• Home

The Complete Pilgrim - Religious Travel Sites

Howard Kramer's, The Complete Pilgrim, Religious Travel Site

  • AMERICAN RELIGIOUS SITES
  • CHRISTIAN SITES
  • JEWISH SITES
  • CATHOLIC SITES
  • ISLAMIC SITES
  • INDIAN/HINDU SITES
  • HOLIDAY SITES
  • CASTLES
  • BATTLEFIELDS
  • MOUNTAINS
  • NATURE
  • WILDLIFE SITES
  • PHOTO GALLERIES
  • ARCHIVES
  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

SOMNATH TEMPLE

August 9, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Prabhas Patan, Gujurat

The Somnath Temple has one of the most dramatic stories of any temple in India. Considered to be the most resilient of all of India’s major Hindu sites, the temple has been torn down and rebuilt at least a dozen times (averaging about once a century throughout most of its existence). It is one of the twelve Jyortlingas sites, temples which house relics associated with Shiva. Although neither the most important nor the most popular, it is traditionally the temple where pilgrimages to see all twelve temples begin, making it an absolutely pivitol starting point for many Hindu travelers.

History

The history of Prabhas Patan as an important religious site is somewhat less engrossing, and somewhat more recent, than many of its peers scattered throughout India. One legend talks about an encounter between Krishna and the monky king Vali here. Another indicates that Prabhas Patan was one of the cities that received one of the twelve relics of Shiva.

Some accounts describe early temples Prabhas Patan, made consecutively of gold, silver, wood and stone, that have been around since ancient times. Archaeology indicates the earliest temples probably did not appear until the early Middle Ages. But it is not the Somnath Temple’s early history that is of real interest; it is its later history.

In the 8th century AD, a Muslim army invaded Gujarat, sacked and destroyed the temple (probably the second on the site). This was the first of many times that the Somnath Temple was destroyed. Each time, the temple was eventually rebuilt. Additional major sackings took place in the 11th, 13th, 14th, 15th and 17th centuries. Numerous minor attacks took place sporadically over the course of a thousand years.

With the arrival of the British Empire, the cycle of destruction at the hands of Muslim invaders largely halted. However, while a new temple was constructed in the 18th century, this was on a spot adjacent to the original temple. It wasn’t until 1950 that the ruins of the original temple wer finally removed and a new one built. Beyond its religious importance, the Somnath Temple has come to symbolize the resilience of Hinduism and the cycle of life, death and rebirth.

Visiting

The Somnath Temple is one of Gujarat’s most impressive temples. Although built in the 20th century, it reflects the magnificence and style of an earlier age, not the tackiness of most modern structures. The temple complex includes the massive main building, with its twin pyramid-domes and an immense tower-steeple that dominates the nearby coastline. Next to the current building is the smaller shrine which dates from the 1780s.

The temple interior is somewhat less interesting, in part because it so new. It lacks the exquisitie décor of many of India’s other major Hindu temples. However, there is a magnificent golden shrine inside, and the relic of Shiva is within.

The Somnath Temple is located in the Prabhas Patan district on the southeast side of Veraval, approximately 200 miles northwest of Mumbai. It is open daily from 6:00am-9:30pm. There is no cost of admission. Web: www.somnath.org (official website).

Other Sites

While there are other temples in Prabhas Patan, perhaps the most interesting site in the city after the temple is the Prabhas Patan Museum, which houses some of the remains of earlier Somnath Temples.

Filed Under: Hindu Tagged With: India (NW)

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

About Howard Kramer

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is a culmination of years of his work and passion.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

THE COMPLETE AMERICAN PILGRIM – NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

THE COMPLETE PILGRIM

Welcome to The Complete Pilgrim(TM)! This site, created by Howard Kramer, is a combination travel blog and online guide to the world's greatest sites of religious interest (with some historic and recreational places thrown in for good measure). All written content has been originally researched and produced and is provided free for public research and enjoyment. Thank you for visiting!

Site of the Week

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

Wittenberg, Germany The … [Read More...]

Friends of TCP Spotlight

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

by Glory Ali The City of Brotherly Love offers tons to see and do and get this, it’s FREE. That’s right you heard it right it’s FREE. Click here for complete article  

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

by Mary Neuhauser President Trump recently announced his intentions to move the United States Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, thereby recognizing Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel. The purpose of this article is to give you a brief overview of what this decision means and why it matters. Click here for […]

Photo of the Week

BASILICA OF ST. DENIS

Last month, I visited one of the most fascinating churches I have ever been to, the almost completely ignored Basilica of St. Denis in the northern suburbs of Paris.  Almost every French monarch is buried here, and almost nobody goes here.  Here are some pics I took:

Basilica of St. Denis

Tomb of Clovis

Tomb of Clovis

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Royal Tombs

Royal Tombs

The Crypt

The Crypt

 

 

 

 

Follow us!

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

Contact Us

Have a comment, a great photo or a religious site you'd like to nominate for the weekly spotlight? We would love to hear from you. Email us at hkramer@thecompletepilgrim.com.

About the Author

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is the culmination of years of his work and passion.

Return to top of page
Copyright © 2023 The Complete Pilgrim, LLC || Marietta, GA 30068 || Legal Disclaimers

Website by: Kristina McInerny, Notes From Kris, Inc.