Porbandar to Somnath: 128 km Completing the Classic Saurashtra Pilgrim Circuit

Useful References

• GSRTC — Bus Schedules & Booking
• Porbandar — Wikipedia
• Gujarat Tourism — Porbandar

The standard route out of Porbandar runs southeast on NH51, staying close to the coastline through Madhavpur before curving inland slightly and then returning to the coast at Veraval, from where Somnath is a short final hop. Distance figures for this stretch vary a little by source — anywhere from 118 km to 131 km depending on whether the measurement follows the coastal alignment through Madhavpur or a marginally shorter inland cut — but 128 km is the figure most route planners and drivers quote, and it is the one used throughout this guide.

The road surface on this stretch is generally good, a mix of state highway and NH51 sections, with the occasional slower patch through town centers at Madhavpur and Veraval where traffic and market activity can add a few minutes. Outside of monsoon season, the drive is straightforward for a self-drive rental or private taxi, and there is no meaningful risk of getting lost — the route is essentially a single road hugging the coast southeast from Porbandar.

Fuel and food stops are not a concern on this leg. Both Madhavpur and Veraval have functioning petrol stations, and Veraval in particular, being a large fishing port town, has a good range of eateries if you want to break for lunch before the final short run to Somnath.

Madhavpur, roughly 45 km from Porbandar, is a small coastal town of considerable devotional weight — it is traditionally regarded as the site where Lord Krishna married Rukmini, and the local Madhavpur Ghed fair, held annually around Ram Navami, re-enacts this wedding with a procession that draws pilgrims from across Gujarat. The Madhav Rai Temple here is simple rather than grand, but for a pilgrim already tracing the Krishna geography of the Saurashtra coast — from Dwarka through Porbandar toward Somnath — it is a natural and meaningful pause. The town also has a quiet, largely undeveloped beach that is worth ten minutes if the timing allows.

Veraval, about 5 km short of Somnath, is a different kind of stop altogether — a large, working fishing port and one of the busiest harbors on India's western coast. It is not a pilgrimage site in itself, but it is the last town of any size before Somnath and a good place to break for food, fuel, or a walk along the harbor to see the fishing boats. Veraval was historically significant as a trading port connecting Gujarat to Arabia and East Africa, and the old town retains some of that maritime character. Most travelers pass through rather than stop at length, but even a brief look at the harbor gives a sense of the working coastline that Somnath itself overlooks.