Somnath Temple, Hindu Pilgrimage in India
SOMNATH
FACTS & FIGURES
Location:
State of gujarat
on the Arabian Sea,
India
Best time to Visit: October to March
Significance: First among the twelve Jyotirlings.
Best time to Visit: October to March
Significance: First among the twelve Jyotirlings.
Somnath is a temple
town of ancient
history. The town
itself has the Somanatha
temple, Swayambhu
Kali Mandir, Swayambhu
Madhusudan Mandir.
The place where
Krishna left his
mortal coil - DEHOTSARJAN
STHAL is
just two kilometres
from the Shiva
temple.
The famous Gir forest,
which has the only
known population
of Asiatic lions,
is 60 Kilometers
away. It is in this
forest is the sacred
Girnar hill. A steep
10,000 steps would
lead to the Dattatreya
Mandir on top of
the hill.
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.
The 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.
Pilgrim/Tourist Attractions in Somnath
There
are plenty of places
of tourist interest
around Somanth.
A museum containing
photographs of old
temple, old sculptures,
Bhalkatirth where
Lord Krishna was
struck by the arrow
of a junter, temple
of Hinglaj mata
where he was cremated,
Suryanarayan temple,
Siddhnath Mahadev
temple, temples
of Shri Ramchandraji
and Lord Krishna,
Bhimeshvar Mahadev,
Narsinhji temple,
Triveni Sangam and
the holy water kund
of Adiprabhas and
jai prabhas.
Sea beach of Chorwad,
just 25 kms away
and Sasan Gir, 45
kms, are other major
tourist attractions.
Kailash Mahameru
The
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.
Bhalka Tirth
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.
Junagarh Gate
The
Junagarh Gate is
a very ancient triple
gate that Mahmud
of Ghazni broke
through to take
the town.
Mai Puri
The Mai Puri was
once a Sun temple
but was later converted
into a mosque during
Mahmud of Ghazni's
time.
Ahilyabai Temple
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.
FAIRS & FESTIVALS
Somnath
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.
How
to Reach Somnath
•
Air: The
nearest Airport
is at Keshod, (47
kms.) which is connected
with Mumbai.
•
Rail:
Veraval,
(5 kms.) is the
closest Railway
station.
•
Road:
State transport
buses and private
luxury coaches connect
various centres
of Gujarat to Somnath.
