The Somnath Jyotirlinga is at Prabhas Patan in the Gir Somnath district of Gujarat, and both the Dvadasha Jyotirlinga Stotra and the Shiva Purana’s list name it first. According to the Shiva Purana, the Moon (Soma) worshipped Shiva here. The present temple was rebuilt after independence and consecrated on 11 May 1951.
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- Deity
- Shiva (Somnath)
- Tradition
- Shaiva
- Place
- Prabhas Patan (near Veraval), Gir Somnath district
- State
- Gujarat
- Country
- India
- Official website
- Shree Somnath Trust (somnath.org)
- Map
- OpenStreetMap (20.8880, 70.4014)
Darshan and aarti timings
| Darshan | 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM |
|---|---|
| Aarti | 7:00 AM, 12:00 noon and 7:00 PM |
The trust’s pages give different times for the evening light and sound show (7:45 PM, or 8 to 9 PM except in the monsoon), so the show is left out here.
Source: somnath.orgChecked: Times can change; check the official source before you go.
The story of Somnath: the Moon and Daksha’s curse
According to the Shiva Purana (Kotirudra Samhita, chapter 14), Daksha Prajapati gave his twenty-seven daughters in marriage to the Moon. The Moon loved only Rohini, and the other wives complained to their father. When repeated warnings did not change him, Daksha cursed him with a wasting disease, and his digits began to fade.
On Brahma’s advice the gods took the Moon to Prabhasa. There he worshipped an earthen linga for six months and chanted the Mahamrityunjaya mantra. Pleased, Shiva granted that his digits would wane in one fortnight and wax in the other; the text gives this as the reason the Moon waxes and wanes.
At the gods’ request Shiva stayed there with Uma under the name Someshvara. The Purana also mentions a pond made there by the gods (the Chandrakunda).
The temple’s history
The Shree Somnath Trust gives the tradition that the temple was built four times: in gold by Soma, in silver by Ravi, in wood by Krishna and in stone by King Bhimadeva. According to the trust the temple was destroyed again and again; Gujarat Tourism dates Mahmud of Ghazni’s attack to 1025-26 and later destructions to 1297, 1394 and 1706.
According to the trust, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel visited the ruins on 13 November 1947, and the rebuilding was resolved. The present temple is in the "Kailash Mahameru Prasad" style; President Dr Rajendra Prasad consecrated it on 11 May 1951. The trust gives the spire’s height as 155 feet. Nearby stands the temple Queen Ahilyabai Holkar had built in 1782.
How to reach Somnath
- Rail: Somnath railway station is about half a kilometre from the temple and Veraval station 7 km (Shree Somnath Trust).
- Airport: the trust names Diu (85 km), Rajkot (200 km) and Ahmedabad (390 km); Gujarat Tourism also names Porbandar airport (120 km).
- Road: 82 km from Junagadh, 120 km from Porbandar (Gujarat Tourism).
Main festivals
Where the sources differ
- Darshan hours: the trust gives 6 AM to 10 PM, while the Gujarat Tourism page gives 6:30 AM to 9 PM. The trust’s hours are given here.
- The builder of the silver temple is "Ravi" on one page of the trust and "Ravana" on another (and on Gujarat Tourism).
- November 1947: according to the trust, Sardar Patel visited the ruins on 13 November; Gujarat Tourism says he laid the foundation stone on 12 November.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Somnath called the first Jyotirlinga?
Both the Dvadasha Jyotirlinga Stotra ("सौराष्ट्रे सोमनाथं च …") and the Shiva Purana’s list (Kotirudra Samhita 1.21) begin with Somnath, and chapter 14 of the Purana calls it the first Jyotirlinga.
When was the present Somnath temple built?
After independence. According to the Shree Somnath Trust, President Dr Rajendra Prasad consecrated it on 11 May 1951.
Where is Somnath Jyotirlinga?
Somnath Jyotirlinga is in Prabhas Patan (near Veraval), Gir Somnath district, Gujarat.
What are the darshan timings at Somnath Jyotirlinga?
Darshan: 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM; Aarti: 7:00 AM, 12:00 noon and 7:00 PM. Source: somnath.org, checked 5 October 2026; check the official source before you go.
Which lists of tirthas include Somnath?
The 12 Jyotirlingas (number 1 of 12 in the list).
How to reach Somnath?
Rail: Somnath railway station is about half a kilometre from the temple and Veraval station 7 km (Shree Somnath Trust). Airport: the trust names Diu (85 km), Rajkot (200 km) and Ahmedabad (390 km); Gujarat Tourism also names Porbandar airport (120 km).
Sources
- Shree Somnath Trust (official site): timings and how to reach, somnath.org/faq; pilgrim facilities, somnath.org/pilgrim-facilities; festivals, somnath.org/festivals
- Shree Somnath Trust: history, somnath.org/jay-somnath and somnath.org/somnath-darshan
- Gujarat Tourism (Government of Gujarat): Somnath temple, gujarattourism.com/saurashtra/gir-somnath/somnath-temple.html
- Shiva Purana, Kotirudra Samhita, chapter 14 (J. L. Shastri's English translation, wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/shiva-purana-english/d/doc226515.html; numbered as in the Sanskrit text on sa.wikisource; the Gita Press abridged edition numbers chapters differently)
- Shiva Purana, Kotirudra Samhita 1.21–23 (the list of the twelve), Sanskrit text: sa.wikisource.org (शिवपुराणम्, संहिता ४, अध्यायः १)
- Dvadasha Jyotirlinga Stotra ("सौराष्ट्रे सोमनाथं च …"), text: sanskritdocuments.org/doc_shiva/jyotirling.html
- Wikidata Q1143887 (coordinates, CC0)
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