Temple of Somnath, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva is situated 79 Kms. from Junagadh and 25 Kms. from Chorwad.
According to the legend, Somnath is as old as creation, built by none other than the Moon God himself. The remains of the temple of Somanath "withstood the shocks of time and survived the attacks of destroyers.
The temple has imposing architecture and is a beautiful sight facing the blue expanse of the Arabian Sea. A short distance from the Somnath temple is Bakhla Tirth, where Lord Krishna was said to have been struck by the stray arrow of a Bhil tribal.
The Somnath Temple located in the Prabhas Kshetra near Veraval in Saurashtra, on the western coast of Gujarat, India is one of the twelve Jyotirlings (lingas of light) symbols of the God Shiva. It is mentioned in the Rig Veda.
Somnath means "The Protector of Moon God". The Somnath Temple is known as 'the Shrine Eternal', as although the temple has been destroyed six times it has been rebuilt every single time.
It has been said that The Moon God Chandra, being arrogant about his beauty, was cursed by his father-in-law Daksha to wane. The Moon then prayed to Lord Shiva at the Prabhas tirth who then removed the curse partially, thus causing the periodic waning of moon.
It's been said that Somnath Temple was first built with gold by Moon God, with silver by Ravana, with sandalwood by Lord Krishna, and with stone by Bhimdeva (Solanki Ruler of Gujarat)
The present temple is the seventh temple reconstructed on the original site. The first temple of Somnath is said to have existed before the beginning of the Christian era. The second temple, built by the Maitraka kings of Vallabhi in Gujarat, replaced the first one on the same site around 649.
In 725 Junayad, the Arab governor of Sind, sent his armies to destroy the second temple. The Pratihara king Nagabhata II constructed the third temple in 815, a large structure of red sandstone.
Somnath from the topIn 1024, Mahmud Ghazni raided the temple from across the Thar Desert. During his campaign, Mahmud was challenged by Ghogha Rana, who at the ripe age of 90, sacrificed his own clan fighting against this iconoclast.
The temple and citadel were ransacked, and more than 50,000 defenders were massacred; Mahmud personally hammered the temple's gilded lingam to pieces and the stone fragments were carted back to Ghazni, where they were incorporated into the steps of the city's new Jamiah Masjid (Friday mosque). As per legend, Somnath was built by none other than Soma, the Moon God himself.
This legendry shore temple at Somnath is one of the twelve most sacred Shiva shrines in India. The temple was destroyed seven times, and rebuilt as many times. Mohammed of Gazni heard about its fabulous treasure & raided it in 1026 & walked away with camel-loads of jewels and gold. The temple is situated at 79 kms from Junagadh and 25 Kms from Chorwad, with Rail head at 5 Kms distance from the temple at Verval. The nearest Airport at Keshod is well connected with Mumbai (Bombay).
Somnath of Prabhas Pattana, situated on the southern coast of Saurastra, in the province of Sorath, now known as Jungadh in the state of Gujarat, holds the prestigious temple of Sri Someshwar, which is supposed to have witnessed the dawn of time.
The present temple is an imposing structure: its imposing exterior is adorned with marvellous sculpture; it has a grand sabha mandap in front; its shikhara measures 155 feet. The jyotirlinga installed on the Brahmasila is about four feet in height and is adorned with spectacular sandal paste decorations, a novelty here. There are hundreds of priests in the service of the Lord, attending to His needs, round the clock.
It is the only structure in the world which was destroyed five times and reconstructed for the sixth time on the same foundation. The temple at Somnath, near Veraval, is considered to be very old, and has been for centuries a sacred place of pilgrimage. According to legend, Soma, the Moon God, built the temple and dedicated it to Lord Shiva, who saved him from a terrible curse.
The Somnath Temple is one of the 12 most sacred shiva lingas and therefore one of the most sacred Shiva shrines in India. On Shivratri, the temple is thronged by thousands of devotees.
The present temple is the seventh temple built on the original site.Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the great son of India and its first Deputy Prime Minister took a pledge on November 13,1947 for its reconstruction which was completed on December 1,1995 when the President of India, Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma dedicated it in the service of the nation. The present temple is built by Shree Somnath Trust which looks after the entire complex of Shree somnath and its environs.
In 1951, Dr. Rajendra Prasad , the first President of India, who performed the Ling - Pratishthapan ceremony in the Garbha - Gruh of the new Temple had rightly said,"The Somnath Temple signifies that the power of reconsruction is always greater than the power of destruction.
