Somnath Jyotirlinga
सोमनाथ ज्योतिर्लिंग
📍 Prabhas Patan, Gir Somnath, Gujarat
The first of the twelve Jyotirlingas, on the Arabian Sea shore at Prabhas Patan: a temple destroyed and rebuilt again and again, and a symbol of faith that does not die.
बारह ज्योतिर्लिंगों में प्रथम — अरब सागर के तट पर, बार-बार टूटकर फिर खड़ा होने वाली अटूट आस्था का प्रतीक।
इतिहास History
Prabhas Patan has been a tirtha since ancient times, and the Prabhas Khanda of the Skanda Purana sings of its shrine. The temple was plundered by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1026 and attacked repeatedly in the centuries that followed. Each time, kings and devotees rebuilt it.
The present temple was built between 1947 and 1951 on the initiative of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, in the Chaulukya (Māru-Gurjara) style. President Dr Rajendra Prasad performed its consecration on 11 May 1951, and the Shree Somnath Trust looks after it today.
कथा The legend
Chandra, the Moon, was cursed by his father-in-law Daksha to waste away because he favoured Rohini over his other wives. He worshipped Shiva at Prabhas, and Shiva softened the curse so that the Moon waxes and wanes. Shiva then stayed on as Somnath, 'Lord of the Moon'.
दर्शनीय Don’t miss
- The Baan Stambh (arrow pillar) on the sea wall, whose inscription says there is no land in a straight line from here to the South Pole
- Evening aarti followed by the 'Jay Somnath' sound-and-light show
- Triveni Sangam of the Hiran, Kapila and Saraswati rivers nearby
- Bhalka Tirtha, where tradition says Shri Krishna left his mortal body
उत्सव Festivals
मंदिर दर्शन Temple story
The secrets of Somnath, from our YouTube series.
▶ Watch all 18 Temple Stories on YouTube
Jyotirlinga yatra · next (2 of 12)Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga, Srisailam→Photo: B. SurajPatro1997 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons