Cities in India

Veraval / Somnath

Population                     : 105,000
Main Languages             : Gujarati.
Telephone area code     : 02876
Best time to visit            : October to March

Veraval, is on the south coast of Saurashtra and was a major seaport for Mecca pilgrims before the rise of Surat. It still has some importance as one of India’s major fishing ports and as a base for a visit to the Somnath Temple which is 5 kms from the town.

Places of Interest
Temple of Somnath
The temple of Somnath has an extremely chequered past. As per the legent – it is said to have been originally built out of gold by Somraj – the moon god, only to be rebuilt by Rawana in silver, then by Krishna in wood and lastly by Bhimdev in stone.

A description of the temple by Al Baruni, an Arab traveller, was so glowing that it prompted a visit in 1024 by the most unwelcome tourist – Mahmud of Ghazni. At that time, the temple was so wealthy that it had 300 musicians, 500 dancing girls and even 300 barbers just to shave the heads of visiting pilgrims

Mahmud of Ghazi descended on Somnath from the Afghan kingdom and after a two day battle took the town and the temple. Having looted its fabulous wealth, he destoyed it and thus began a pattern of Muslim destruction and Hindu rebuilding which continued for centuries. The temple was again razed in 1297, 1394 and finally in 1706, by Aurangzeb after which, the temple was not rebuilt until 1950.

The current temple was built to traditional patters on the original site by the sea and contains one of the 12 sacred Shiva shrines known as jyotir lingas.

Other important sites include the Junagadh gate, from where you enter the town of Somnath. This triple gate was one which Mahmud finally broke to take the town; the Bhalka Tirth where Krishna was mistaken for a deer and wounded by an arrow while sleeping in a deer skin

HOW TO REACH
By Air

By Train
Trains from Ahmedabad and Rajkot.