The Eternal Shrine of the Western Horizon
Standing majestically on the wind-swept coast of Saurashtra in Gujarat, where the waves of the Arabian Sea endlessly crash against its fortified stone plinths, the Somnath Temple is revered in the Skanda Purana as the Adya Jyotirlinga—the foremost of the twelve divine pillars of cosmic light. But beyond its spiritual primacy, Somnath is the world’s greatest symbol of civilizational invincibility.
The majestic Somnath Temple reconstructed on the shores of Prabhas Patan, Gujarat.
The Puranic Origin: Chandra Deva’s Redemption
According to ancient lore, Chandra (the Moon God) married the 27 daughters of Prajapati Daksha, representing the 27 Nakshatras (lunar mansions). However, Chandra spent all his time solely with Rohini, neglecting his other wives. Aggrieved, Daksha cursed Chandra to wither away and lose his celestial radiance. As the Moon withered, tides ceased, herbs lost their medicinal potency, and creation fell into crisis.
Advised by Lord Brahma, Chandra traveled to Prabhas Tirtha at the confluence of the sacred Hiran, Kapila, and mythical Saraswati rivers (Triveni Sangam). There, he fashioned a Shiva Lingam and performed penance for four thousand years. Pleased by his devotion, Lord Shiva appeared and modified the curse: the Moon would wane for 15 days (Krishna Paksha) and then wax back to full brightness (Shukla Paksha), eternally renewing itself. In gratitude, Chandra constructed the first golden temple at Somnath.
A History of Repeated Destruction and Reconstruction
No temple on earth has endured as many catastrophic invasions, desecrations, and repeated phoenix-like resurrections as Somnath. Over ten centuries, foreign invaders assaulted the coastal sanctuary, attracted by its legendary wealth and spiritual prestige:
- 1026 CE: Mahmud of Ghazni plundered the temple, slaughtering fifty thousand defenders and looting tons of gold and jewel-studded gates.
- 1299 CE: Alauddin Khilji’s generals Ulugh Khan and Nusrat Khan devastated the restored stone edifice.
- 1395 & 1412 CE: Muzaffar Shah I and Ahmad Shah of the Gujarat Sultanate desecrated the shrine once again.
- 1706 CE: Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb ordered the complete dismantling of the temple, building a mosque atop its foundations.
The Triumph of Civilizational Will: Sardar Patel’s Pledge
In November 1947, immediately following India’s independence, Deputy Prime Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel visited the ruined site at Prabhas Patan. Gazing upon the sea, he took water from the ocean in his hands and solemnly pledged: “On this auspicious day, we decree that the temple of Somnath shall be rebuilt with full historic splendor.”
Under the guidance of K.M. Munshi and built without government treasury funds entirely through public public donations, master temple architects (Sompuras) rebuilt Somnath in pristine Chalukyan (Solanki) architectural style. In May 1951, President Dr. Rajendra Prasad presided over the installation of the Jyotirlinga, declaring: “The power of reconstruction is infinitely greater than the power of destruction.”
The Baan Stambh: Ancient Navigational Mystery
On the seaside ramparts of the temple stands an ancient stone pillar called the Baan Stambh (Arrow Pillar), inscribed with an intriguing Sanskrit proclamation: “Aasamudraant Dakshin Dhruva Paryant Abadhita Jyotirmarga”. This states that if an arrow flies directly south along this line of longitude, it will travel 10,000 kilometers all the way to Antarctica (the South Pole) without intersecting a single piece of landmass. How ancient Indian astronomers mapped this precise geopolitical alignment centuries before modern satellite cartography remains one of the world’s great scientific wonders.