75 Years of Somnath Temple: A Millennium of Faith, Resilience and Revival

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Somnath temple is situated in Prabhas Patan, which is a coastal town near Veraval in Gujarat. This temple is reckoned to be the first among the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. The history of this temple is associated with ancient myths involving Lord Chandra or the Moon God named Soma, who acquired his lustre by taking baths in this sacred location.

The history of Somnath, however, is more complex than one of pure devotion. There is more to it, and it is one of resilience time and again.

1026: A Dark Beginning and Brave Resistance

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The year 1026 CE was a pivotal year in the history of Somnath. During the time of the ruler of the Chaulukya dynasty named Bhimadeva I, the Turk ruler of Ghazni named Mahmud, led his army across the desert of western India and attacked this religious shrine, not for performing any religious rituals but for the purpose of plunder and devastation. Although the Ghaznavids won this battle, the resistance put up by the local population before and during the battle has become a source of unshaken devotion.

According to traditional reports, thousands of defenders and admirers held out, with estimates in the tens of thousands, until the conquerors overwhelmed the area.

This was only the beginning. Through the ages, Somnath has been attacked and torn down by various rulers such as Alauddin Khalji and other rulers in each instance resulting in the destruction of this sacred spot and the heartache in the hearts of the worshippers.

Yet each time the temple stood in ruins, there were devotees and rulers who came forward to rebuild it.

Champions Through the Ages

• Bhimadeva I and later Paramara and Chudasama rulers rebuilt the temple after early destruction.
• Devi Ahilyabai Holkar, the Maratha queen, is remembered for ensuring that devotion at Somnath never stopped, erecting shrine structures and preserving rituals in the 18th century.

Each of these restorations had been an act of faith, not merely in the Lord Shiva, but in the cultural and civilisational tradition that Somnath represented.

A Spiritual Awakening and Call to Restore

Even during the 1890s, when Indian independence was just a distant dream, spiritual leaders were drawn to this temple. Swami Vivekananda, during his visit to Somnath, described such temples as those which are "marked with the traces of a hundred attacks and a hundred rebirths, torn down and repeatedly rising afresh." This reflected the cyclical pattern of decline and rise of this temple.

The Post-Independence Rebirth

After India gained freedom, the vision of a rejuvenated and consecrated Somnath gained momentum as a symbol of cultural confidence.

In November 1947, Deputy Prime Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel visited the temple ruins. Deeply moved, he resolved that Somnath would rise again, not as a relic of past glory but as a living centre of worship.

Patel and other leaders like K. M. Munshi took control of the project. They organised the collection of donations from the people. They formed the Somnath Trust. This was to manage the reconstruction work. It was through the writings of Munshi that the spirit of the temple was transferred to the coming generations.

Their efforts culminated in a historic moment: on 11 May 1951, in the presence of then-President Dr Rajendra Prasad, the newly rebuilt Somnath Temple was consecrated and opened to devotees again, a symbolic reaffirmation of India's civilisational continuity.

Not all individuals shared the view at that time, with Temple reconstruction being a subject of debates in political as well as intellectual spheres, but the event was a symbol of collective will.

Milestones of Recognition - 50 and 75 Years On

Half a century later, in 2001, the nation marked 50 years of Somnath's modern rebirth with celebrations attended by leaders including then-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Home Minister L.K. Advani, and Gujarat's Chief Minister Narendra Modi. In speeches recalling the contributions of Patel, Munshi, and Prasad, the event celebrated not just a temple but the spirit that brought it back to life.

And now, in 2026, India commemorates 75 years since that grand reopening, as part of the Somnath Swabhiman Parv, a four-day celebration that honours the temple's 1,000-year legacy of resilience and rebirth. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is part of the observances, reinforcing Somnath's place not only in spiritual life but in the nation's civilisational story.

Somnath Today: Beyond Stone and Ritual

Today, Somnath boasts a proud presence by the side of the sea, not only as a stone shrine but also symbolising the strength of faith. Believers from all over the world make pilgrimages to the Jyotirlinga shrine, perform the rituals, and witness the walks through a land where destruction and rebirth have occurred over the centuries.