Somnath temple
- August 4, 2020
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Subject: Arts and Culture
Context:
Construction of a grand Shri Ram Temple slated to commence on August 5th. This has revived the history of prana pratishtha puja of the Somnath Temple by Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India.
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, Gujrat.
- 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, SardarVallabhbhai Patelwas 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 SompuraSalats, one of Gujarat’s master masons.