Somnath

Somnath is located near Veraval and is about 80 km from Junagadh. Somnath consists of a few streets leading away from its phoenix like temple. The rugged sea below gives it a lonely, wistful charm. The pilgrims visit this place regularly because of the Somnath temple. Somnath is mainly famous for the legendary shore temple of Somnath, which is dedicated to the Lord Shiva.

Places to Visit in Somnath

• Somnath Mahadev Temple – One of the twelve jyotirlingas and is a highly religious site for Hindus. Adorned with flowers, gold and silver the jyotirlinga is visited by devotees from far and near.
• Suraj Temple – It is one of the few temples that has sun God as the presiding deity. This temple worships the spirit of nature. Elephants, Lions and many birds and animals are depicted in temple.
• Bhalka Tirth – When Lord Krishna was resting under a Peepal tree he was shot by an arrow by a hunter, Jara, who misunderstood him for a deer. Lord Krishna limped his way to bank of river Hiran and in a small cave over there he took his last breath. This place where he was shot is known as Bhalka Tirth. It is a very famous spot for devotees.
• Gita Mandir – The temple is made from white marble with depiction of hymns of Gita engraved on the walls. You can hear your voice echoing inside the temple.
• Lakshminarayan Temple – Lord Lakshminarayan was the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He is the presiding deity of the temple. The temple attracts many tourists because of its 18 pillars that have sacred message carved on it by Krishna in form of Bhagwadgita.
• Panch Pandav Gufa – the temple was discovered in 1949 by Baba Narayandas. It is dedicated to the Panch Pandavas. The devotees find peace here and can enjoy the view of entire city from here.
• Triveni Sangam – This is the point where Rivers Hiran, Kapila and Saraswati meet the Arabian Sea. This point is considered to be very sacred and an important Moksha Tirtha for Hindus. A dip in the holy water will cleanse not only the body but also the soul is a popular belief.
• Dehotsarg Tirth – The place where Lord Krishna was cremated is known as Dehotsarg tirth. It is at the point of meeting of River Hiran, Kapila and Saraswati.

How to Reach Somnath

Somnath is about 231 km from Dwarka and takes 4 hours to reach there. There is no bus or train directly liking these two places. So it is better to book a taxi or take your private vehicle. But if you decide to take the train route then take train number 59208 from Dwarka to Jamnagar and then take Indica from Jamnagar to Somnath. If you decide to travel via bus then take Okha Howrah Exp from Dwarka to Ahmedabad and then from there take Shree Hari Travels to Somnath.