can be seen from Somnath
seashore till Antarctica. An arrow indicates the direction.
6) Somnath is also considered sacred due to the joining of three rivers Hiran, Kapila
and Sarasvati. The unison of the three rivers is known as Triveni Sangam.
7) Bakhla Tirth near Somnath temple is where Lord Krishna was struck by an arrow hit
by Jara, a tribal. Lord Krishna walked from Bakhla Tirth to Gita Mandir for 4km with a
wounded foot and eventually ended his lila on earth and left the planet.
8) Rich historical significance and high religious value of Somnath Temple attracts vast
number of pilgrims as well as tourists from India and abroad.
Somnath Temple Timings

Darshan timing of Somnath temple is from 6am to 10pm.

Aarti timings are 7am morning, 12pm noon and 7pm evening.
Light and Sound show (except in the monsoon season) timing is 8pm to 9pm.
Non Hindus have to take prior permission to enter the temple from the Trusts
General Manager.
There is bus facility available for Tirth Darshan which takes pilgrims to nearby
temples for darshan. Bus leaves from the main gate of the temple and the timings
are from 8:30am to 3:30pm.

Dress Code
Short skirts, shorts and disrespectful dress are not permitted inside the temple. Smoking
is not allowed within the temple premises at all times. All electronic equipments and
gadgets are strictly prohibited inside the temple. Lockers in Cloak Room are available to
store electronic valuables.
Poojas and Rituals

Over 30 types of pooja and abhishek are performed at Somnath temple. The rate for
each pooja and abhishek can be viewed on Somnath temples official website http://www.somnath.org/donation/HostedPaymentIndex.aspx

Festivals
Major events followed and celebrated at Somnath temple are Shravan Month, Shivratri,
Golokdham Utsav, Kartik Purnima Fair (5 days) and Somnath Sthapana Divas

How to Reach: Road, Rail and Air

Road State Transport Corporation buses and private coaches run regular service to
other cities in the region. Veraval is 7kms, Junagarh is 85kms, Porbandar is 122kms,
Bhavnagar is 266kms, Ahmedabad is 400kms and Mumbai is 889kms from Somnath.
Rail Veraval is the nearest railway station which is 7kms away from Somnath and is
also well connected by train to Ahmedabad and other cities in Gujarat.
Air Keshod is the nearest airport which is 55kms away from Somnath. Regular buses
and taxis are easily available from Keshod to Somnath.
Local transport Buses, private taxis, auto rickshaws and chhakadas are available to
move around Somnath.

Where to Stay
Shree Somnath Trust provides guest house facilities at Lilavati Atithi Bhavan,
Maheshwari Atithi Bhavan and Sagar Darshan Atithi Gruh. Guest house services are
simple but reasonable for a comfortable stay.

Where to Eat
Every guest house has a restaurant / bhojanalay which serve Indian Thali along with
various types of Gujarati, Punjabi and Chinese cuisines.

Nearby Temples

Balkha Tirth is a sacred place near Somnath which is famous for the spot where
Lord Krishna was shot on his foot. The temple at Balkha Tirth is known as
Mahaprabhujis Bethak.

Dehotsarg Tirth is situated on the backs of Hiran, at a distance of 2kms from

Somnath Temple. Lord Krishna walked a distance of 4kms from Balkha Tirth towards
Dehotsarg after he was hit by an arrow on his foot. Lord Krishna bathed in the
Triveni Sangam and then left his body at Dehotsarg. The temples situated here are
Lakshmi Narayan Mandir and The Gita Mandir.

Ahilyabai Temple also known as Old Somnath Temple is situated opposite the new
Somnath temple. This temple was reconstructed by the Queen of the Kingdom of
Malwa, Ahilyabai Holkar since she was deeply moved by the devastated condition of
the temple. It is believed that this temple has the original jyotirling which was buried
here assuming that the original temple might get raided.

Veneshwar Mahadev is a twelfth century ancient temple located in front of the

SomnathDharamshala Gate. As the myth goes, when Mahmud of Ghazni attacked
Somnath, Muslim Generals made plans to abduct Kind Vajas daughter, Veni. Veni
who daily visited the temple and worshipped the linga, surrendered in front of Shiva
asking for his help. At this, the linga was divided into two and Veni was taken inside.
To this day, the mark of the linga splitting open and an impression of her hair left out
is still very visible.