Somnath Jyotirlinga | Explore the Sacred 1st Jyotirlinga

Have you ever visited Somnath Jyotirlinga?

No? Okay then let me tell you about this great Temple of Lord Shiv.. 

It is a famous Mahadev Temple and the first Jyotirlinga among the twelve in India. Every year, Millions of devotees of Lord Shiv come here to seek blessing and to enlighten themselves with spirituality. 

Somnath temple is a definition of magnificence and divinity. The sight of Somnath is a Pilgrimage due to the Triveni Sangam of divine rivers: Kapila, Hiran and Saraswati. 

This Temple has been attacked many times but it is still holding the same beauty as always. 

Today, we will dive to learn the history, story and everything about Shree Somnath Jyotirlinga.

The History and Story of Somnath Jyotirlinga 

The Someshwar Mahadev Temple is another name of Somnath Jyotirlinga. It has great significance as one of the most spiritual places in India. The temple is located in Prabhas Patan of Saurashtra, Gujarat. 

Rig ved, the Holy Scripture tells a story as this temple adds more charm into the cultural heritage of India. Somnath means “The Protector of The Moon”. 

Do you know who the protector of the Moon is? 

It is Lord Shiva… 

The Somnath Jyotirlinga is a representation of Mahadev himself. It is said that this Jyotirlinga has a divine light which is a symbol of Mahadev. Somnath Jyotirlinga, a divine place that holds spiritual energy. It has been destroyed in the past but it has been rebuilt again and again.

According to Shiv Puran, Chandrama married 27 daughters of Prajapati Daksh but he loved Rohini the most among them all. This is something that upsets his father in law Prajapati. As he wanted Chandra to treat all his daughters the same way he treats Rohini. 

The Moon didn’t listen to Prajapati and then he paid the consequences. Daksh punished Chandrama in anger that he will lose all his shine and the world will become dark. All the other Gods requested Prajapati to take his curse back but he didn’t listen. 

When nobody can help, Mahadev is always there to help!

Lord Shiv saved Chandrama from the curse and saved his life by removing the impact of Daksha’s malediction. It is the place where Mahadev adorned Chandrama and became Someshwar, the Lord of the Moon.

Read More: Dwarka Temple: Experience the Spiritual Heaven with 4 Dham

The Somnath Jyotirlinga 

One of the most sacred temples of Mahadev, the Somnath Jyotirlinga is also famous for its exceptional architecture. It is said that Mahadev manifested himself and decided to live there eternity as the first Jyotirlinga. 

The Structure of the Temple

The temple shore of Somnath Jyotirlinga has been made in 4 phases separately. In gold by god Soma, silver by Ravi, wood by Lord Kanha and stone by the king Bhimdeva. 

The temple is about 155 feet tall with Chalukya Architecture beauty which ideally mirrors the masonry skills of Sampuras. 

The Shikhar of the Temple has a magnificent Kalash which weighs around 10 tons with a flag of 37 feet. The temple has a big corridor which includes The Sabha Mandap and Nritya Mandap.

The Divine Shivlinga

Now, let’s come to the divine Shivlinga of Somnath Jyotirlinga. To reach, you have to walk through the corridor, stairs, and after that you can witness the divine shivlinga. You can’t enter the Garbh gruh but can see the divine Shivlinga through your eyes.

Also, you can take the Panchamrit through the Gaumukh. It is situated on the right side of the temple, you can take that while doing the Parikrama. There is always a huge crowd so you have to wait in the queue to take the Darshan of Mahadev.  

The Aarti timings

• Morning aarti: 7 AM 
• Afternoon aarti: 12 PM 
• Evening aarti: 7 PM 

The Somnath Temple is open every day from 6 AM to 10 PM for the visitors.

