Somnath Temple-A Glipmse of the Famous Jyotirlinga Temple

Somnath temple symbolically represents what faith, grit, and determination can achieve when they come together. It is one of the most sacred places of Shaivites that had been under constant attack from invaders and was built 17 times.

The temple is in the Gir Somnath District of Gujarat, where the first Jyotirlinga appeared. The term Jyotirlinga appears in Shiva Purana and is a term coined by a fusion of 2 Sanskrit words – “Jyothi” and “linga,” which roughly translates to “column of light.” Hence, the temple is not only a pilgrimage destination for followers of Lord Shiva but also a symbol of pride for the people in the region.

A glance into the Glorious Past

The word Somnath is linked to the mythological story of the waxing and waning of the moon. Since Lord Rudra appeared before Lord Chandra at this place to grant him his boon for regaining his luster lost due to a curse, the site came to be known as Somnath.

It is said that Chandra built a golden temple to Lord Rudra in the Satya Yuga, Ravana – a silver temple in the Treta Yuga, Lord Krishna – a sandalwood temple in the Dwapara Yuga, and Bhimdev built a stone temple in the Kali-yuga.

The Kali yuga saw the temple being destroyed repeatedly by the plunderers for its immense wealth. Yet, the temple always rose back to its glory like a phoenix rising from the ashes. No one knows how the original temple was. The archaeological excavations only reveal that brilliant minds with advanced techniques built the temple.

The current Chalukya-style temple has Kailash Mahameru Prasad form and holds a mirror to the workmanship of the Sompura Salats – Gujarat’s master masons. Now, one can only imagine and wonder about the grandeur of the temple, which has a history dating back to 649 BC.

Know the Present Day Temple

The best time to visit this honey-colored temple on the shores of the Arabian sea is during the cooler months from October to February. To get a taste of the locale and the localities, one should visit the temple during Shivaratri or Kartik Poornima, when the festivals are celebrated with great fanfare.

Reaching the city.

The nearest airport is at Porbandar, and one can reach Somnath from the airport via a well-connected network of roadways or railways.

Nearby Attractions

One can also plan to visit nearby tourist places like Gir National Park, Triveni Mahasangam, and Balkh Teerth.

Amazing facts Surrounding the Somnath Temple

The blog will remain incomplete without the mention of these amazing facts related to the Somnath temple.

• The place where the temple is located finds its mention in the Rig Veda and the Puranas, thus making it one of the oldest temples to exist in India.
• One of the inscriptions and the builders of the Somnath temple dating back to the 7th century states that if you stand on the shores of the Somnath temple and look far into the sea, there will be no land in sight until Antarctica.
• Legends say that shaman-taka mani – a philosopher’s stone that could convert anything it touched into gold, was placed inside the shiva linga in the sanctum when it was first built. The stone’s power was such that the shiva linga stayed suspended in the air.
• The temple was home to numerous musicians, philosophers, architects, and dancers even before it was first invaded by Muhammad Gahzini.

We hope the blog inspires you to visit one of the primary tourist attractions promoted by Gujarat Tourism and rekindles your quest for knowledge to learn more about the place and the temple.