The Complete Story of Somnath, A Jyotirling that Stands Strong Despite 17 Destruction Attempts

The Somnath Temple in Gujarat is counted as the first among the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva, located in Prabhas Patan and mentioned even in the Rig Veda and Bhagavata Purana. It is the traditional starting point for the "Dwadasha Jyotirlinga Pilgrimage".

Origin Story: King Daksha married his 27 daughters to Chandra, the Moon god, but Chandra favoured one wife, Rohini, above the rest. Despite Daksha's warnings, Chandra's discrimination continued, and Daksha cursed him with consumption, causing him to lose his radiance and destabilise the tides and seasons of the three worlds. On the gods' advice, Chandra travelled to Prabhas, built a pond, and performed six months of intense penance to Shiva. Pleased, Shiva could not undo Daksha's curse entirely, but softened it - blessing Chandra to wax and wane each fortnight rather than fade away permanently. Overjoyed, Chandra's hymn of gratitude pleased Shiva so much that he took bodily form as the Someshwar Linga, becoming known as Somnath.

History: The temple is believed to have been rebuilt in four phases - first in gold by Chandra, then silver by Ravana, sandalwood by Krishna, and finally stone by Bhimdeva of Gujarat. It has been destroyed and rebuilt at least 17 times through history, including repeated raids by Mahmud of Ghazni between 1000 and 1024 AD, yet remains one of India's most resilient and revered pilgrimage sites.