somnath

Somnath is famous for its grand Shiva temple, one of the 12 revered Jyotirlingas, located right on the shore of the Arabian Sea, in Junagadh District. As legend has it, the original temple was built by the moon god (Soma) in gratitude to Shiva for mitigating the impact of a terrible curse. The temple has had a chequered history. Said to have been a fabulously wealthy temple, Somnath was plundered, and also destroyed, several times for its treasures — most famously by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1026. The last raid was by Aurangzeb in 1701 who had a mosque built at the site of the temple.

Housing a calm and quiet beach and just a couple of streets, the ancient town of Somnath is a hot spot for pilgrims with pilgrims descending to shower their devotion at the Somnath Temple. It finds mention in the Hindu puranas and the Mahabharata. Literally translated as the "Lord of the Moon," the town and its temple celebrate the most auspicious Karthik Poornima (or full-moon) in the month of November/ December with full fervour and flavour. The reverberating sounds of Shiv bhajans and the legend, culture and tradition surrounding it, will accompany you during your entire stay at Somanth. It has been popularly dubbed as the "shrine eternal," for its ability to stand tall in the face of destruction - it's been rebuilt six times.

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