Somnath Temple

The Somnath Temple, a Hindu shrine, was caught in a cycle of violence circa 1800 when The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins was published. The temple suffered several devastating attacks over many centuries. Many Muslim invaders defiled the shrine, most notably Mahmud of Ghazni in 1025-26, Allauddin Khilji in 1296, and Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 1665. These invasions led to repeated destruction and construction between the Muslims and the Hindus that lasted for centuries. After Aurangzeb’s 1665 attack, which left the shrine virtually in ruins, it took until 1783 for the temple to be rebuilt again. The Holkar dynasty constructed a new shrine adjacent to the one destroyed by Aurangzeb as the temple structure had become very weak due to prior attacks.

The name Somnath means ‘The protector of the Moon God’. Per ancient scriptures, this temple was built by Soma, the Moon God himself. Devotees believe that Shiva responded to Soma’s pleas and blessed the spot by appearing at the temple, and hence the site is considered sacred. This temple is one of twelve Jyotirlingas, Hindu shrines that serve as devotional representations of Lord Shiva. The final reconstruction of the temple was done in the Chalukya style of architecture and completed in May 1951. The efforts to restore the Somnath temple to its former glory began in earnest around the time India gained its independence in August 1947. Deputy Prime Minister Patel visited Junagadh in November 1947 to stabilize the state post-independence and decreed that the government would rebuild the Somnath temple to its full glory. Independence movement leader Mahatma Gandhi blessed the plans for the reconstruction, and it moved forward in 1950. The project was completed, after the death of Gandhi and Patel, in 1951.

Image of The Somnath Temple in Gujarat from the 1800s