🛕 Prabhas Patan, Gujarat
Home of Lord Shiva.
On the Arabian Sea shore in Gujarat stands Somnath — honoured as the first of the twelve Jyotirlingas. Few temples on earth carry a story of such resilience: destroyed several times by invaders across the centuries, Somnath was rebuilt every single time. The present grand temple was reconstructed after India's independence, championed by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and completed in May 1951 — a proud symbol of a civilisation that refuses to fall.
The Puranas tell that the Moon god, Chandra, was cursed to lose his light. He prayed to Shiva at this very shore, and Shiva, pleased, restored his glow — and agreed to dwell here forever as Somnath, 'Lord of the Moon.' That is why the moon's phases are seen as connected to this shrine of new beginnings.
A striking feature is the Baan Stambh (arrow pillar) on the sea wall — its inscription notes that there is no land at all in a straight line between Somnath and the South Pole: only the endless ocean touches the Lord's feet. The evening aarti with the sound of waves, and the light-and-sound show on the temple's history, are experiences devotees carry home forever.
🙏 These pages share traditional stories and temple histories with love and respect, based on the Puranas, temple records, and trusted sources. Photo: Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons.