Somnath, or Prabhas Patan, is India’s oldest pilgrimage destination, situated at the shore of the Arabian Sea. It connects to history as it believed Aryans to have settled here in ancient times. Also, Somnath Temple is the first of the 12 Jyotirlingas. It is also the holy place of Hari Har Tirthdham – Bhagwan Shri Krishna’s Neejdham Prasthan Leela. My mom has wanted to visit Somnath for quite some time now. Hence, I planned & luckily, it was the last week of Sawan month.
It was an early flight from Delhi to Rajkot, and from Rajkot, we had to hire a car to drop us at Somnath. It’s a 4hr drive, approx 194.5km. The rain was moving with us, at times pouring & sometimes giving clear sky. By the time we reached Somnath, it was past noon.
I booked Sagar Darshan Guest house, set in a sprawling building beside a beach on the Arabian Sea. This modest hotel is an 8-minute walk from the ornate Somnath temple. After check-in, we freshened up & ordered lunch. Post lunch, we went out to explore Somnath.
The temple is situated on the confluence – of Hiran, Kapila, and a mythical river called Saraswathy. The ghat overseeing this confluence is called the Triveni Sangam Ghat. An exciting fact is that the Somnath temple has been destroyed 17 times in history. The Chalukyas king built the first temple in 997 AD. And there was a belief that Mahmud of Ghazni (in 1025–1026) destroyed and looted this revered temple. However, some unknown Arab invaders destroyed it.
Over the ruined, destroyed temple, a new temple was built with more grandeur and splendour. Sardar Vallabhai Patel (between 1947 and 1951) headed the last resurrection of the Somnath temple. Somnath temple’s design is a Chalukya style of architecture. As I stood inside the temple, the sea waves crashing against the shores were heard. A tall spire and flag pole further enhance the beauty of the temple. A dark Saffron flag fluttered in the sea breeze from quite a distance.
The word ‘Somnath‘ means ‘Lord of the Soma (Moon)‘ – an epithet of Lord Shiva. While there is no data on who sculpted this idol, the sculptor was a metallurgical genius. Because the Shiva Linga is built of a particular metal that helps it stay afloat in the water! That’s interesting! A fascinating mythological tale is associated with Somnath Temple. It is believed that the Moon God (who was cursed By Daksha for favouring one of his wives), Daksh cursed him that he would lose his Kala (Art) every day and decrease in size till he became invisible. Lord Brahma asked Moon God to meditate and pray to Lord Shiva. He can get his way out of the curse. Chandra worshipped Lord Shiv at the exact site of the temple- where he appeared before the penancing God to free him from the curse. And the moon regained its brightness.
Moreover, Somnath became a sacred shrine for the Shaivites. The temple has a Kund created by the Devas. Thus, devotees from around the world visit to dip in this pool. It is believed that people can wash away their sins by taking a dip in this pool. Another folklore about the first temple of Somnath was- it was built in gold by the Moon-god (Soma) and then in silver by the Sun god (Ravi). Finally, in wood by Lord Krishna. That was expensive! This information I gathered this while exploring the temple. Then we attended the evening we took an auto & did site seeing.
Triveni Sangam
We started with Triveni Sangam- Hiran, Kapila and Saraswati holy rivers confluence took place. There is a mythological belief about Lord Krishna’s creation on the Sangam’s shores. Lastly, we took a boat ride to see the meeting point of the holy rivers with the Arabian sea.
Laxminarayan Temple
The gorgeous replica of the famous Laxmi Narayan Temple in Badrinath is located on the bank of Triveni Sangam. This temple has an architectural design that is filled with intricate carvings. It offers a fantastic view of the sunset.
Gita Mandir
Gita Mandir is located on the other end of Triveni Sangam. The 18 chapters of Bhagavadgita are engraved on the walls of the Gita Mandir Temple.
Golok Dham
Lord Krishna Left his body at this place after bathing in Triveni Sangam. We got to his footsteps engraved.
Shashi Bhushan Temple
The temple is dedicated to Soma-the Moon God. Shri Bhav Brihaspati- the ancient priest of Somnath, constructed the temple as a tribute to the Moon God. Since Soma-the Moon, God meditated & performed Yagna to free himself from his curse. A rare temple where the Moon God is worshipped.
Bhalka Teerth
This is where lord Krishna was shot an arrow by a hunter before he left his body. It is around 3 km from Somnath Temple. Hunter, who hit the arrow to lord Krishna, was the Monkey King Bali in previous birth. Lord Rama had killed King Bali in his previous birth with an arrow. So in this birth, Bali reincarnated as a hunter and hit Lord Krishna with a hand. This shows that the lord is not partial, does fair justice, and even gets the fruits of his karma, whether in the exact birth or the next.
Patan Museum
Somnath Prabhas Patan Museum houses many unique artefacts from ancient India, such as torrents, pillars, stone apsaras, statues of Lord Agni, Uma Maheshwara, Lord Vishnu, Parwati and Natra Bhairava. There is also a special section within the Patan Museum where the waters of many revered rivers are kept. In this museum section, you can find the Holy waters of the Nile, St Lawrence, Danube, Tigris and Murray.
While returning to our hotel, the rain started to pour. But we somehow managed not to get drenched. The evening was at our leisure. Hence we had an early dinner as tom will be an early start.
The next day I woke up early and had a quick bath before heading towards the Somnath temple. The weather was windy & rough, & rained last night. It was the last day of Sravana month, & the temple was overcrowded with devotees. In Somnath temple, we are not allowed to touch the Lingas. Only flowers are offered & you need to pay at the counter for any offerings. I saw the morning aarti, & offered my prayers to Lord Shiva.
Post the Aarti, we collected our prasad from the puja counter when the rain started to pour. The sea was rough, hitting the shore, & splashing inside the temple premises. I enjoyed the shower and completed the parikrama of the temple getting drenched. Then we Old Somnath temple constructed by Rani Ahilyabai Holkar. Here we were able to touch the Shivling and do Abhishek.
Post Shiva Abhishek, we walked back to our Guest house. I took a quick shower, & changed as we had to drive down to Nageshwar Jyotirlinga temple.
How to reach
By Air:
Keshod is closest to Somnath Jyotirlinga, about 55km away. You can book a cab or auto outside the airport to reach the temple.
By Rail:
Veraval Railway station is the nearest railhead, about 6 km away. The head is well connected to Ahmedabad, Mumbai, and other nearby cities. Taxis are readily available from the railway station to the temple.
.By Road:
State buses of Gujarat, as well as private buses, ply to Nageshwar Jyotirlinga at regular intervals. One can also hire a cab or taxi and reach the temple. Cities Junagadh, Rajkot Ahemdabad, Porbandar, etc., are well-connected with Somnath. If you wish you can drive from these cities too in your vehicle.