History & Legend
On the western coast of Gujarat stands the Somnath Temple — the first and most revered of the twelve Jyotirlingas. According to the Skanda Purana, the Moon God Soma built the first temple here in pure gold after Lord Shiva freed him from a curse that was causing him to wane.
The temple's legendary wealth made it a target of repeated invasion. Mahmud of Ghazni attacked and plundered Somnath in 1025 CE, destroying the idol and carrying away vast riches. Yet the Hindus rebuilt — again and again. The temple was destroyed and reconstructed seventeen times across more than a millennium, making it the most violently tested and most persistently revived religious site on earth.
After Indian independence, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel championed its reconstruction against considerable political resistance. The Prana Pratishtha was performed in 1951 in the presence of President Rajendra Prasad. Today's gleaming Meru-style temple, built from Chaulukya-style architecture, stands as a symbol not only of divine grace but of India's indomitable civilizational spirit.