According to Hindu mythology, the temple was primarily created by the moon in pure gold and later rebuilt by Ravana in silver; later, it was built by Krishna in sandalwood, and lastly, by Bhimadeva in stone. best time to visit Somnath
Location: Gujarat, Prabhas Patan, Saurashtra
According to the Shiva Purana, Soma married the 27 daughters of Daksha but neglected them. His father-in-law, Daksha, thus cursed him, saying that he would lose his luster and beauty. To get rid of the curse, Soma worshipped Shiva, and his prayer was granted. Since then, it’s been called Somnath, the ‘lord of the moon’. Mahmud Ghazni, a ruler of the Turkic dynasty, invaded the temple many times to loot the gold. The temple is named after the moon, known as Soma.
Story of Somnath Jyotirlinga
According to Shiv Purana, Chandrama was married to 27 daughters of Daksh Prajapati, out of whom he loved Rohini the most. Seeing his carelessness towards other wives, Prajapati cursed the moon, saying that he would lose all his luster. A restless moon came to Somnath along with Rohini and worshiped the Sparsh Lingam, after which he was blessed by Shiva to regain his lost beauty and luster. At his request, Lord Shiva assumed the name Somachandra and resided there forever. He became famous by the name of Somnath. Since then, Somnath Jyotirlinga has been destroyed and rebuilt several times in history.
What is the best time to visit Somnath?
September to March are the best months to visit Somnath, as the winters are quite cold. However, if you wish to avoid the crowds and tourists that flock to Somnath, you may be tempted to visit the place during the summer and monsoon seasons. Somnath is extremely hot and humid during these seasons and should most definitely be visited during the winter months, when the heat is more bearable. best time to visit Somnath
Monthly Weather in Somnath
| Month | High/Low (°C) | Rain |
|---|---|---|
| January | 27°/ 16° | 0 days |
| February | 30°/ 19° | 0 days |
| March | 30°/ 21° | 0 days |
| April | 34°/ 24° | 0 days |
| May | 33°/ 25° | 0 days |
| June | 32°/ 27° | 12 days |
| July | 31°/ 26° | 20 days |
| August | 29°/ 26° | 24 days |
| September | 29°/ 25° | 24 days |
| October | 33°/ 25° | 8 days |
| November | 32°/ 23° | 2 days |
| December | 30°/ 20° | 0 days |
Somnath Temple opening hours:
The temple remains open to devotees every day from 6 AM to 9 p.m. Arti is done three times a day: at 7 AM, 12 PM, and 7 p.m. The timing for the light and sound show ‘Joy Somnath’ is daily from 8 PM to 9 PM. somnath
How to reach Somnath:
The nearest railway station to Somnath is the Veraval Railway Station, which is about 6 km away from the temple. On arrival, you can hire a taxi to reach the temple. The nearest airport is Diu Airport, which is about 80 km away from the temple. You can hire a taxi at the airport to reach the temple.