Somnath Gujarat

Locate : The temple city of Somnath or Prabhas Patan is situated in the state of Gujarat on the Arabian Sea.
Touring Seasons : One can visit the place round the year but the best season to visit is winters-from October to March.

Somnath
The temple city of Somnath in Gujarat is home to one of the 12 very auspicious Jyotirlingas of India, situated in the state of Gujarat on the Arabian Sea. The Somnath is known for the Eternal Shrine, which it houses. Somnath is also known by several other names like Deo Pattan, Prabhas Pattan, or Pattan Somnath. These names were acquired during its long and eventful history. Somnath is abound in natural beauty, pilgrim places of national importance, memorable historic sites and lots more.

Accessibility
Airlines : 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.

Rail Lines : The nearest railhead is seven km away at Veraval, which is connected by train to Ahmedabad and some other cities in gujarat.

Bus Lines : 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.

For local transportation private taxis, auto rickshaws, chhakadas and buses are all available to move around Somnath and the other place in the vicinity.

Lodging at Somnath
No major hotel chain has its presence in Somnath till now. For the pilgrims and tourists, there are guesthouses, rest houses and inns etc.

Charming Spots near Somnath
Somnath Temple
Situated 79 kms from Junagadh and 25 kms from Chorwad, is the legendary shore temple of Somnath, one of the twelve most sacred Shiva shrines in India. The temple is believed to be originally built by Somraj, the Moon God himself, out of gold, and then rebuilt by Ravana in silver and then by Krishna in Wood, then by Bhimdev in stone. Somnath was once the most revered shrine in the country, for it had one of the twelve pre-eminent Jyotirlingas (the glowing Lingas), which held a special significance for the Hindus.

Kailash Mahameru Prasad
The present temple, Kailash Mahameru Prasad is built in the Chalukya style of temple architecture and displays the exquisite skill of sompuras, Gujarat's master masons. It has the shikhara, the Garbhagriha, the sabha mandap and the nritya mandap.

Museum
The museum at Somnath houses the remains of the earlier temples. 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.

Bhalka Tirth
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 conjunction of three rivers. There is a sun temple (Suraj Mandir) near, that was also knocked down by Mahmud of Ghazni.

Ahilyabai Temple
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.

The Gir National Park
The Gir National Park is the last home of the Asiatic Lion and is located about 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.

Junagarh Gate
The Junagarh Gate is a very ancient triple gate that Mahmud of Ghazni broke through to conquer the town.

Mai Puri
The Mai Puri was once a Sun temple but was later converted into a mosque during Mahmud of Ghazni's time.