Somnath Temple

Somnath Jyotirlinga Temple

The Somnath Temple (literally "Lord of the Moon") stands at the edge of the Arabian Sea in Prabhas Patan, Gujarat. It is the first among the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva and one of the oldest pilgrimage sites in India.

Historical Significance

The temple has been destroyed and rebuilt at least six times. In 1026 CE, Mahmud of Ghazni plundered its legendary wealth. Each time it was razed, Hindu rulers rebuilt it. The present structure, inaugurated in 1951, was built under the direction of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and K. M. Munshi.

Architecture

• Chalukya style of temple architecture
• The temple is positioned so that there is no land in a straight line between the shore and Antarctica
• A protruding arrow on the temple's sea-facing wall points to the South Pole
• The shikhara reaches 150 feet (45 meters)

Festival Calendar

• Maha Shivaratri: Grand celebrations with special abhisheka and all-night jagaran
• Kartik Purnima: Somnath's most important annual festival
• Somnath Saptah: Week-long celebrations in the month of Shravan