Somnath Temple

Somnath Temple

Subject – Art and culture

Context – The Prime Minister, in a subtle message, said “destructive and terror forces” may become dominant temporarily but were not permanent, citing the example of Somnath temple, which was razed and plundered several times in the past and resurrected every time with greater glory.

Concept –

• Somnath, literally translated as the Lord of Moon (Soma) houses the first of the 12 Jyotirlingas or the symbolic representation of Lord Shiva.
• This highly famed pilgrim destination is located at the Viraval Port or PrabhasPattan in Saurashtra, Gujarat.
• It is also known as the Deo Patan.
• The temple’s positioning is quite unique. The temple is positioned in such a way that not a single piece of land is visible from the Somnath seashore until Antarctica.

Troubled History:

• In AD 1026, Mahmud of Ghazni first looted the temple, and then came Afzal Khan, the commander of Ala-ud-din Khilji and later Aurangzeb.
• It is said that the temple was looted and destroyed as many as seventeen times.
• The Iron man of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was instrumental in the construction of the present temple. Renowned temple architect Prabhaschandar designed it and the first President of India Dr. Rajendra Prasad installed the Jyotirling in the new temple on May 11, 1951.

Architectural style:

• The present temple is built in the Chaulukya style of temple architecture or “Kailash Mahameru Prasad” style and reflects the skill of the Sompura Salats, one of Gujarat’s master masons.