We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to
use our site, you accept our use of cookies, Privacy Policies, and Terms of Service.
News : Somnath Swabhiman Parv is being organised to commemorate the temple’s reopening.
The Somnath Swabhiman Parv
It marks 1,000 years since the first recorded attack on Somnath Temple and 75 years since its reopening in 1951.
The temple was rebuilt through the collective resolve of devotees like Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar.
It is a four-day event which celebrates resilience, faith, and India’s civilisational continuity, featuring 72-hour Akhand Omkar chanting, devotional music, spiritual discourses, and cultural programs.
It highlights Somnath as a symbol of revival and national pride rather than a remembrance of destruction.
Somnath
The Somnath temple located in Prabhas Patan near Veraval in Saurashtra on the western coast of Gujarat, is believed to be the first among the twelve jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva
Somnath is revered as the first among the 12 Aadi Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva.
The present temple complex comprises the Garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum), Sabhamandap (assembly hall) and Nrityamandap (dance hall), rising majestically alongside the Arabian Sea.
Features: The temple is crowned by a 150-foot Shikhar, with a 10-tonne Kalash at its summit. The Dhwajdand (flagpole), standing 27-foot tall, marks the temple’s unwavering identity.
a. The complex is adorned with 1,666 gold-plated Kalash and 14,200 Dhwajas, symbolising generations of devotion and craftsmanship.
Attacks:Over centuries, it was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt, beginning with the first recorded attack by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1026, symbolising India’s enduring faith, identity, and civilisational pride.
Reconstruction: The present temple was reconstructed in Chaulukya style of Hindu temple architecture and completed in May 1951. The reconstruction was completed by Vallabhbhai Patel.
