Somnath Jyotirlinga Gir Coast Yatra

About this yatra

Somnath Temple on the Saurashtra coast of Gujarat is universally venerated as the first of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva and one of the most historically resonant temples in India, having been built, destroyed, and rebuilt seven times over the past two millennia as a symbol of the indestructibility of Sanatana Dharma. The presiding deity Somnath, literally the Lord of the Moon, derives the name from the legend that the moon god Chandra after being cursed by his father in law Daksha Prajapati for neglecting his other wives in favour of Rohini, performed severe penance to Lord Shiva at this very seashore and was restored by Shiva consenting to be installed here as a self manifest Jyotirlinga, with the moon waxing and waning thereafter as the lasting trace of the curse and its remission. The current Chalukyan style temple, soaring to 50 metres on the very shore where the Arabian Sea breaks against the Diu coast, was rebuilt and consecrated in 1951 after partition by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and the Junagadh state, completing a rebuilding effort that had spanned a thousand years across multiple dynasties. This four day yatra weaves the spiritual pilgrimage with the surrounding sacred sites of the Saurashtra Krishna heritage and the unique wildlife of Gir National Park, the only home of the Asiatic lion. Day one arrives at Somnath via Diu airport or Veraval railhead and includes evening sound and light show on the temple history, sunset darshan at the seafront sanctum, and the special evening arati at 7 PM with conch shells and chenda drums echoing against the sea waves. Day two begins with the 6 AM Mangal arati and abhishekam at the Garbha Griha, followed by a visit to the Bhalka Tirth, the sacred site three kilometres away where Lord Krishna was struck by the arrow of the hunter Jara that initiated his ascent to Vaikuntha; a panchatirtha snan at the Triveni Sangam where the rivers Hiran, Kapila and the mystical Saraswati merge into the Arabian Sea; and the Geeta Mandir built where Krishna is believed to have given his last teaching. Day three is a day excursion to the Sasan Gir National Park, the only natural habitat of the Asiatic lion in the world, for a morning jeep safari, with afternoon visits to the Junagadh hilltop shrine of the Girnar mountain which has temples to Dattatreya and Amba Mata that have been visited by every major Vaishnava and Shakta acharya from Adi Shankara onwards. Day four returns to Somnath for the final morning darshan, the special seashore puja where lamps are offered to the rising sun over the Arabian Sea, a visit to the nearby Suraj Mandir, and an optional half day in Diu Portuguese fortress before departure. The package includes pickup from Diu, Rajkot or Ahmedabad airport, four nights of accommodation in a seafront heritage style hotel, all Gujarati satvic meals, abhishekam at the Jyotirlinga, panchatirtha snan coordination, Gir jeep safari with naturalist, English Gujarati Hindi speaking guide, all temple entry fees, and a pilgrim handbook with the Dvadasha Jyotirlinga stotra and the Somnath Mahatmya in Sanskrit and English.

Best time to visit

November to February for cool weather; Maha Shivaratri in February March for the great festival; Kartik Purnima in November for the seafront temple fair; Sasan Gir closed mid June to mid October for monsoon.

How to reach

Fly to Diu (DIU) 90 km or Rajkot (RAJ) 190 km or Ahmedabad (AMD) 400 km; nearest railhead Veraval (VRL) 7 km, well connected to Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Rajkot; regular Gujarat State Transport buses from Ahmedabad, Rajkot and Junagadh.

What to expect

First of twelve Jyotirlingas on the Arabian Sea, 50 metre Chalukyan style seafront temple, Mangal arati at sunrise, Bhalka Tirth Krishna ascension site, Triveni Sangam panchatirtha snan, Sasan Gir Asiatic lion safari, Girnar hilltop Dattatreya darshan, sound and light show on the seven destructions and rebuildings, vegetarian Gujarati satvic cuisine.