Somnath Jyotirlinga: Legend, History, How to Reach and Etiquette

Somnath stands on the Arabian Sea coast of Saurashtra, in Gujarat, at a place called Prabhas Patan beside the port town of Veraval. Almost every traditional list of the twelve jyotirlingas begins with it, and the first line of the well-known Dvadasha Jyotirlinga hymn names it before any other. Many pilgrims plan a coastal Gujarat journey around it, together with Dwarka, which lies a few hours to the north.

Where it is

The temple faces the open sea. The name Somnath is usually read as “Lord of the Moon” (Soma is the Moon, nath is lord), and the coastline here has been a settlement for a very long time. Prabhas Patan is also named in the Mahabharata and in the Bhagavata Purana as a sacred place, and tradition places the end of Krishna’s earthly life in the same region, at a spot a short walk from the temple that is visited alongside it.

The legend

The Puranic story is about the Moon and his many wives. Chandra married twenty-seven daughters of the sage Daksha, who are the twenty-seven nakshatras of the sky, but he gave all his attention to one of them, Rohini. The other sisters complained to their father, and Daksha, after warning Chandra more than once, cursed him to lose his radiance. The Moon began to fade, and with him the plants and creatures who depend on his light.

Chandra came to Prabhas and worshipped Shiva for a long time. Shiva was pleased and softened the curse: the Moon would wax and wane in turn, fading for a fortnight and growing for a fortnight. This is how the tradition explains the bright half and the dark half of the lunar month. Because Chandra set up a linga here and Shiva stayed as his lord, the place took the name Somnath. If you enjoy the astronomy behind the story, the same fortnights are what the panchang counts as tithis.

The Shiva Purana adds the idea that Shiva appeared here, as at the other eleven places, as a column of light. Read it as a sacred account of why the place is holy, not as a historical record.

The temple’s history

Somnath is unusual because its story is one of repeated loss and rebuilding, and scholars broadly agree on that outline even where they argue about details. Historians record that the temple was attacked and plundered by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1026, and that it was damaged again in later centuries, with each period of damage followed by restoration by local rulers and devotees. In the eighteenth century the Maratha queen Ahilyabai Holkar had a smaller temple built close by so that worship could continue on the site.

After Indian independence the ruined structure was cleared and a new temple was built in the Chalukya style of Gujarat, a style sometimes called Maru-Gurjara. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel led the effort, and the new temple was consecrated in 1951. The temple is today run by a public trust, which publishes its own information for visitors.

The stone is sandy and warm in colour, and the spire is tall. Tradition holds that an arrow pillar stands on the shore, with an inscription saying there is no land between that point and the South Pole. Many visitors enjoy the sea-facing walk behind the temple, and the evening aarti there is among the better-known sights on this coast.

How to get there

• Railway: the town has a station close to the temple, called Somnath, and Veraval Junction is the main railhead a few kilometres away. Trains from Ahmedabad and from Mumbai reach Veraval.
• Airport: the nearest airports are Keshod, about an hour’s drive, and Diu, which is further. Check which airline operates there before booking, as routes change.
• Road: state buses and taxis serve the town. It is a long drive from Ahmedabad, so most travellers break the journey.

The season

The coast is hot for much of the year and humid in the monsoon. Many people prefer the cooler months, from the end of the rains to early spring. Maha Shivaratri and the Shravan month bring very large crowds, and a Monday during Shravan is busy at any Shiva temple. If you want a quieter visit, choose a weekday outside those days. The Maha Shivaratri page gives the date for your own city.

Etiquette

Dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered, and leave footwear at the stall provided. Phones and cameras are often restricted inside the temple, and the trust may have rules on bags; read them on its official website rather than relying on a blog, since such rules change. Timings, any booking system for darshan or abhishek, and fees for special offerings are decided by the trust and are not quoted here. Please check the trust’s website before you travel.

Offerings are usually simple: water, bel leaves and flowers. If you want to prepare at home, our guide to Maha Shivaratri puja shows the usual order of worship, and the Lingashtakam is a short hymn that many pilgrims recite on the way.

Related pages

• The twelve jyotirlingas
• Nageshwar jyotirlinga, the other Gujarat jyotirlinga
• Char Dham, which includes Dwarka
• Om Namah Shivaya
• Monday (Somvar) vrat
• Pilgrimage guides

Frequently asked questions