History of the temple

The first temple of Somnath was built by Moon God himself. It was rebuilt by Maitraka Kings of Gujarat. This reconstructed edifice was destroyed by Arab governer of Sind in 725. The third temple was constructed by Prathihara King Nagabhata II.

In 1024, Mahmud Ghazni destroyed the temple and took lots of precious jewels from this place. The Solanki king Bhima of Gujarat and Paramara King Bhoj of Malwa made plan and restructured the shrine during 1026-1042. The holy place was again erected with a stone structure by Kumarpal.

As a result, the pilgrim place was destroyed by Sultan of Delhi in 1297 and again in 1394. Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb attacked on the temple in the year 1706. The present monument was framed by Shree Somnath Trust in year 1995. Now, the Somnath Trust is the caretaker of this sanctified site.

Architecture

The fascinating temple is a seven-storied structure and 155 feet tall. Fabricated in Chalukya style of architecture, the marvelous shrine reflects the architectural expertise of the Sompuras, who were the outstanding framer. The temple also has a kalash (pot vessel) of 10 tons on the topmost part. The flagpole on the apex is 37 feet long and is changed thrice in a day.

How to reach the temple

Through Railways : The closest railhead is located at a distance of 7km at Veraval that is connected by train to Ahmedabad and some other cities in Gujarat.

Through Airways : The closest airport is placed at a distance of 55 km from Somnath. It connects Ahmedabad to other cities of the country.

Through Roadways : The State Transport Corporation buses and private coaches offer regular service to other cities of Gujarat. Somnath is linked by a good network to other close by places like Junagarh, Bhavnagar, Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Porbandar.

 

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