{"id":3090,"date":"2021-11-29T12:32:44","date_gmt":"2021-11-29T12:32:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/34.228.189.90\/?p=3090"},"modified":"2023-09-29T15:49:38","modified_gmt":"2023-09-29T10:19:38","slug":"somnath-temple-the-story-of-the-shrine-eternal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.indianeagle.com\/traveldiary\/somnath-temple-the-story-of-the-shrine-eternal\/","title":{"rendered":"Somnath Temple: The Story of an Indian Temple as Resilient as the Country Itself"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Somnath
Source: Freepik<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Indian temples, with their grand architecture and great religious and spiritual significance, have always attracted travelers who set out on the journey of discovering the real Bharat. These places of worship turned out to be India\u2019s best attractions, drawing in history buffs, architecture enthusiasts, pilgrims and spiritually inclined travelers alike. Gujarat\u2019s Somnath Temple, the first of the 12 Aadi Jyotirlingas (the places where Lord Shiva appeared in the form of a radiant, infinite light) and a popular pilgrimage site for Hindus, is one of the most-visited temples in India<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The glorious history of Somnath Temple, one of the richest Indian temples, has been marred by the malevolence of Muslim marauders who raided, looted, and sabotaged this temple no less than 17 times. Try as they might, they couldn’t erase its existence as it rose like a phoenix from the ashes every time it was razed to the ground. Let\u2019s delve into the history of Somnath, the myths, legends, and other interesting facts about this Shrine Eternal<\/em>.<\/p>\n

History of Somnath Temple – A Saga of Vile Demolition and Wilful Resurrection:<\/h2>\n

Much like the history of Bharat, the Somnath temple\u2019s past is also fraught with depredations and destructions, but this temple survived them all. Standing firm on the western coast of India, this indestructible temple reflects the resilient character of Bharat.<\/p>\n

According to Indian mythology, this age-old shrine was first built in gold by Somraj (Moon God), then in silver by Ravana, in sandalwood by Lord Krishna, and much later, in stone by Bhimdeva (one of the rulers of Gujarat).<\/p>\n

Historical records state that the Somnath temple<\/a> was pillaged and vandalized multiple times by various Muslim monarchs like Mahmud Ghazni, Khilji, Muzaffar Shah, Zafar Khan, Ahmed Shah, Mahmud Begada, Aurangzeb, etc., who looted the temple\u2019s riches and reduced the pious site to a wreck. But every time the foreign invaders knocked the temple down, our ancient rulers like Shri Vikramaditya of Ujjaini, the Vallabhi kings, Bhimadeva of Anhilawada, and Khangara (the king of Junagadh) among others resurrected it, bringing back its glory.<\/p>\n

This cycle of demolition by Muslims and reconstruction by Hindus continued for some centuries. But when Aurangzeb ruined it in 1702 for the last time, the temple wasn\u2019t rebuilt until 1950.<\/p>\n

Mahmud Ghaznavi\u2019s attack on Somnath temple during the 11th century is the most heinous one. He not only attacked and looted the temple but also took away the lives of thousands of pilgrims and burnt away the temple.<\/p>\n

Destruction they did, but their intention was never fulfilled because ‘the power of creation is always more than the power of destruction<\/em>,’ as noted by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, during the pran pratishtha<\/em> ceremony at the modern Somnath Temple in 1951.<\/p>\n

Reconstruction of Somnath Temple by the Iron Man of India:<\/h2>\n

The temple we see today is a result of the iron will of the great freedom fighter Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who initiated the reconstruction of Somnath Temple during his visit to Prabhas in 1947. The mosque that Aurangazed replaced the temple with, was shifted to a new place, and Jyotirling Pratishthan was done by Dr. Rajendra Prasadon on 11th May in 1951.<\/p>\n

The new Somnath temple was designed in Chalukya style temple architecture by the Sompara community, under the auspices of Prabhashankar Sompura. The exquisite carvings on the honey-colored temple speak volumes about the exceptional craftsmanship of our artisans. Well-maintained temple gardens, an ornate gateway called Digvijay Dwar, intricate artwork on walls and ceilings, and a beautiful Sabha Mandap (Assembly Hall) and Nritya Mandap (Dance Hall) are some of the notable features of Somnath Temple. There is also a statue of Shri Vallabhbhai Patel at the main gate of the temple.<\/p>\n

Sitting solemnly at Triveni Sangam, the place where the three holy rivers – Kapila, Hiran and Saraswati – meet, Somnath Jyotirlinga temple imbues the surroundings with an air of tranquility and spirituality.<\/p>\n

Who built the original Somnath Temple?<\/h2>\n

The construction of the original Somnath Temple is associated with the legend of Daksha\u2019s curse on the Moon (Chandra Deva), the lore that explains the waxing and waning phenomena of the moon.<\/p>\n

When Chandra Deva favored Rohini more than his other wives (who were all daughters of Daksha) as opposed to his promise that he would love all his 27 wives (the 27 nakshatras) equally, an infuriated Daksha puts a curse of Kshay <\/em>(gradual degeneration of the body) on him. Gutted, Chandra Deva rushes to Lord Brahma, who advises him to bathe in Triveni Sangam at Prabhas Teerth and worship Lord Shiva, the ultimate savior. As instructed, Chandra Deva recites Mahamrityunjaya Mantra invoking Lord Shiva, who offers Chandra refuge in his dreadlocks (Lord Shiva thus came to be known as Chandrashekara). Lord Shiva also releases Chandra Deva from the curse inflicted on him for his unjust behavior, but without completely revoking it. Chandra Deva would wither, as cursed, however, Lord Shiva blesses him that he would steadily grow in size and radiance during the next 15 days of shrinking to a charming crescent, thus shining in full glory on Poornima.<\/p>\n

Having received this boon, Chandra Deva constructs a beautiful temple in gold for Lord Shiva, which is the Somnath Temple (Soma meaning moon) and installs the first Jyotirlinga which he names Somnath Mahadev. Chandra also began to spend equal time with each of his 27 wives (1 day in each nakshatra) ever since.<\/p>\n

Interesting Facts About Somnath Temple:<\/h2>\n

Also known as Prabhas Kshetra or Prabhas Patan, Somnath temple is the pious place where Bhagavan Shree Krishna took his divine journey to Neejdham.<\/p>\n