Somnath Temple, Prabhas Patan (Prathama Jyotirlinga)

• Spiritual & Architectural Overview: Arulmigu Somnath Temple is revered as the first and most exalted among the 12 sacred Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva in India. Perched dramatically on the shore of the Arabian Sea in Prabhas Patan, the temple represents the eternal resilience of Indian spiritual culture—having been destroyed and rebuilt seven times across millennia. The present grand temple built in the Solanki (Chaulukya) architectural style features a 155-foot stone spire (Vimanam), a massive Kalash weighing 10 tons, and a 27-foot flag mast.
• Sacred Geography & Setting: Located at the holy confluence (Triveni Sangam) of three sacred rivers—Hiran, Kapila, and the subterranean Saraswati—where they merge into the vast Arabian Sea.
• Core Spiritual Identity: Known as the Shrine Eternal, Somnath is the sacred site where Soma (the Moon God) was liberated from the curse of King Daksha and regained his divine luster by worshipping Lord Shiva.

According to the Skanda Purana (Prabhas Khanda) and the Mahabharata, Chandra (Soma, the Moon God) was married to the 27 daughters of Prajapati Daksha (representing the 27 Nakshatras). However, Chandra favored Rohini above all other wives, causing grief to the remaining 26 sisters. They appealed to their father Daksha, who warned Chandra repeatedly to treat all his wives equally. When Chandra ignored the warning, Prajapati Daksha cursed him to lose his divine radiance (Kshaya Roga - waning of the moon into darkness).

Desperate and losing his light, Chandra performed intense penance (Tapasya) at the sacred Prabhas Kshetra for 4,000 years, worshipping Lord Shiva with the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra. Pleased by Soma's unyielding devotion, Lord Shiva manifested as a radiant pillar of light (Jyotirlinga). Shiva declared that while Daksha's curse could not be completely erased, he would mitigate it: during one fortnight (Krishna Paksha), the moon would wane, but during the following fortnight (Shukla Paksha), the moon would wax and regain full radiance. Overjoyed, Chandra established the golden temple of Lord Shiva and named the deity Somnath ("The Lord of the Moon").

It is believed in sacred tradition that the temple of Somnath was built in four Yugas using four precious materials: Chandra (Moon God) constructed it in Gold during Satya Yuga; Ravana constructed it in Silver during Treta Yuga; Lord Krishna built it in Sandalwood during Dvapara Yuga; and King Bhimdev Solanki rebuilt it in Stone during Kali Yuga. Furthermore, the nearby Bhalka Tirth marks the exact spot where Lord Krishna was struck by the arrow of the hunter Jara under a banyan tree, ending his earthly avatar before ascending to Vaikuntha.

Prabhas Patan has maintained an unbroken lineage of Sompura Salat sculptors who preserved the sacred manuals of architectural silpa shastras (Kashyapa Shilpa & Aparajitaprichha) for over a thousand years, using these exact principles to restore Somnath in 1951.

• Ancient Sanskrit Hymns: Mentioned extensively in the Rigveda (10.136.6), Taittiriya Samhita, Skanda Purana (Prabhas Khanda), Siva Purana (Koti Rudra Samhita, Ch. 14), and Mahabharata (Vana Parva).

Saurashtre Somanatham cha Srisaile Mallikarjunam | Ujjayinyam Mahakalam Omkaramamaleswaram || Kedaram Himavatte tu Dakinyam Bhimashankaram | Varanasyam cha Vishwesham Trimbakam Gautami tate || (Siva Purana - Dwadasa Jyotirlinga Stotram)

• Translation: "In Saurashtra stands Somnath, and on Srisailam stands Mallikarjuna; In Ujjain is Mahakala, and in Omkareshwar is Amaleshwara; In the Himalayas is Kedarnath, and in Bhima's land is Bhimashankar; In Varanasi is Vishveshwara, and on the banks of Gautami is Trimbakeshwar."

• Royal Stone Inscriptions & Historical Records: The temple foundations yield epigraphical decrees from King Bhima I of the Solanki (Chaulukya) dynasty (1026 CE), King Kumarapala (1169 CE), and King Mahipaladeva of Chudasma dynasty (1308 CE).
• Historical Destruction & Rebuilding: The temple witnessed historical invasions by Mahmud of Ghazni (1026 CE), Alauddin Khilji's army (1299 CE), Zafar Khan (1395 CE), and Aurangzeb (1665 & 1706 CE). Each time, local rulers including Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore (who built the adjacent shrine in 1783 CE) and local Rajput chieftains restored worship.
• Modern Reconstruction: On November 13, 1947, Deputy Prime Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel pledged to rebuild Somnath. Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, performed the Prana Pratishtha (consecration) of the Jyotirlinga on May 11, 1951, declaring: "The Somnath temple rises again from its ashes to proclaim that the power of creation is ever greater than the power of destruction."

• The Baan Stambha (Arrow Pillar) Engineering Marvel: Positioned on the sea wall of Somnath temple is an ancient stone pillar called Baan Stambha. An inscription on the pillar reads in Sanskrit that from this precise point on the Somnath shore, drawing a straight line southwards along the meridian, there is no landmass whatsoever until the South Pole (Antarctica). Modern geographic satellite mapping confirms this ancient astronomical calculation to be 100% accurate.
• Acoustic & Structural Metallurgy: Constructed with interlocking granite blocks without iron dowels, engineered to withstand intense saline coastal winds and ocean wave erosion for centuries.
• Famous News & Documentary Features: Featured extensively on National Geographic, Discovery Channel India, and UNESCO cultural heritage studies highlighting the architectural revival of Solanki stone craftsmanship.

• Prata:Kala Maha Aarti: 7:00 AM daily accompanied by massive dhol, nagada drums, and conch shells.
• Madhyahna Aarti: 12:00 PM mid-day ritual offering.
• Sandhya Shringara Aarti: 7:00 PM evening grand illumination and floral decoration of the Swayambhu Lingam.
• Somnath Sound & Light Show (Somnath Trishul Darshan): A 45-minute evening sound & light show titled Jay Somnath narrated by Amitabh Bachchan projected onto the temple facade against the ocean drop from 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
• Special Sevas & Vows: Gangajal Abhishekam, Bilvapatra Pooja, Dhwaja Arohan (hosting the sacred flag atop the 155ft Vimanam), and Kalsarp Yog Shanti Pooja.

• Best Months / Season to Visit: October to March (Pleasant winter coastal climate, temperature 15°C–28°C).
• Best Hours for Peaceful Darshan: 6:00 AM to 7:00 AM (Opening hour) and 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM.

• Maha Shivaratri (Feb/March): 3-day grand festival with 24-hour continuous Darshan, cultural fairs, and over 500,000 pilgrims.
• Kartik Purnima (Nov): 5-day Somnath Fair (Somnath Mela) held near Triveni Sangam.
• Shravan Month (July/August): Special month-long bilva archana and sea water abhishekam.

• Official / Government Sources: Shree Somnath Trust Official Portal (`somnath.org`), Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) Vadodara Circle Reports.
• Scholarly & Historical Books: Somnath: The Shrine Eternal by K.M. Munshi (1951, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan); The History and Culture of the Indian People (Vol. V) by R.C. Majumdar.
• Classical Literature: Skanda Purana (Prabhas Khanda), Siva Purana (Koti Rudra Samhita Ch. 14), Srimad Bhagavatam.