Somnath temple, Veraval: History, Timings & Visitor Guide

Somnath temple is open every day, usually from early morning to late evening with a break in the afternoon. Darshan and aarti timings change with the season and on festival days.

• MorningOpens early morning (around 5 to 6 AM)
• AfternoonShort break around midday at many temples
• EveningEvening aarti around sunset, closes by about 8 to 9 PM

Check the exact timings on the official website before your visit.

Dress Code & Temple Rules

• DressModest, traditional clothes covering shoulders and knees
• FootwearRemove before entering; use the shoe stand
• PhotographyNot allowed inside the sanctum
• Not AllowedLeather items, tobacco, alcohol, non-veg food
• QueueFollow queue lines and staff instructions on festival days

The site of Somnath has been a pilgrimage site from ancient times on account of being a Triveni Sangam (the confluence of three rivers: Kapila, Hiran and Saraswati). Soma, the Moon god, is believed to have lost his lustre due to a curse, and he bathed in the Sarasvati River at this site to regain it. The result is said to be the waxing and waning of the moon. The name of the town, Prabhasa, meaning lustre, as well as the alternative name Someshvara ("the lord of the moon" or "the moon god"), arise from this tradition.

The name Someshvara begins to appear in records from the 9th century. The Gurjara-Pratihara king Nagabhata II (r. 805–833) recorded that he had visited various tirthas in Saurashtra, including Someshvara. The Chaulukya (Solanki) king Mularaja is believed to have built the first temple dedicated to Soma ("the moon god") at the site sometime before 997 CE, even though some historians believe that he may have renovated an earlier, smaller temple.

A separate, smaller temple was built near the ruins of the main shrine by Ahilyabai Holkar, The Gadariya - Dhangar Queen of Malwa. This event is a significant part of the temple's history after it was repeatedly damaged and finally ordered to be demolished by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 1706.

Legend & Significance

Somnath means "Lord of the Soma" or "moon". The site is also called Prabhasa ("place of splendor"). Somnath temple has been a jyotirlinga site for the Hindus, and a holy place of pilgrimage (tirtha). It is one of five most revered sites on the seacoast of India, along with the nearby Dwaraka in Gujarat, Puri in Odisha, Rameswaram and Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu.