Somnath Jyotirlinga

At a glance

Location

Veraval, Saurashtra, Gujarat

Presiding deity

Lord Shiva

Temple type

Jyotirlinga

Tradition

Shaiva

Nearest railway station

Somnath railway station (~1.5 km from the temple); for wider rail connectivity, Veraval Junction (~7 km)

Nearest airport

Diu Airport (~63 km) or Rajkot Airport (~200 km)

Best time to visit

November to February (cool season, relief from coastal heat); Kartik Purnima and Mahashivratri are celebrated with special festivities.

History

Somnath is revered as the first among the twelve Jyotirlingas and stands on the Arabian Sea coast at Prabhas Patan, near Veraval. According to legend, the Moon god (Soma) worshipped Shiva here to be freed from a curse placed on him by Daksha Prajapati — giving the temple its name, "Lord of Soma." Historically the temple was immensely wealthy and was destroyed and rebuilt at least six times; the most infamous raid was by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1024 CE. After independence, the present grand structure was rebuilt on Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's initiative and inaugurated in 1951 by India's first President, Dr. Rajendra Prasad.

Spiritual significance

Somnath is seen not just as a Jyotirlinga but as a symbol of India's cultural resilience — rebuilt as many times as it was razed. The temple sits directly on the coast; a plaque in the complex notes there is no landmass between it and Antarctica along that line of longitude.

Plan your visit

Somnath railway station has direct trains from Ahmedabad and other Gujarat cities, while Veraval Junction offers more long-distance connections. By road, it is well connected to Dwarka (~240 km) and Ahmedabad (~400 km) via bus and taxi.