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Gujarat Tours |
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Gujarat Hotels |
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Somnath |
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Somnath is located
near Veraval and is about 80 kms from Junagadh.
Somnath consists of a few streets leading away from
its phoenix like temple. The rugged sea below gives it
a lonely, wistful charm. The pilgrim trade is
constant, but merchants are relaxed, perhaps in
deference to the shadows cast by the awe-inspiring
temple. Somnath is mainly known for the legendary
shore temple of Somnath, which is dedicated to the
Lord Shiva.
Tourist
Attractions in Somnath
The various tourist attractions in Somnath are the
Somnath Temple, Bhalka Tirth and Prabas Pata Museum.
The Somnath temple is one of the twelve |
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most sacred shrines
dedicated to the Lord Shiva. The temple contains the
jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva. The Somnath temple was rebuilt
and destroyed eight times. This temple was finally rebuilt
in 1950 with the support of Sardar Vallabhabhai Patel. The
current temple was built as per the traditional designs on
the original site by the sea and is a serene, symmetricla
and sinuous structure. Today, this majestic temple is a
replica of the earlier temple. At Bhalka Tirth, the Lord
Krishna was mistaken for a deer and wounded by an arrow. |
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Somnath
Temple
The legendary shore temple of Somnath is located
near Veraval and is about 80 kms from Junagadh. The
Somnath temple is one of the twelve most sacred
shrines dedicated to the Lord Shiva. The temple
contains the jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva. This temple
has a very long history. According to the legends, the
Somnath temple is very old and was originally built in
gold by the Somraj, the Moon God. Later, it was
rebuilt by Ravana, in silver; then by Krishna in wood
and Bhimdev in stone. Mahmud of Ghazni, upon hearing
the description of the richness of the Somnath temple
by Al Biruni, an Arab traveller, |
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visited this temple in
1024 AD. At that time, this temple had about 300 musicians,
500 dancing girls and 300 barbers to shave off the heads of
pilgrims. After a 2 days battle, Mahmud destroyed the temple
and carried away jewels and gold to his homeland. Hence, a
tradition got started, the Muslims destroy the temples and
the Hindus rebuilt them. The Somnath Temple was raided again
in 1927, 1934 and 1706. In 1706, this temple was raided by
the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. In all, the Somnath temple was
rebuilt and destroyed eight times. This temple was finally
rebuilt in 1950 with the support of Sardar Vallabhabhai
Patel. The current temple was built as per the traditional
designs on the original site by the sea and is a serene,
symmetrical and sinuous structure. Today, this majestic
temple is a replica of the earlier temple.
Rudresvara Temple
Rudreshvara Temple is a ruined temple located near the
Somnath temple. This temple dates from the same time as the
Somnath Temple and was laid out in a similar fashion. The
sculptures on the walls and doorways give an indication of
what the Somnath Temple was like. |
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Prabas
Pata Museum
The Prabas Pata Museum is strikingly laid out in
courtyard centered rooms and contains interesting
remains of the previous temples, with lots of
beautiful fragments, including an elaborate 11th
century ceiling.
Bhalka Tirth
Bhalka Tirth is situated halfway between the Veraval
and Somnath. At this place, the Lord Krishna was
mistaken for a deer and wounded by an arrow. The
legendary spot is at the confluence of the three
rivers. This place is entered through the small
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Sangam (confluence gate),
known as the Nana. North of this sacred spot is the Suraj
Mandir or Sun Temple. This ancient temple was destroyed by
the Mahmud of Ghazni. The temple, with a lane of lions
with elephant trunks, probably dates from the same time as
the Somnath temple.
How to reach Somnath
By Air:
The nearest airport is located at Keshod, about 47 kms which
is connected with Mumbai.
By Rail:
The nearest railway station is located at Veraval, about 5
Kms.
By Road:
Somnath is connected to various cities in Gujarat. |
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