New Delhi, July 29, 2013: Shree Somnath is first among the twelve Aadi Jyotirlingas of India. It is located near Veraval, in Saurashtra, on the western coast of Gujarat. 

Ancient Indian traditions maintain a close relationship of Somnath with the release of Moon God from the curse of his father-in-law Daksha Prajapati.  Legend has it that the Moon was married to 27 daughters of Daksha. However, he favoured Rohini and neglected other queens. 

The aggrieved Daksha cursed the Moon and the latter lost power of light. With the advice of Prajapita Brahma, Moon arrived at the Prabhas Teerth and worshipped Lord Shiva. 

Pleased with his penance, Lord Shiva blessed him and relieved him from the curse of darkness.

With the advice of Prajapita Brahma, Moon arrived at the Prabhas Teerth and worshipped Lord Shiva. Pleased with his penance, Lord Shiva blessed him and relieved him from the curse of darkness.

Ancient Indian traditions maintain that the Moon god built a golden temple, followed by a silver temple by Ravana, while Lord Shri Krishna is believed to have built the Somnath temple with sandalwood.

Ancient Indian classical texts  say that the "pran pratistha" (installation) of the first Somnath Jyotirlinga was done on the auspicious third day of brighter half of Shravan month during the tenth Treta yug of Vaivswat Manvantar. 
 

Swami Shri Gajananand Saraswatiji, Chairman of Shrimad Aadhya Jagadguru Shankaracharya Vedic Shodh Sansthan, Varanasi suggested that the said first temple was built 7,99,25,105 years ago as derived from the traditions of Prabhas Khand of Skand Purana. 

First let us understand what a jyothirlinga is:   The jyothirlinga shrines are places where Shiva appeared as a fiery column of light. Originally there were 64 jyothirlingas while 12 of them are considered to be very auspicious and holy.
 

Each of the twelve jyothirlinga sites take the name of the presiding deity - each considered different manifestation of Shiva.At all these sites, the primary image is lingam representing the beginningless and endless Stambha pillar, symbolizing the infinite nature of Shiva.
 

The twelve jyothirlinga are Somnath in Guajrat, Mallikarjuna at Srisailiam in AP, Mahakaleshwar at Ujjain in MP, Omkareshwar in MP, Kedarnath in Uttarakhand, Bhimashankara in Maharashtra, Vishwanath in Kashi, UP, Tryambakeshwar in Maharastra,  Vaidyanath in Deoghar, Jharkhand, Nageshwara in Dwarka, Gujarat, Rameshwara in Tamil Nadu and Grishneshwara in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. 

The second temple in Somnath, built by the Yadava kings of Vallabhi in Gujarat, replaced the first one on the same site around 649 CE. 
 

In 725 CE Junayad, the Arab governor of Sind, sent his armies to destroy the second temple.  The Gurjara Pratihara king Nagabhatta II constructed the third temple in 815, a large structure of red sandstone.

In 1024, the temple was destroyed by invader Mahmud of Ghazni who raided the temple from across the Thar desert. The temple was rebuilt by the Gurjara Paramara KIng Bhoj of Malwa and the Solanki king Bhimadev I of  Gujarat (present day Patan) between 1026 and 1042. 

In 1296, the temple was once again destroyed by Sultan Allauddin Khilji's army. Nearly 50,000 people were killed and more than 20,000 people were enslaved.

The temple was rebuilt by Mahipala Deva, the Chudasama king of Saurashtra in 1308 and the Linga was installed by his son Khengar sometime between 1326 and 1351.In 1375, the temple was once again destroyed by Muzaffar Shah I, the Sultan of Gujarat
 

In 1451, the temple was once again destroyed by Mahmud Begda, the Sultan of Gujarat. In 1701, the temple was once again attacked by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. He left it half ruined. Later  with a joint effort by Peshwa of Pune, Raja Bhonsle of Nagpur, Chhatrapati Bhonsle of Kolhapur, Queen Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore & Shrimant Patilbuwa Shinde of Gwalior  the temple was rebuilt in 1783 at a site adjacent to the ruined temple.

During British rule, Prabhas Patan was part of the princely state of Junagarh, who wanted to accede to Pakistan, But India refused to accept his decision. Deputy PM Sardar Vallabh bhai Patel came to Junagadh on November 12, 1947 to direct the merger of the state into India and at the same time ordered the reconstruction of the Somanath temple. 

The ruins were pulled down in October 1950 and the mosque present at that site was shifted few miles away. In May 1951,  the first President of India Dr Rajendra Prasad performed the installation ceremony for the temple.

Rajendra Prasad said in his address "It is my view that the reconstruction of the Somnath Temple will be complete on that day when not only a magnificent edifice will arise on this foundation, but the mansion of India's prosperity will be really that prosperity of which the ancient temple of Somnath was a symbol."

He said: "The Somnath temple signifies that the power of reconstruction is always greater than the power of destruction" 

The present temple, which was built by Sardar Patel and K. M. Munshi, is managed by Shree Somnath Trust. 

Other spots in the temple are Shri Kapardi Vinayak and Shri Hanuman Temple in addition to Vallabhghat. Vallabhghat is a beautiful sunset point. The temple is illuminated every evening. Similarly, the Sound & Light Show “Jay Somnath” is also displayed every night during 8.00 to 9.00, which allows the pilgrims an ethereal experience in the backdrop of grand Somnath temple and the holy wave sounds of the Ocean. Kartik Purnima Fair which is held in the month of November for four days and Shivratri are the major and most important festivals celebrated in Somnath with grandness and aplomb that attracts crowds in large numbers.

The Major attractions here are:  
 

1.  Prabhas Patan Museum.

2. Bhalka Tirth 

3. Triveni Ghat 

4. Junagarh Gate

Source: India TV, DT. July 29, 2013.