Somnath

India City: Somnath
	Languages : gujarati, Hindi, & English Best time to visit : October to March STD Code : 02876 (Veraval) Somnath is home to one of the 12 Jyotirlings of India. The temple city of Somnath or Prabhas Patan is situated in the state of Gujarat on the Arabian Sea. The climate of Somnath is mild with the temperature ranging between 20°C and 28°C in the winters and between 28°C and 34°C in the summers. The best season to visit is winters from October to March. Kailash Mahameru Prasad temple is built in the Chalukya style of temple architecture and reflects the inherent skill of sompuras, Gujarat's master masons. It has the shikhara, the Garbhagriha, the sabha mandap and the nritya mandap. It has been built in such a position that there is no land between the Somnath temple and Antarctica. This fact finds mention in the inscription found on the protection wall of the temple. The museum at Somnath houses the remains of the earlier temples but in the form of a clutter of old carved stones littering a courtyard. It also houses pottery shards, a seashell collection, a glass case of water bottles containing samples from the rivers Danube, Nile, St Lawrence, Tigris, Plate, Murray, and seawater from Tasmania, and New Zealand. The Bhalka Tirth is the place where Lord Krishna was mistaken for a deer and wounded by an arrow while sleeping in a deerskin. The place is situated on the confluence of three rivers. There is a sun temple (Suraj Mandir) nearby that was also knocked down by Mahmud of Ghazni. The Junagarh Gate is a very ancient triple gate that Mahmud of Ghazni broke through to take the town. The Maipuri was once a Sun temple but was later converted into a mosque during Mahmud of Ghazni's time. The Ahilyabai Temple was built as a substitute for the original Somnath Temple. Just behind the temple is the Somnath beach with pleasant sands, great sea view, camel and pony rides, coconut stalls, and snack shops. Other places of interest are Jama Masjid, Bhidiyo Pagoda, and several smaller temples. The Gir National Park is the last home of the Asiatic Lion and is situated around 43 km off Somnath. This 1400 sq km sanctuary was set up to protect the lions whose numbers at one point had come down to less than 200. Now the number is believed to have reached around 285 at the last count. Chorwad is a new beach resort developed by the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat at a distance of around 26 km from Somnath. Veraval is a major fishing port and a base point for the visit to Somnath. For the pilgrims and tourists, there are guesthouses, rest houses and inns etc. Services are simple but reasonable. There are accommodation options available in Veraval also. By Air The nearest airport from Somnath is Keshod 55 km away and linked to Mumbai. There are regular buses and taxis plying between Keshod and Somnath. By Rail The nearest railhead is seven km away at Veraval, which is connected by train to Ahmedabad and some other cities in gujarat. By Road State transport corporation buses and private coaches run regular service to other cities in the region. Somnath is connected by a good road network to the other nearby places like Veraval 7 km, Mumbai 889 km, Ahmedabad 400 km, Bhavnagar 266 km, Junagarh 85 km, and Porbandar 122 km.