Introduction

The aim of this blog is to provide all the relevant information about the Somnath Temple to the devotees of Lord Siva, the presiding deity of all Jyotirlingas. The ardent devotees primarily of the Hindu religion wish to know more and more about the Somnath temple or Shree Somnath Jyotirling temple, which is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas in India. 

The younger generation of devotees is always curious to know as to where Somnath temple is, who built Somnath temple, where the Somnath temple is located, How to reach Somnath Temple and the best time to visit Somnath temple. 

Almost all the children in India have studied much during their school days while studying history that the Somnath temple was attacked umpteen number of times by the Mughal rulers including Mehmood Ghaznavi. As memory fades, only faint ideas could remain about the Somnath temple on the basis of what they studied in schools and colleges. 

From the standpoint of spirituality and devotion, the Somnath temple, one of 12 Jyotirlingas in India holds a special religious significance, as the large congregations every year, at the Somnath temple at the Arabian Sea coast, resonate with the devotion unflinching faith and dedication of thousands of ardent devotees.

Where is Somnath temple located?:

Somnath Temple Gujarat- a Jyotirlinga is situated at Veraval in Gujarat. Veraval is a city and the headquarters of Gir Somnath district in the State of Gujarat. Somnath Mahadev temple, situated in the district of Veraval is a very famous religious pilgrimage site. 

Shree Somnath temple or Somnath Mahadev, Deo Patan located in Prabhas Patan, Veraval in Gujarat, India is located on the sacred soil known for the last journey to Neejdham, undertaken by Lord Krishna.

Somnath Temple, at the coast of the Arabian Sea, in the west of India also offers a serene and picturesque site to travellers and devotees alike.

Somnath Temple History:

The  Somnath temple is a well-renowned pilgrimage site from ancient times for it being situated at the Triveni confluence of the holy rivers viz.  Kapila, Hiran and Sarasvati. Somnath Temple is stated to be the first Aadi Jyotirlingas of India. The symbolic pillar of Lord Shiva, which emerged as a fiery column of light at the Somnath Mahadev temple has been incessantly revered by the devotees pouring in from far and wide.                                            

Somnath Mandir temple story:

Shree Somnath Temple had faced innumerable onslaughts by different Mughal rulers. Al-Baruni, an Arab traveller, gave a vivid description of the grandiosity of the Somnath temple that prompted Afghan Ruler, Mahmud Ghazni to visit Somnath.

Shree Somnath Mandir was demolished several times by the Mughal rulers viz. (1026 by Mahmud Ghazni; 1299 by Ulugh Khan; 1395 by Muzaffar Shah I; 1706 by Aurangzeb.

It is also said that Somraj, the moon god, owing to a curse, lost its sheen and lustre and in order to regain the same he took a bath in the river Sarasvati and soon regained his lustre.

Somnath Jyotirlinga or Somnath Mahadev temple-an ancient pilgrimage site:

The antiquity of Somnath-Patan is further established by the discovery of artefacts and ruins with inscriptions engraved on stones in Brahmi and proto-Nagari and Nagari scripts.

Who built Somnath Temple Gujarat-Architectural Style of Shree Somnath Temple:

Mularaja, the Chalukya-Solanki King possibly built the first temple for Soma, the moon god, sometime in 997 AD. The present architectural style of the temple is the Maru-Gurjara style. 

Pran Pratishtha of the existing Somnath Temple Gujarat or the Somnath Mahadev was done on 11th May 1951 by the then President of India Dr. Rajendra Prasad. 

Somnath temple live darshan:

Those devotees who wish to avail the facility of Somnath temple live darshan can visit Somnath.org run by Shree Somnath Trust, Somnath Prabhas Patan District Gir Somnath. 

Somnath temple timings: 

Devotees can take darshan of the Somnath temple deity, Lord Shiva from Morning 6 am to 8 pm. The best time to visit Somnath temple is from October to March. It remains pleasant during these six months and thus, this is the best time to visit Somnath temple. 

How to reach Somnath temple:

One can reach Somnath temple by Air, train or by bus. The nearby Airports are Jamnagar and  Diu. People have the option to go to Ahmedabad, Rajkot or Vadodara by flight and then onwards by either train or bus to Somnath. Veraval Railway station is just 7 km from Somnath.

Nearby places to Shree Somnath Temple:

Places near Shree Somnath temple which can also be visited are Bhalka Tirth, Dehotsarg Tirth and Prachi Tirth. 

Other Jyotirlingas in India:

The people who visit Somnath Temple also prefer to cover another Jyotirlinga in Gujarat i.e. Nageshwar on the same trip. Thus, it is beneficial to have in mind the information of other Jyotirlingas as well. 

Besides Somnath Jyotirling temple, the other 11 Jyotirlingas pilgrimage sites dedicated to Lord Shiva in India are the following:-

• Mahakaleshwar Temple or Mahakaleshwar Mandir or Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga at Ujjain in the State of Madhya Pradesh.
• Shri Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga or Shree Omkareshwar Temple or Shree Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga in the State of Madhya Pradesh.
• Mallikarjuna Temple at Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh.
• Kedarnath Temple or Kedarnath Dham in the Himalayas in Uttarakhand.
• Kashi Vishwanath Temple Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
• Trimbakeshwar or Trayambakeshwar Temple  at Nasik in the State of Maharashtra
• Bhimashankar in Maharashtra
• Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga or Baidyanath Temple in Deoghar, Jharkhand
• Nageshwar Jyotirlinga Temple in Dwarka, Gujarat
• Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga in Tamil Nadu
• Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga temple, in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra near Ellora

Conclusion:

Somnath temple, called by varied names such as Shree Somnath Jyotirling temple, Somnath temple Gujarat, Somnath Mahadev temple & Somnath Lingam is one of the famous Jyotirlingas. It is situated in Prabhas Patan, Gujarat. 

Devotees, from far and wide, visit the Somnath temple in large numbers to worship and seek the blessings of Lord Shiva. The large congregations of the masses at the Somnath Jyotirlinga temple, deeply resonate with the religious and spiritual fervour round the year.

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FAQs:

Q.1. Where is Somnath temple located? Or Where is Somnath temple located in India?

Ans.1 Somnath temple is in Veraval, Gujarat on the coast of the Arabian sea.

Q.2. How to reach Somnath temple?

Ans.2.  One can visit Somnath temple by flight, train or bus. From Delhi, one can go by Air to Ahmedabad Rajkot or Diu. The nearest Airport to Somnath temple is Diu. From Diu one can hire a cab.

Q.3. Who built the Somnath temple?

Ans.3. Mularaja, the Chalukya-Solanki King possibly built the first temple for Soma, the moon god, around 997 AD. Pran Pratishtha in the existing Somnath Temple Gujarat or the Somnath Mahadev was done in 1951.

Q.4 Where is Nageshwar Jyotirlinga?

Ans.4 It is also in Gujarat.