Somnath is a small town situated on the western coast of Gujarat and the Somnath temple here is the location of one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. The temple is revered by Hindus due to its association with Lord Shiva and has been plundered and rebuilt about eight times till now.  According to the legend the temple was first built by Somraj, the moon god in gold. This was later rebuilt by Ravana, Krishna and Bhimdeva in silver, wood and stone respectively. Travellers to Somnath gave such glorious descriptions of the wealthy temple that it prompted Mahmud of Ghazni to plunder it. The temple was attacked by many Muslim invaders several times and rebuilt each time by Hindus. Finally it was destroyed by Aurangzeb in 1706. After the attack by Aurangzeb the temple was not rebuilt until 1950. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel played an important role in the reconstruction of the present temple.

Tourist Attractions:

Somnath Temple: Also known as Someshwar Mahadev temple, the present Somnath temple was built in the Chalukya style of temple architecture and reflects the skill of the Sompuras, Gujarat's master masons. Photography is prohibited in the temple.

The Prabas Pata Museum in Somnath is also worth a visit. The museum contains remains of the previous temples.

A few kms from Somnath is Bhalka Tirth. This legendary spot is the confluence of three rivers where Krishna mistaken for a deer was shot by an arrow.

The Suraj Mandir (sun temple), the Junagarh Gate, the Mai Puri (mosque) and the Ahilyabai Temple are other places of tourist interest in and around Somnath.

Getting There:

Regular state run and private buses are available from Jamnagar, Porbandar, Bhavnagar, Mumbai, Dwarka, Una, Rajkot and Junagadh.

The nearest railhead is at Veraval which is about 7 kms away from Somnath.

The nearest airport is Keshod situated about 55kms from Somnath with flights to Mumbai.