Interesting Facts about Somnath Mahadev Temple

• The Somnath Temple was built between 1947 to 1951. It was inaugurated by the honorable first President of India Dr Rajendra Prasad.
• As per the Skanda Purana, when Lord Brahma creates a new world, Somnath will be known as Pran Nath Temple. It is because Somnath Gujarat will get a new name every time the world is recreated.
• You will see the sculptures of Lord Brahma, Vishnu and Lord Shiv On the walls of the temple. These beautiful sculptures add beautiful charm to the Somnath Jyotirlnga.
• As per the Prabhaskhand of Skanda Purana, while answering the questions of Maa Parvati, Shiva discloses that Somnath temple has been re-named 8 times.
• It is believed that Somnath is situated where there is no land on the straight-line between Somnath seashore till Antarctica. This is a mysterious thing itself. 
• You can find Somnath in the famous Purans and Holy books of Hindus like Shreemad Bhagavat, Skandpuran, Shivpuran and Rig-Veda. It signifies the prominence of this temple as one of the most prevalent pilgrimage places in India.
• The Somnath Shivalinga is assumed to have been safely hidden within the well-known Syamantak Mani. It is popular as the Philosopher’s stone, which is linked to Lord Krishna. This was a magical stone, which was proficient in producing gold and had alchemic and radioactive properties. It creates a magnetic field around itself that help it in floating above ground.
• You can’t do the Ardh Parikrama of Somnath Shivlinga as you can’t enter into the Garbh gruh. You can only do the parikrama of the temple from the outside. 
• Belts, mobile phones and cameras are not allowed inside the temple so make sure to lock all these electronics outside. You can keep these outside the temple premises at the available counters. 
• There is another Shivlinga in Somnath where you can do the abhishekam and touch it to seek the blessings. To reach this temple, you need to walk through the narrow way(cave type). It is located near the main temple of Somnath. You need to walk the stairs to reach there. Some locals said, it is the real Somnath Shivlinga, placed at a distance from the main temple.

How to Reach?

You can reach Somnath Jyotirlinga in multiple ways including by air, train, or even the road. 

Let’s know how?

By air 

If you are planning to reach Somnath via airline then you need to reach the nearest airport, Rajkot airport. The other airports are Keshod Airport in Junagadh and Diu Airport. 

By train 

There are two main railway stations from where you can reach Somnath. One is Veraval and the other at Somnath (Currently closed).

By road 

If you want to reach via road then reach the nearest city Rajkot which is 190 kms away. From there you can take a bus, Taxi or even car to reach Somnath. 

Well, Somnath is well connected to the rest of the country by a good network of roads and highways. The Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation runs several buses to Somnath from all the popular cities and towns in Gujarat. 

Somnath Yatra: A treat to the eyes

Somnath- The first Jyotirlinga of Shiva has great significance in the history of Hindus. This is what makes this temple a perfect place to visit for spiritual awakening.

If you are planning a Gujarat trip, make sure to visit during Somnath Swabhiman Yatra 2026. It provides mental peace and by visiting here, you can take blessings of the lords of Lord- Mahadev.

Jai Someshwar Mahadev!!

Start your Gujarat trip by taking darshan of Mahadev at  Shri Somnath Dham..!!

Also Read: Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi With Mesmerising View

FAQs:

Q: What are the other names of Somnath Jyotirlinga?

A: The other popular names of Somnath Jyotirlinga are Somnath Mahadev Mandir and Someshwar Mahadev.

Q: Where is Somanth Temple situated?

A: The divine Somnath temple is situated in Gujarat state in Prabhas Patan, near Veraval in the Saurashtra region. It is placed on the western shoreline of India near the Arabian Sea. 

Q: What is the distance between Somnath and Dwarka?

A: The exact Distance between Somnath and Dwarka via road is about 233KM. The aerial distance from Somnath and Dwarka is approx. 211KM.

Q: Can we touch the Shivlinga in Somnath?

A: It is not allowed to touch the Somnath Shivlinga, you can’t enter the Garbh Gruh, nobody can touch it.