ॐ
Har Har Mahadev
Somnath Jyotirlinga, Prabhas Patan, Veraval, Gujarat
01 / 12 · First Jyotirlinga
सोमनाथ

The first light,raised seven times.

📍 Somnath · Prabhas Patan, Veraval, Gujarat

On the shore where the Saraswati, Hiranya and Kapila rivers meet the Arabian Sea stands the first of the twelve — a temple destroyed again and again across a thousand years, and rebuilt every single time.

Darshan & timingsRead the legend
CalledThe first Jyotirlinga
Present templeRebuilt 1951
ArchitectureChalukya / Kailash Mahameru
Photo: B. SurajPatro1997 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Checking…TimingsBookingBefore you goReachPhotosFAQ

The moon-god came here cursed.The sea has watched it fall six times.It stands because it was broken.

01

The legend

Why Shiva is here, and not somewhere else — as the Shiva Purana and local tradition tell it.

A curse upon the moon

Chandra, the moon, married the twenty-seven daughters of Daksha — but loved only Rohini. Daksha cursed him to waste away, and night by night the moon began to die. Chandra came to Prabhas, raised a lingam of gold, and worshipped Shiva for six months without moving.

The waxing and the waning

Shiva relented, but a curse once spoken cannot be unspoken — only turned. So the moon was made to wane for half of every month and wax for the other half, and that is why the moon still dies and returns in the sky above the temple. The shrine took the moon-god's name: Soma-nath, Lord of the Moon.

Gold, then rubble, then gold

Tradition says the temple was gold under Chandra, silver under Ravana, wood under Krishna and stone under Bhimdev. History records the rest: sacked by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1026 and repeatedly after, rebuilt each time by whoever was left. The present temple was completed in 1951, after Sardar Patel stood on the ruins and ordered it raised again.

Called
The first Jyotirlinga
Present temple
Rebuilt 1951
Architecture
Chalukya / Kailash Mahameru
Beyond the sea
Antarctica — no land in between
Darshan

Timings & the daily aartis

Times shown in IST. The status above is live against the temple's published hours.

—
Now in India--:--
Daily darshan6:00 AM – 10:00 PM

Open all seven days with no midday closure. The temple is illuminated after dusk and the aarti hours draw the heaviest crowds.

Aarti & ritual schedule

  • 7:00 AM – 7:30 AMPrabhat AartiMorning
  • 12:00 PM – 12:30 PMMadhyanh AartiMidday
  • 7:00 PM – 7:30 PMSandhya AartiEvening — the most attended
  • 7:45 PM – 8:45 PMJay Somnath light & sound showIn the temple grounds; suspended in heavy monsoon
ⓘTimings change on festival days, during Shravan and at short notice. Verified 13 August 2026 — confirm against the official temple portal before you travel.
Booking

Darshan, aarti & registration

What can be booked, what is free, and where the official channel actually is.

Darshan

Free and open to all. No ticket, no online registration for ordinary darshan — simply arrive and join the queue.

Puja & abhishek booking

Sponsored pujas, abhishek and the Mahapuja are booked through the Shree Somnath Trust portal only. The Trust publicly warns against agents taking payment over WhatsApp or private UPI.

somnath.org ↗

Rooms in the complex

The Trust runs Sagar Darshan, Lilavati and Maheshwari guest houses beside the temple, bookable on the same official site.

Trust guest houses ↗
Before you go

Dress code, rules & what it costs

Dress code

Men

Shirt and trousers, kurta-pyjama or dhoti are all fine. Shorts are discouraged.

Women

Saree, salwar-kameez or any outfit covering shoulders and knees. Short skirts are not permitted.

Not permitted inside

Mobile phonesCameras & photography insideLeather items — belts, wallets, bagsLarge bagsFood & tobacco

What it costs

  • General darshanFree
  • Cloakroom / lockerFree at the gate
  • Light & sound showTicketed, at the venue

Practical advice

  • Deposit your phone at the free counter before the security check — the no-phone rule is strictly enforced here.
  • The sea-facing Baan Stambh arrow pillar behind the temple is worth the short walk.
  • Sandhya Aarti at 7 PM with the Arabian Sea behind the shikhara is the single best hour to be here.
Getting there

How to reach Somnath

Prabhas Patan, Veraval, Gujarat — 20.888°N, 70.4012°E

✈
By air
Diu Airport
~85 km

Diu is the closest strip; Rajkot (~190 km) and Ahmedabad (~400 km) have far better connections. Taxis run from all three.

🚉
By rail
Veraval Junction
~7 km

Veraval is the nearest railhead with direct trains from Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Rajkot. Somnath station itself is closer still at ~5 km. Autos and taxis wait outside.

🚌
By road
By bus or car
Direct

GSRTC and private buses connect Somnath to Ahmedabad (~400 km), Rajkot (~190 km), Junagadh (~85 km) and Dwarka (~230 km). Roads across Saurashtra are good.

🗺️ Open in Google Maps ↗
When to come

Best time to visit

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

October to February is the sweet spot — the coastal air is cool and the evenings are clear enough for the light show. March to June is hot and humid; July to September brings monsoon, which can close the outdoor show.

  • Maha ShivaratriFeb / MarThe temple stays open through the night for four prahar pujas.
  • Shravan (Sawan)Jul / AugMondays are extraordinarily crowded; expect long queues all month.
  • Kartik PurnimaNovA large fair on the shore and mass bathing at the sangam.
  • Somnath Sthapana DinMayMarks the 1951 reconsecration.
Around the shrine

What else is here

Bhalka Tirth
5 km

Where Krishna, mistaken for a deer, was struck by a hunter's arrow and left the world.

Triveni Sangam
2 km

The meeting of the Hiranya, Kapila and mythical Saraswati before the sea. Ritual bathing ghat.

Baan Stambh
On site

An arrow pillar claiming an unobstructed sea line from here to the South Pole.

Gir National Park
~45 km to Sasan

The only wild population of Asiatic lions on earth. Safari permits book out early.

Questions

What pilgrims ask

Is there any entry fee at Somnath temple?
No. Darshan is completely free and needs no booking. Only sponsored pujas and the evening light-and-sound show are paid.
Can I carry my mobile phone inside?
No. Phones and cameras must be left in the free lockers before the security check. This is enforced strictly at Somnath, more so than at most jyotirlingas.
How much time should I keep for Somnath?
Two to three hours covers darshan and the museum comfortably. Add the 7:45 PM light-and-sound show and it becomes a half-day.
Which jyotirlinga is closest to Somnath?
Nageshwar near Dwarka, about 230 km up the Saurashtra coast — roughly five hours by road. Most pilgrims pair the two.
Is Somnath really the first jyotirlinga?
It is listed first in the traditional Dwadasha Jyotirlinga Stotram recited across India, which is why it is called the first. The order is scriptural, not chronological.
What is the best time of day for darshan?
Early morning around 6–7 AM has the shortest queues. For atmosphere rather than speed, come for the 7 PM Sandhya Aarti.

Have you had darshan here?

Light a lamp for Somnath and it stays lit across the site — your progress towards all twelve is remembered on this device.

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Grishneshwar
Verul, beside Ellora · Maharashtra
12
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Mallikarjuna
Srisailam, Nallamala Hills · Andhra Pradesh
02
Page last updated 13 August 2026 · All twelve jyotirlingas