Somnath Temple Facts: 5 Mind-Blowing Truths You Probably Didn’t Know

Somnath Temple Facts: Located in Saurashtra, Gujarat, Somnath is the first of the 12 Jyotirlingas. Its history is also very ancient. According to historians, foreign invaders not only looted this temple but also demolished it 17 times.

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Learn 5 interesting facts about Somnath Temple

Somnath Temple Interesting Facts: According to the Shiva Purana, there are 12 Jyotirlingas throughout India. The very first among them is Somnath, located in Saurashtra, Gujarat. The year 2026 is very special for the Somnath temple because about 1,000 years ago, in 1026, Mahmud of Ghazni demolished this temple. Another reason is that the current Somnath temple has completed 75 years since its consecration. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has named the completion of 75 years of Somnath temple as Somnath Swabhiman Parv. On this special occasion, learn 5 interesting facts about the Somnath temple...

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Who established the Somnath Jyotirlinga?

According to the Shiv Purana, the Moon God (Chandra) was once cursed with a wasting disease by his father-in-law, Daksha Prajapati, which dimmed his glow. To get rid of this disease, Chandra established a Shivalinga and performed intense penance to Lord Mahadev. Pleased, Mahadev freed him from the disease. Another name for the moon is Som. Since the Shivalinga was established by Chandra (Som), it came to be known as Somnath. It is called the first Jyotirlinga in the world.

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The sea does not cross its limits

The Somnath temple is located on the shores of the Arabian Sea in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat. Despite being so close to the ocean, the sea water has never reached the sanctum sanctorum. People consider this a miracle. Scholars believe that by the grace of Mahadev, the sea never crosses its limits. This remains a mystery to this day.

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No land for miles in the south direction

Near the Somnath temple, there is an arrow pillar (Baan Stambh) on which it is written in Sanskrit, "Aasamudrant Dakshin Dhruv Paryant Abadhit Jyotirmarg," and the same thing is written in English on the other side. It means that there is no obstruction in a straight line from this point to the South Pole. This is absolutely true, as there is no land for about 6000 km in the south direction from Somnath.

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Disagreement over the gates

It is said that when Mahmud of Ghazni looted the Somnath temple, he took the temple's sandalwood gates with him to Afghanistan. It is said that in 1951, through the efforts of President Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the gates were brought back to India, but some people do not believe this to be true. There are several other opinions about the gates of the Somnath temple.

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7 or 17, how many times was the temple broken?

There are also different opinions about the destruction of the Somnath temple. Some historians say that the Somnath temple was destroyed 7 times by foreign invaders, while others say it was demolished 17 times. The first incident of the temple's destruction occurred in 725 AD. At that time, Al-Junaid, the governor of Sindh, destroyed this temple with the aim of expanding Arab rule.

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The information in this article has been taken from religious texts, scholars, and astrologers. We are just a medium to bring this information to you. Users should consider this information for informational purposes only.