Somnath

Somnath

Somnath is located near Veraval and is about 80 kms from Junagadh. Somnath consists of a few streets leading away from its phoenix like temple. The rugged sea below gives it a lonely, wistful charm. The pilgrim trade is constant, but merchants are relaxed, perhaps in deference to the shadows cast by the awe-inspiring temple. Somnath is mainly known for the legendary shore temple of Somnath, which is dedicated to the Lord Shiva.

Tourist Attractions in Somnath
The various tourist attractions in Somnath are the Somnath Temple, Bhalka Tirth and Prabas Pata Museum. The Somnath temple is one of the twelve most sacred shrines dedicated to the Lord Shiva. The temple contains the jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva. The Somnath temple was rebuilt and destroyed eight times. This temple was finally rebuilt in 1950 with the support of Sardar Vallabhabhai Patel. The current temple was built as per the traditional designs on the original site by the sea and is a serene, symmetricla and sinuous structure. Today, this majestic temple is a replica of the earlier temple. At Bhalka Tirth, the Lord Krishna was mistaken for a deer and wounded by an arrow.

Somnath Temple
The legendary shore temple of Somnath is located near Veraval and is about 80 kms from Junagadh. The Somnath temple is one of the twelve most sacred shrines dedicated to the Lord Shiva. The temple contains the jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva. This temple has a very long history. According to the legends, the Somnath temple is very old and was originally built in gold by the Somraj, the Moon God. Later, it was rebuilt by Ravana, in silver; then by Krishna in wood and Bhimdev in stone. Mahmud of Ghazni, upon hearing the description of the richness of the Somnath temple by Al Biruni, an Arab traveller, visited this temple in 1024 AD. At that time, this temple had about 300 musicians, 500 dancing girls and 300 barbers to shave off the heads of pilgrims. After a 2 days battle, Mahmud destroyed the temple and carried away jewels and gold to his homeland. Hence, a tradition got started, the Muslims destroy the temples and the Hindus rebuilt them. The Somnath Temple was raided again in 1927, 1934 and 1706. In 1706, this temple was raided by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. In all, the Somnath temple was rebuilt and destroyed eight times. This temple was finally rebuilt in 1950 with the support of Sardar Vallabhabhai Patel. The current temple was built as per the traditional designs on the original site by the sea and is a serene, symmetrical and sinuous structure. Today, this majestic temple is a replica of the earlier temple.

Rudresvara Temple
Rudreshvara Temple is a ruined temple located near the Somnath temple. This temple dates from the same time as the Somnath Temple and was laid out in a similar fashion. The sculptures on the walls and doorways give an indication of what the Somnath Temple was like.

Prabas Pata Museum
The Prabas Pata Museum is strikingly laid out in courtyard centered rooms and contains interesting remains of the previous temples, with lots of beautiful fragments, including an elaborate 11th century ceiling.

Bhalka Tirth
Bhalka Tirth is situated halfway between the Veraval and Somnath. At this place, the Lord Krishna was mistaken for a deer and wounded by an arrow. The legendary spot is at the confluence of the three rivers. This place is entered through the small Sangam (confluence gate), known as the Nana. North of this sacred spot is the Suraj Mandir or Sun Temple. This ancient temple was destroyed by the Mahmud of Ghazni. The temple, with a lane of lions with elephant trunks, probably dates from the same time as the Somnath temple.

How to reach Somnath