Visited by plenty of tourists, there are many places in Somnath other than the main Somnath Temple:
Triveni Sangam: The Triveni Ghat has been frequently mentioned in the Vedas and Purans. It literally means 'the holy confluence of three rivers' - Kapila, Hiran and Saraswati. Its confluence with the ocean is also a sacred 'moksha tirtha' (salvation pilgrimage) for Hindus. It also finds mentions in the Mahabharata, as it is believed that the Pandavas had visited the place to take a holy bath and built five temples of Lord Shiva here too. Temples like Lakshminarayan temple and Gita Mandir are located on the banks of the ghat.
Shree Parshuram Temple: It is a temple dedicated to Lord Parshuram and located on the banks of Triveni. As per Skand Purana, this was the place where Lord Parshuram carried out his long penance and was relieved from the curse of killing a Kshatriya by Lord Somnath. There are two ancient kunds in the premises of the temple.
Gita Mandir: This temple is also located on the banks of the Triveni Sangam Ghat. There are 18 marble pillars in the temple on which the divine shlokas from Shrimad Bhagavad Geeta are engraved in Sanskrit.
Bhalka Teerth: Bhalka Teerth is situated a few kilometres away from the main Somnath Temple. There is a story behind the temple that it was the place where Lord Krishna was hit by an arrow that was shot by a hunter, Jara. It is believed that after this incidence, Krishna left the earth for the heavenly abode. This act has been referred as Shri Krishn Neejdham Prasthan Leela in the Purans.
Shree Shashibhushan Mahadev and Bhidbhanjan Ganapatiji Temple: The temple is located near the Somnath-Veraval highway along the sea coast. It is believed that the hunter, Jara, who shot Lord Krishna with an arrow, had taken the aim from this place. Bhav Brihaspati, the former priest of the ancient Somnath temple, is said to have built this temple. Lord Shashibhushan (the Moon God) along with Bhidbhanjan (saviour form of Lord Ganesha) is worshipped here. As per beliefs, the Moon God was relieved here from his father-in-law's curse by the blessings of Lord Somnath.
Where to Stay
Somnath does not have any five star hotels; however, there are many budget hotels and guest houses where tourists can avail accommodation. Shree Somnath Trust also offers guest house facilities for the visitors. There is a VIP guesthouse, other guesthouses and economic dormitory maintained by the trust.
How to Reach
Tourists can reach Somnath through railways, roadways or airways. The nearest airport to this place is either Diu Airport or Porbandar Airport. Veraval in Konkan is the nearest railhead to Somnath. Luxury buses can be availed from other neighbouring cities to Somnath.
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Last Updated on : May 23, 2016
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