Overview
Somnath, on the Arabian Sea coast of Gujarat at Prabhāsa Kṣetra, is revered in the Śaiva tradition as the first of the twelve Jyotirliṅgas; the Shree Somnath Trust itself styles it the 'Aadi Jyotirling'. Destroyed and rebuilt several times across its history, the present temple was consecrated in 1951 and is administered by the Shree Somnath Trust. The trust also states that from this sacred soil Bhagvan Shri Krishna took his last journey to his nijadhāma.
3 sources
- Śāstra Dvādaśa Jyotirliṅga Stotram (traditionally attributed to Ādi Śaṅkara)
- Official Shree Somnath Trust — official website (somnath.org)
- Modern scholarship Romila Thapar, 'Somanatha: The Many Voices of a History' (2004)
Sthala Purāṇa tradition
According to the Koṭirudra Saṃhitā of the Śiva Purāṇa, Soma (Chandra, the Moon), cursed by Dakṣa to wane, performed penance to Śiva at Prabhāsa. Śiva relieved the curse, which is why the Moon waxes again each month, and at Soma's prayer remained at Prabhāsa as Somanātha, 'the Lord of Soma'. The Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa of the Skanda Purāṇa elaborates the wider sanctity of Prabhāsa Kṣetra and its tīrthas.
2 sources
- Purāṇa Śiva Purāṇa, Koṭirudra Saṃhitā
- Purāṇa Skanda Purāṇa, Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa
History documented
Early and medieval
Somanātha was a major Śaiva centre of the Pāśupata order in the medieval period; the 1169 CE Prabhās Pāṭan inscription records the ācārya Bhāva Bṛhaspati and temple affairs. The temple was raided by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1026 CE, an event whose many and often conflicting tellings across Persian, Sanskrit and colonial sources are examined in modern scholarship. The shrine saw repeated cycles of damage and rebuilding in the centuries that followed.
2 sources
- Epigraphy Prabhās Pāṭan inscription of Bhāva Bṛhaspati, 1169 CE
- Modern scholarship Romila Thapar, 'Somanatha: The Many Voices of a History' (2004)
Modern reconstruction
The present temple, built in the Chalukya (Māru-Gurjara) style, was consecrated on 11 May 1951: the official trust records that 'The Pran-Pratistha at the existing temple was done on 11th May 1951 by then President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad.'
2 sources
- Official Shree Somnath Trust — official website (somnath.org)
- Modern scholarship Romila Thapar, 'Somanatha: The Many Voices of a History' (2004)
Architecture
The present structure follows the Chalukya (Māru-Gurjara) temple idiom of Gujarat: garbhagṛha, sabhā-maṇḍapa and śikhara — executed in stone in the mid-20th-century reconstruction.
1 source
- Modern scholarship Romila Thapar, 'Somanatha: The Many Voices of a History' (2004)
Festivalspending
Festival calendar (Mahā Śivarātri, Śrāvaṇa, Kārtika Pūrṇimā mela) to be added once verified against the trust's official Festivals pages — not shipped unsourced.
Visiting verified
- Darshan Hours
- 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM daily✓ verified 2026-08-01 · official source
- Aarti Times
- 7:00 AM, 12:00 noon, 7:00 PM✓ verified 2026-08-01 · official source
- Photography
- Photography is strictly prohibited. Mobile phones, cameras and electronic devices must be deposited in the free cloak room.✓ verified 2026-08-01 · official source
- Dress Code
- Respectful dress advised (the trust advises against mini skirts / disrespectful dress); sarees, dhotis, pants and t-shirts acceptable. Footwear removed before entry (free storage).✓ verified 2026-08-01 · official source
- Online Services
- Live darshan, online pooja, donation, room booking and prasad booking are offered ONLY via the official site somnath.org — the trust explicitly warns against unofficial channels.✓ verified 2026-08-01 · official source
Official
- Trust
- Shree Somnath Trust✓ verified 2026-08-01 · official source
- Website
- https://somnath.org/✓ verified 2026-08-01 · official source
Book darshan, pooja or donations only through the verified official channel above. MandirPal links to no other channel.
Map
Nearby sacred sites
Bhalka Tirtha tirtha
Traditionally the site associated with Shri Krishna's final moments before his last journey; the Somnath Trust's own account links this sacred soil to Krishna's departure to his nijadhāma.
1 source
- Official Shree Somnath Trust — official website (somnath.org)
Triveni Sangam, Prabhas tirtha
Confluence tīrtha at Prabhāsa; the tīrthas of Prabhāsa Kṣetra are catalogued in the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa.
1 source
- Purāṇa Skanda Purāṇa, Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa
Related in the knowledge graph
Part of circuit
- Collection
The Twelve Jyotirlingas
Dvādaśa Jyotirliṅga
Enshrines
- Deity
Shiva
Śiva
Where traditions differ, MandirPal shows each view with its sources and declares none of them absolute. Sacred narrative is labelled as tradition, history as documented evidence. Timings and rules change, so confirm with the official temple channel before you travel.