OVERVIEW

Somnath Jyotirlinga in Gir, Gujarat

Somnath Jyotirlinga in Gir is the first of the twelve holy Jyotirlinga that emerged in India. The Somnath temple in Gujarat is an intricately carved structure with neutral honey color.

The location of the temple is on the western edge of the state. It is the first Jyotirlinga where the God shiva showed his fierce column of light for the first time. The position at which the Somnath Temple in Gir, Gujarat is standing is outstanding as the three rivers are meeting, namely- Kapila, Hiran, and Saraswati. The Arabian sea waves ebbing away by touching the shore where the temple is constructed. Nobody knows when the temple was built, but some tracing into history says that it is from around 649 BC. People believe that the temple is way older than 649 BC.the reconstructions take place from time to time so that the building could stay intact and eye-pleasing. The Somnath Jyotirlinga in Gir Gujarat was last reconstructed in 1951. multicolored panoramas are showing the storyline of the God Shiva on the north side of the temple garden. The dioramas are difficult to see because it is challenging to see them clearly through darkened glasses. When p[eople visit the temple, nobody likes to miss the sound and light show. It begins at 7:45 pm and lasts for one hour. The exciting thing about the show is that it is in Amitabh Bachchan's baritone.

The enticing history behind the famous Somnath Temple

• The moon god known as Somraj was the first to build the temple of Somnath with gold, and later on, Ravana reconstructed it in silver. It has been chronologically reconstructed by many. After Ravana, it was built by Krishna in wood and then by Bhimdev in stone. The present structure of the Somnath temple in Gir is symmetrical with traditional designs which are renovated on the original coastal site.
• Antiquated Indian customs keep a cozy relationship with Somnath with the arrival of Chandra (Moon God) from the scourge of his father-in-law Daksha Prajapati. Moon was hitched to Twenty-Seven little girls of Daksha. In any case, he supported Rohini and disregarded different sovereigns.
• The oppressed Daksha reviled Moon, and the Moon lost the force of light. With the guidance of Prajapita Brahma, Moon showed up at the Prabhas Teerth and venerated Bhagavan Shiva. Satisfied with the great atonement and commitment of Moon, Bhagavan Shiva favored him and alleviated him from the scourge of haziness. Pauranic customs keep up with that Moon had constructed a brilliant sanctuary, trailed by a silver sanctuary by Ravana. Bhagavan Shree Krishna is accepted to have assembled Somnath sanctuary with Sandalwood.
• The exploration dependent on old Indian traditional writings shows that first Somnath Jyotirling Pran-Pratistha was done on the good third day of a more splendid portion of Shravan month during the 10th Treta yug of Vaivasvata Manvantara. Master Shri Gajananand Saraswatiji, Chairman of Shrimad Aadhya Jagadguru Shankaracharya Vedic Shodh Sansthan, Varanasi, recommended that sanctuary was assembled 7,99,25,105 years prior as gotten from the practices of Prabhas Khand of Skand Puran. Accordingly, this sanctuary is an enduring wellspring of motivation for a considerable number of Hindus since the days of yore.
• The Moon God is said to have been soothed from the scourge of his father-in-law Daksha Prajapati by the gifts of Bhagavan Somnath. In the Shiva Purana and Nandi Upapurana, Shiva said, 'I'm generally present all over however uncommonly in 12 structures and places as the Jyotirlingas'. Somnath is one of these 12 sacred spots. It is the first among the twelve sacred Shiva Jyotirlingas.
• The later wellsprings of history represent a few spoilings by Muslim intruders during the 11th to eighteen century A.D. Each time revamped the sanctuary with the reconstructive soul of individuals. The cutting-edge sanctuary was remade with the determination of Sardar Patel, who visited the remnants of Somnath sanctuary on November 13, 1947. Then, at that point, the President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, did the Pran-Pratistha at the current shelter on May 11, 1951.

Al Biruni description

• An Arab traveler, Al-Biruni, gave a personal description of the Somnath Temple in Gir. The temple was so gleaming that it incited a visit in 1024 by a most unwanted vacationer – the incredible marauder Mahmud of Ghazni from Afghanistan. Around then, the sanctuary was affluent to such an extent that it had 300 performers, 500 moving young ladies, and surprisingly 300 hairstylists. Mahmud of Ghazni took the town and sanctuary following a two-day fight in which it's said 70,000 protectors kicked the bucket. Having stripped the sanctuary of its spectacular riches, Mahmud annihilated it. So started an example of obliteration and remaking that proceeded for centuries. The refuge was again destroyed in 1297, 1394 lastly, in 1706 by Aurangzeb, the Mughal ruler. From that point onward, the sanctuary wasn't reconstructed until 1950.

Different spots in the sanctuary are Shri Kapardi Vinayak and Shri Hanuman Temple, notwithstanding Vallabh Ghat. Vallabh Ghat is an excellent nightfall point. The sanctuary is enlightened each evening. Likewise, the Sound and Light Show ``Jay Somnath" is additionally shown each late evening from 8.00 to 9.00, which permits the travelers an ethereal involvement with the scenery of the fantastic Somnath sanctuary and the blessed wave hints of the Ocean.