Somnath Temple

Somnath Temple on the Arabian Sea coast at Prabhas Patan in Gujarat is the first of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva and one of the most historically significant temples in India. The temple has been destroyed and rebuilt seven times over its history, making it a powerful symbol of Hindu resilience and devotion. The first recorded destruction was by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1025 CE, who looted its legendary wealth, and subsequent destructions came under Alauddin Khilji, Aurangzeb, and others. The present temple was reconstructed after Indian independence under the initiative of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who visited the ruins in 1947 and championed its revival. The current structure, built in the Chalukya style of architecture, was consecrated in 1951 by President Rajendra Prasad. The temple sits at the Triveni Sangam, where the Hiran, Kapila, and Saraswati rivers meet the sea, and the shoreline here is known as the Prabhasa Kshetra, one of the holiest sites in Vaishnavism as well, being the place where Lord Krishna is believed to have departed from earth.