| FACTS &
FIGURES
Languages :
gujarati, Hindi, & English
Best time to visit :
October to March
STD Code :
02876 (Veraval)
LOCATION
Home to one of the 12 Jyotirlings of
India, the temple city of Somnath or Prabhas Patan is
situated in the state of Gujarat on the Arabian Sea.
The place extends from latitude 21° 04’ in
the north to longitude 70° 26’ in the east.
CLIMATE
The climate of Somnath is mild with
the temperature ranging between 20°C and 28°C
in the winters and between 28°C and 34°C in
the summers. One can visit the place round the year
but the best season to visit is winters—from October
to March.
PAST
It is said that the original temple
of Somnath was built by the Moon God and was made of
gold. After it was razed to the ground, it was rebuilt
with silver by Ravana. When the silver temple was knocked
down, it was reconstructed in wood by Krishna. And when
this was pulled down, an edifice of stone was erected
by Bhimdev.
This is the first among the twelve Jyotirlings. Since
ancient times, Prabhas Patan has been a pilgrimage,
being the confluence of the mythological Saraswati,
Hiranya and Kapila. Legend has it that Lord Shiva's
Kalbhairav linga is situated at Prabhas. It is also
associated with the moon as the Moon God is also said
to have worshipped this Shivling. This is also the reason
why this temple is popularly known as Somnath, the one
named after the moon.
Remains found from the region and descriptions in the
writings of Indians and foreigners suggest that the
place was a colony of the Aryans in the ancient times.
This temple of religious as well as historical significance
is believed to have been built sometime around AD 4.
In AD 1026, Mahmud of Ghazni first looted the temple,
and then came Afzal Khan, the commander of Ala-ud-din
Khilji and later Aurangzeb. It is said that the temple
was looted and destroyed as many as seventeen times.
The Iron man of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was
instrumental in the construction of the present temple,
an edifice reminding visitors of the splendor of the
original Somnath temple. Renowned temple architect Prabhaschandar
designed it and the first President of India Dr. Rajendra
Prasad installed the Jyotirling in the new temple on
May 11, 1951.
SITES TO VISITThe
present temple, Kailash Mahameru Prasad is built in
the Chalukya style of temple architecture and reflects
the inherent skill of sompuras, Gujarat's master masons.
It has the shikhara, the Garbhagriha, the sabha mandap
and the nritya mandap. It has been built in such a position
that there is no land between the Somnath temple and
Antarctica. This fact finds mention in the inscription
found on the protection wall of the temple.
The museum at Somnath houses the remains of the earlier
temples but in the form of a clutter of old carved stones
littering a courtyard. It also houses pottery shards,
a seashell collection, a glass case of water bottles
containing samples from the rivers Danube, Nile, St
Lawrence, Tigris, Plate, Murray, and seawater from Tasmania,
and New Zealand.
The Bhalka Tirth is the place where Lord Krishna was
mistaken for a deer and wounded by an arrow while sleeping
in a deerskin. The place is situated on the confluence
of three rivers. There is a sun temple (Suraj Mandir)
nearby that was also knocked down by Mahmud of Ghazni.
The Junagarh Gate is a very ancient triple gate that
Mahmud of Ghazni broke through to take the town.
The Mai Puri was once a Sun temple but was later converted
into a mosque during Mahmud of Ghazni’s time.
The Ahilyabai Temple was built as a substitute for
the original Somnath Temple. Just behind the temple
is the Somnath beach with pleasant sands, great sea
view, camel and pony rides, coconut stalls, and snack
shops. Other places of interest are Jama Masjid, Bhidiyo
Pagoda, and several smaller temples
.SITES NEARBY
The Gir National Park is the last home
of the Asiatic Lion and is situated around 43 km off
Somnath. This 1400 sq km sanctuary was set up to protect
the lions whose numbers at one point had come down to
less than 200. Now the number is believed to have reached
around 285 at the last count.
Chorwad is a new beach resort developed by the Tourism
Corporation of Gujarat at a distance of around 26 km
from Somnath.
Veraval is a major fishing port and a base point for
the visit to Somnath.
FAIRS AND FESTIVALSomnath
celebrates a large fair on the day of the full moon
of Kartik Purnima in November/December. Maha Shivratri
in the month of March is also a major festival here.
WHERE TO STAY
No major hotel chain has its presence
in Somnath till now. For the pilgrims and tourists,
there are guesthouses, rest houses and inns etc. Services
are simple but reasonable. There are accommodation options
available in Veraval also.
HOW TO REACH
By Air
The nearest airport from Somnath is Keshod 55
km away and linked to Mumbai. There are regular buses
and taxis plying between Keshod and Somnath.
By Rail
The nearest railhead is seven km away at Veraval,
which is connected by train to Ahmedabad and some other
cities in gujarat.
By Road
State transport corporation buses and private
coaches run regular service to other cities in the region.
Somnath is connected by a good road network to the other
nearby places like Veraval 7 km, Mumbai 889 km, Ahmedabad
400 km, Bhavnagar 266 km, Junagarh 85 km, and Porbandar
122 km.
Local Transport
Private taxis, Auto rickshaws, Chhakadas, and
buses are all available to move around Somnath and the
other place in the vicinity
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