Somnath Temple

Somnath Temple is a Hindu temple to Shiva on the Arabian Sea coast at Prabhas Patan, near Veraval in Gujarat, and it is revered as the first of the twelve Jyotirlingas, the most sacred shrines of Shiva. Somnath Temple has a history of repeated destruction and rebuilding: it was sacked several times from the 11th century onward, most famously by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1026.

After independence, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel led the effort to rebuild Somnath Temple, and the present temple, in the Chalukya or Solanki style, was consecrated in 1951 in the presence of President Rajendra Prasad. It is run by the Shree Somnath Trust. Prabhas Patan is also sacred as the place where, in tradition, Krishna left his earthly life, and the nearby Triveni Sangam, where three rivers meet the sea, draws pilgrims for ritual bathing. Somnath Temple is busiest at the evening aarti and during the month of Shravan and the festival of Mahashivratri.

What to see

• The tall carved sandstone shikhara, topped by a golden kalash and flag
• The Baan Stambh, an arrow pillar on the sea wall marking that no land lies between Somnath and the South Pole on its line
• The evening aarti, followed by the sound and light show on the temple's history
• The sea promenade behind the temple at sunset
• Triveni Sangam and the Bhalka Tirth, linked to the Krishna story, a short drive away

What to wear

Somnath Temple is an active shrine, so dress modestly: shoulders and knees covered, no shorts or sleeveless tops. Shoes are left at the free counter outside, and phones, cameras and bags must also be deposited before security. The coast is warm and humid most of the year, so light cotton works, with a scarf for sun and sea breeze. Many pilgrims wear traditional dress: women in a saree or the Gujarati chaniya choli, men in a dhoti or kurta, and Kathiawadi men sometimes in a white kediyu and turban.

Local food to try

Somnath and Veraval eat in the Kathiawadi style, rich and spicy and almost entirely vegetarian near the temple: sev tameta nu shaak, a tomato curry with crunchy sev, bajra rotla with garlic chutney, kadhi khichdi, and thepla flatbreads. The temple trust runs a low-cost bhojanalay serving a simple vegetarian thali. Street stalls around the temple sell fafda with jalebi in the morning and fresh chhaas. Veraval is a large fishing port, but meat and fish are not served near the shrine.

Good to know

• Best time: October to March, for the evening aarti and the sound and light show
• Open daily from early morning to night; aarti at about 7am, noon and 7pm
• Free entry; the sound and light show is ticketed
• Allow half a day, including the aarti and the show
• About 6 km from Veraval railway station; Diu airport is about 85 km away
• No phones or cameras inside the temple; use the lockers at the gate

Nearby places

From Somnath Temple, the Statue of Unity is about 360 km away in a straight line and the Rann of Kutch about 330 km to the north, so each needs its own leg of a Gujarat circuit; many Singapore visitors fly in via Mumbai, home of the Gateway of India. Gir National Park, home of the Asiatic lion, is about 45 km inland.