The Somnath Temple, located in the Prabhas Kshetra near Veraval in Saurashtra, on the western coast of Gujarat is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas (lingas of light), symbolization of Lord Shiva. It has proud mention in the Rig Veda. Somnath means `the protector of Moon god`. The Somnath temple is known as the `Shrine Eternal`, although the temple has been destroyed six times, only to be rebuilt again every single time.

The saying goes that, the moon god Chandra, possessed with arrogance for his good looks, was cursed by his father-in-law Daksha (an ancient creator of god, one of the Prajapatis, the Rishis, the Adityas, and son of Aditi and Brahma) to wane. Moon then prayed hard to Lord Shiva at the Prabhas tirth, who in turn removed the curse partially, thus causing the periodic waning of moon. It has also been said that the Somnath Temple was first built with gold by Moon god, with silver by Ravana, with sandalwood by Lord Krishna and with stone by Bhimdeva (Solanki ruler of Gujarat). The construction of the present day temple began in 1950. It is the 7th temple built to commemorate the grandeur of Lord Somnath who was also known as Bhairaveshwar in the Satya Yug, Sharavanikeshwar in the Treta Yug and Shringaleshwar in Dwapar Yug.

According to legends, Soma, the moon god built the temple in gold, Ravan in silver, Krishan in sandalwood and king Bhimdev in stone. Soma constructed the temple as a courteous gesture to Lord Shiva, after He cured him, his illness. The illness was caused by his father-in-law Daksha Prajapati`s curse. Daksha cursed him to diminish in his bounteous glory as he was infatuated with Rohini and was neglecting his other 26 wives, all of whom who were daughters of Prajapati. It is said that Lord Brahma advised Soma to build the temple in honour if Shiva. The present day temple is the 7th temple reconstructed on the site. The first one is believed to have existed before the advent of the Christian era. The 2nd temple, built by the Maitraka kings of Vallabhi in Gujarat, replaced the 1st one on the same site around 649. In 725, Junayad, the Arab governor of Sind, sent his regiment to destroy the second temple. The Pratihara king Nagabhatta II constructed the 3rd temple in 815, a large structure of red sandstone. In 1024, Mahmud Ghazni raided the temple from across the Thar Desert. During his crusade, Mahmud was challenged by Ghogha Rana, who at the ripened age of 90 sacrificed his own kin fighting against the iconoclast. The temple and fortress were ransacked, more than 50,000 defenders laid down their lives. Mahmud personally hammered the temple`s gilded lingam to pieces and the stone fragments were hauled back to Ghazni, where they were incorporated into the steps of the city`s new Jamiah Masjid (Friday Mosque).

The 4th temple was built by the Paramara king Bhoj of Malwa and the Solanki king Bhima of Gujarat (Anhilwara) or Patan within 1026 to 1042. The wooden formation was substituted by Kumarpal who built the temple of stone. Yet again it was razed in 1297 when the Sultanate of Delhi conquered Gujarat, and once more in 1394. The Mughal emperor Aurangzeb smashed the temple again in 1706. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the then Home Minister and the first Deputy Prime Minister of India took an oath on November 13, 1947 to reconstruct the Somnath Temple the 7th time. A mosque was already erected at this site, which was shifted a few miles away. It was finally completed on December 1, 1995, and the President of India, Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma dedicated it in the service of the nation. The temple that stands today, was built by the Shree Somnath Trust, which looks after the entire Somnath complex and its environs.

The present temple, Kailash Mahameru Prasada, is built in the Chalukya style of architecture and indicates the skill of the Sompuras, Gujarat`s master masons. The apex of the temple rises to a height of 155 feet. There is a kalash (pot vessel) on the top, which measures 10 tons. The flag mast on this pinnacle is 37 feet long and is changed thrice during the day. The temple is situated at such an extraordinary place that there is no land in between from Somnath seashore to Antarctica. Such an inscription in Sanskrit is found on the ARROW-PILLAR erected on the sea-protection wall at the Somnath Temple. In 1951 Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, while performing the Jyotirling-Pratishthapan ceremony of the new temple said, "The Somnath Temple signifies that the power of creation is always greater than the power of destruction". Somnath is well connected in Gujarat with all the other states. The nearest airport is Keshod (47 km), connected to Mumbai. Veraval (5 km) is the closest railway station. State transport buses and private luxury coaches are available from various centres of Gujarat, connected directly to Somnath town.