Somnath Temple
The First Of The Twelve Jyotirlingas Of Shiva · Somnath, Gujarat
A temple to Shiva on the shore of the Arabian Sea at Prabhas Patan in Gujarat, revered as the first of the twelve Jyotirlingas and one of the most important pilgrimage sites in India. Its history is one of repeated destruction and rebuilding: the temple was raided and ruined many times over the centuries, most famously by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1026, and each time rebuilt. The present temple, in the Chalukya style of honey-coloured stone, was rebuilt after independence and completed in 1951, a project pushed by Sardar Patel as a symbol of national renewal. It stands right on the sea wall; a pillar on the shore, the Baan Stambh, records that there is no land in a straight line between here and the South Pole. Each evening a sound and light show is projected on the temple. Nearby are the Triveni Sangam, where three rivers meet the sea, and Bhalka Tirth, where Krishna is said to have been struck by the arrow that ended his earthly life. Security is strict and phones are not allowed inside. It is easily combined with Gir and Diu.
Prabhas Patan, Veraval, Somnath, Gujarat, 362268, India
NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED. The usual pattern: the temple opens around dawn and closes around 9.30 to 10 pm every day of the year, with no weekly closing day. Aartis are held early morning, around midday and in the evening; the evening aarti is the one to plan around. The sound and light show runs once in the evening after the aarti, for about an hour, and may be cancelled in heavy monsoon rain. The museum keeps daytime hours and closes one day a week. THE TRAPS: arriving with a phone (the locker queue costs 15 to 30 minutes), arriving after the evening aarti has started, and Shivaratri or Shravan Mondays, when queues run for hours. Confirm all times locally.