Somnath Temple

Somnath
The Somnath Temple (Gujarati:સોમનાથ મંદિર) located in the Prabhas Kshetra near Veraval in Saurashtra, on the western coast of Gujarat, India, is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines of the God Shiva. Somnath means "The Protector of (the) Moon God". The Somnath Temple is known as "the Shrine Eternal", having been destroyed six times and rebuilt six times.[1][2] Most recently it was rebuilt in November 1947, when Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel visited the area for the
History
[edit] Significance
According to the legend, Soma or the Moon God built the temple in gold, Ravana in silver, and Shri Krishna in wood. Soma was cursed by his father-in-law Daksha to wane because Soma loved only one of his wives, all of whom happened to be Daksha's daughters. His other wives complained about this negligent behavior of Soma to their father Daksha, and thus the curse. He then built a Shivlinga at the Prabhas tirth (a Hindu pilgrimage) and prayed to Lord Shiva who removed the curse partially because asked upon by Soma's one wife (the one that he loved more than others). Thus, causing the periodic waning of moon.[5][6][7] Pleased by the prayers Soma (Moon god), Lord Shiva decided to rest in that Lingam till eternity, and thus the Jyotirlingam.
[edit] Timeline
The first temple of Somnath is said to have existed before the beginning of the common era.[8]
The second temple, built by the Yadava kings of Vallabhi in Gujarat, replaced the first one on the same site around 649.[8]
In 725 Junayad, the Arab governor of Sind, sent his armies to destroy the second temple.[8] The Gurjara Pratihara king Nagabhata II constructed the third temple in 815, a large structure of red sandstone.
In 1024 AD, the temple was once again destroyed by Mahmud Ghazni[6] who raided the temple from across the Thar Desert. The temple was rebuilt by the Gujjar Paramara King Bhoj of Malwa and the Solanki king Bhima of Gujarat (Anhilwara) or Patan between 1026 and 1042. The wooden structure was replaced...