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Somnath
Languages : gujarati, Hindi, & English
Best time to visit : October to March
STD Code : 02876 (Veraval)
Home to one of the 12 Jyotirlings of India, the temple city
of Somnath or Prabhas Patan is situated in the state of Gujarat
on the Arabian Sea. The place extends from latitude 21° 04’
in the north to longitude 70° 26’ in the east.
The climate of Somnath is mild with the temperature ranging
between 20°C and 28°C in the winters and between 28°C and
34°C in the summers. One can visit the place round the year
but the best season to visit is winters—from October to March.
Places of Interest
The present temple, Kailash Mahameru Prasad is built
in the Chalukya style of temple architecture and reflects
the inherent skill of sompuras, Gujarat's master masons. It
has the shikhara, the Garbhagriha, the sabha mandap and the
nritya mandap. It has been built in such a position that there
is no land between the Somnath temple and Antarctica. This
fact finds mention in the inscription found on the protection
wall of the temple.
The museum at Somnath houses the remains of the earlier
temples but in the form of a clutter of old carved stones
littering a courtyard. It also houses pottery shards, a seashell
collection, a glass case of water bottles containing samples
from the rivers Danube, Nile, St Lawrence, Tigris, Plate,
Murray, and seawater from Tasmania, and New Zealand.
The Bhalka Tirth is the place where Lord Krishna was
mistaken for a deer and wounded by an arrow while sleeping
in a deerskin. The place is situated on the confluence of
three rivers. There is a sun temple (Suraj Mandir) nearby
that was also knocked down by Mahmud of Ghazni.
The Junagarh Gate is a very ancient triple gate that Mahmud
of Ghazni broke through to take the town.
The Mai Puri was once a Sun temple but was later converted
into a mosque during Mahmud of Ghazni’s time.
The Ahilyabai Temple was built as a substitute for
the original Somnath Temple. Just behind the temple is the
Somnath beach with pleasant sands, great sea view,
camel and pony rides, coconut stalls, and snack shops.
Other places of interest are Jama Masjid, Bhidiyo Pagoda,
and several smaller temples.
SITES NEARBY
The Gir National Park is the last home of the Asiatic
Lion and is situated around 43 km off Somnath. This 1400 sq
km sanctuary was set up to protect the lions whose numbers
at one point had come down to less than 200. Now the number
is believed to have reached around 285 at the last count.
Chorwad is a new beach resort developed by the Tourism
Corporation of Gujarat at a distance of around 26 km from
Somnath.
Veraval is a major fishing port and a base point for
the visit to Somnath.
WHERE TO STAY
No major hotel chain has its presence in Somnath till now.
For the pilgrims and tourists, there are guesthouses, rest
houses and inns etc. Services are simple but reasonable. There
are accommodation options available in Veraval also.
HOW TO REACH
By Air
The nearest airport from Somnath is Keshod 55 km away and
linked to Mumbai. There are regular buses and taxis plying
between Keshod and Somnath.
By Rail
The nearest railhead is seven km away at Veraval, which is
connected by train to Ahmedabad and some other cities in gujarat.
By Road
State transport corporation buses and private coaches run
regular service to other cities in the region. Somnath is
connected by a good road network to the other nearby places
like Veraval 7 km, Mumbai 889 km, Ahmedabad 400 km, Bhavnagar
266 km, Junagarh 85 km, and Porbandar 122 km.
Local Transport
Private taxis, Auto rickshaws, Chhakadas, and buses are all
available to move around Somnath and the other place in the
vicinity.
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