Somnath Temple

About Somnath Temple :The temple of Somnath, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva is situated 79 Kms. from Junagadh and 25 Kms. from Chorwad. According to the legend, Somnath is as old as creation, built by none other than the Moon God himself. The remains of the temple of Somanath "withstood the shocks of time and survived the attacks of destroyers. The temple has imposing architecture and is a beautiful sight facing the blue expanse of the Arabian Sea. A short distance from the Somnath temple is Bakhla Tirth, where Lord Krishna was said to have been struck by the stray arrow of a Bhil tribal. The Present Somnath Shiva Temple, Kailash Mahameru Prasada is built in the chalukya style of temple architecture and reflects the inherent skill of Sompuras, Gujarat's master masons.

Somnath Temple Timings

Somnath Temple Live Darshan: 6.00am to 9.00pm
Aarti : 7.00 am, 12.00 pm and 7.00 pm

The Jay Somnath Sound and Light Show : 8.00 pm to 9.00 pm Do not miss it if you are in Somnath during the evening hours.

History of Somnath Temple

History of Somnath Temple Gujarat(as in referring to the city) is so completely dominated by the History of Somnath Temple that it would not be exaggeration in the least to say that they are synonymous. Not much is known about the early History of Somnath. However it is popularly believed that the first temple existed even before the commencement of the Christian era. The second was built in the period 480-767 A.D. by the Vallabhi kings. This was again replaced by the Pratihara king Nagabhattta II in 815 A.D. The Somnath temple which enshrines one of the twelve Jyotirlingas was so highly revered that people from various nook and corners of the country came to offer there prayers here. As many as 2000 Brahmin priests were engaged in temple activities and the revenue collected from ten thousand villages were used for its maintenance. Somnath Jyotirlinga
Somnath temple, a highly revered temple, is one of the main 12 Shiva temples in India enshrining the Jyotorlingas. This temple is constructed in the Chalukya style with a height of about 155 ft. The stone Kalash place at the top of main shikhara weighs about 10 tonnes.

Mythology: Somnath Temple Information
Soma is the name for the moon, the son in-law of Daksha. Once Soma disobeyed a certain instruction of his father-in-law. Daksha was so angry that he cursed him, saying, "Thou shalt wane!" The moon, who used to shine in full splendor every night till then, started to shrink. However, before the curse brought about an absolute end to the moon, many a god requested Daksha to revoke his curse. Daksha asked Soma to take a bath in the sea at the mouth of the river Saraswati and then to pray to Lord Shiva. Hence at Prabhasa, Shiva came to be known as Somanath, the Lord of the moon.

Somnath Temple Hotels

Avadh Hotel ,Somnath
Lords Inn ,Somnath
Ambar Hotel & Restaurant ,Somnath
Lilavati Guest House ,Somnath
Mayuram Hotel ,Somnath

How to reach Somnath Temple

Nearest airport to Somnath is Diu, which is 90 km away from Somnath city. This airport is connected to Mumbai only. Taxi fare from Diu to Somnath is about Rs 2000. International travelers have to get connecting flights from Mumbai international airport, which is at a distance of 890 km from Somnath. Mumbai is well linked with all major cities in India and many cities in abroad.