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Somnath Temple

  • Somnath Temple

Temple

Somnath Temple

The intricately carved honey-coloured Somnath temple on the western edge of the state is believed to be the place where the first of the twelve holy jyotirlingas emerged in India – a spot where Shiva appeared as a fiery column of light. The temples lies at the meeting of Kapila, Hiran and Sarasvati rivers and the waves of the Arabian Sea ebb and flow touching the shore on which it is constructed. The ancient temple’s timeline can be traced from 649 BC but is believed to be older than that. The present form was reconstructed in 1951. Colourful dioramas of the Shiva story line the north side of the temple garden, though it’s hard to see them through the hazy glass. A one-hour sound-and-light show in Amitabh Bachchan’s baritone highlights the temple nightly at 7.45pm.

Somnath is traditionally considered the first pilgrimage site: the Dwadash Jyotirlinga pilgrimage begins with the Somnath Temple. The temple, that was destroyed and re-built sixteen times, is held in reverence throughout India and is rich in legend, tradition, and history. The Somnath temple, also called Somanātha temple or Deo Patan, is a Hindu temple located in Prabhas Patan, Veraval in Gujarat, India.It is about 400 kilometres (249 mi) southwest of Ahmedabad, 82 kilometres (51 mi) south of Junagadh – another major archaeological and pilgrimage site in Gujarat. It is about 7 kilometres (4 mi) southeast of the Veraval railway junction, about 130 kilometres (81 mi) southeast of the Porbandar airport and about 85 kilometres (53 mi) west of the Diu airport.
The temple was reconstructed several times in the past after repeated destruction by multiple Muslim invaders and rulers, notably starting from an attack by Mahmud Ghazni in the 11th century. The Somnath temple was actively studied by colonial era historians and archaeologists in the 19th- and early 20th-century, when its ruins illustrated a historic Hindu temple in the process of being converted into an Islamic mosque. After India's independence, those ruins were demolished and the present Somnath temple was reconstructed in the Māru-Gurjara style of Hindu temple architecture. The contemporary Somnath temple's reconstruction was started under the orders of the first Deputy Prime Minister of India Vallabhbhai Patel after receiving approval for reconstruction from Mahatma Gandhi. The reconstruction was completed in May 1951 after his death.

Significance of this temple is Somnath means "Lord of the Soma" or "moon".The site is also called Prabhasa ("place of splendor").Somnath temple has been a jyotirlinga site for the Hindus, and a holy place of pilgrimage (tirtha ). It is one of five most revered sites on the seacoast of India, along with the nearby Dvaraka in Gujarat, Puri in Odisha, Rameshvaram and Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu.

Address

Somnath Mandir Rd, Somnath, Prabhas Patan, Veraval(Somnath)‎,Gir Somnath Dist, Gujarat 362268

Veraval(Somnath)‎,Gir Somnath Dist, Gujarat

How to reach?

By air:

The nearest airport to reach Somnath is located in Diu, which is nearly 65 km away. It’s not a typical commercial airport but a civilian aerodrome serving bordering regions of the state, such as Veraval and Jafrabad. You will find regular taxis and commuter buses, which you can opt to reach Somnath. Besides, Sardar Vallabhai Patel Airport in Ahmedabad is the closest international airport.

By road:

Somnath connects well to major cities in Gujarat like Ahmedabad, Junagadh, Dwarka and Chorwad by state roadways.Somnath is well-connected by buses to nearby cities as multiple options are available. Luxury buses, non-AC and AC buses are available, which you can opt as per your budget. Air-conditioned buses from Diu to Somnath costs less than INR 500 per person. In addition, regular private buses run on a daily basis from cities like Rajkot, Porbandar and Ahmedabad.

By Train – Veraval Railway Station is the nearest railway station to Somnath which is hardly 5 km away. This railway station is well connected to major Indian cities including Mumbai and Ahmedabad. Many trains run on these routes daily. From the railway station, you can hire a taxi or cab to reach Somnath.

Where to stay?

There are many hotels and dharamshalas available to stay.Pilgrims can avail the guest house facilities of Shree Somnath Trust. Trust maintains a VIP Guest House, Eighteen other guest houses and an economical dormitory. The total number of rooms in the trust guest houses are in excess of Two hundred.

Dress Code

Traditional Indian Dress

Special Rules

No Special Rules

Special

About Somnath Temple

It is believed that Chandra, the moon god, was married to the 27 daughters of Daksha Prajapati. However, he favored Rohini over all the rest. This angered Prajapati, who insisted that he be impartial in his affections. When Chandra did not heed his warnings, Prajapati cursed him and made him lose his luster. Without moonlight, the world became dark; so all the gods requested Prajapati to retract his curse. Daksha suggested that Chandra pray to Lord Shiva, which is why the Lord is referred to as Somnath or Someshwar, Lord of the Moon. It is said that Chandra also bathed in the Saraswati river to regain his luster, which is the reason for the waxing and waning of the moon and the tides in this seashore location.

Mahmud of Ghazni was a Turkish invader who attacked India 17 times between 1000 and 1024 AD for the dual purposes for accumulating wealth and spreading Islam. In 1024 AD, he raided Gujarat and took away all the wealth of the Somnath temple, damaging it severely.

The Shivalinga in the temple is believed to have been safely hiding within its hollowness the famous Syamantak Mani, the Philosopher's stone, which is associated with Lord Krishna. It is said that it was a magical stone, which was capable of producing gold

6:00 AM to 10:00 PM.

Morning 7:00 AM, 12:00 Noon, Evening 7:00 PM.

Live Darshan www.live.com
Donation Link www.donation.com
Prasad/Souvenier Link www.souvenier.com
Pooja Booking Link www.pooja.com
VIP Darshan Booking Link www.vip.com
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