The story of Somnath Jyotirlinga dates back to ancient times. According to legend, Lord Krishna’s grandson, Vajranabha, built a magnificent temple dedicated to Lord Shiva on the coast of Saurashtra in Gujarat. The temple was adorned with precious stones and was considered one of the most beautiful structures of its time.
However, the temple was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt over the centuries. It was said to have been destroyed six times by various invaders, including Mahmud of Ghazni who is said to have invaded India 17 times in the 11th century.
The story of Somnath Jyotirlinga also includes tales of the temple’s miraculous restoration. One such story tells of the great devotee of Lord Shiva, King Bhimdev of Gujarat. He prayed to Lord Shiva to restore the temple, and the Lord himself appeared before the king in a dream and revealed the location of the lingam (the sacred symbol of Lord Shiva) buried under the ground. The king then dug up the lingam and built a new temple around it.
Another legend tells of the great devotee, Ravana, who had also established a lingam in the temple of Somnath. When Lord Rama defeated Ravana, he was carrying the lingam with him. He stopped at the site of the Somnath temple and placed the lingam on the ground. The lingam became rooted to the ground, and Rama declared that it would remain there forever.
The current Somnath temple was built in 1951 and is a beautiful example of modern temple architecture. It is considered one of the most important and revered Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva, and it attracts thousands of devotees from all over the world
