Today Somnath temple management celebrated the temple’s 75th Foundation Day. The temple was rebuilt and the Shivling was reinstalled where it belonged at a blessed moment on 11 May 1951.
Considered to be the first of the twelve Aadi Jyotirlinga, the most sacred shrines of Shiva, Somnath temple finds its mentions in the ancient Hindu texts of Mahabharata and Bhagvat Purana as a temple on the sea coast in Prabhas Patan, Somnath.
The temple was reconstructed several times in past after repeated invasions and destruction by Muslim invaders and rulers like Mahmud Gazni.
Currently, the Somnath temple complex, facing the Arabian Sea from Gujarat coast, has reached new levels of divine beauty & aesthetics under the chairmanship of India’s visionary Prime Minister and global leader Narendra Modi. The temple complex and connected facilities have seen unprecedented development marking new milestones in tourist facilities, charity activities, beautification and infrastructure development since January 2021 when Modi was sworn in as the chairman.
Some of the ancient texts tell that the temple was built for the first time in gold by king Somraj during Satya Yuga. In Treta Yuga, Ravana had built it out of silver while in Dwapara yuga lord Krishna had built it out of wood. Later King Bhimadev had built the temple out of stone. That is the claim of some of the ancient scriptures of our country.
The latest rebuilding of Somnath temple was done in 1947 under the initiative of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel; the then deputy PM. Prabhashankar Sompura was chosen as the architect and thus the present day Somnath temple came into being. In 1951, at the time of Pranapratistha of the temple, the then President Rajendra Prasad moved the swarvan shalaka (gold plate) kept at the base of the Shivlinga at 9:46 am and installed the Shivlinga and performed Pranapratistha. Then Somnath Mahadev was anointed by bringing water from 108 shrines and 7 seas and 101 gun salutes were given at that auspicious moment.
Today on the occasion of 75th anniversary a special tribute was given to Sardar Patel whose strong will led to the redevelopment of temple. The evening Aarti was celebrated today with ‘Mahashrungar’ of Somnath Mahadev and dedicating a series of lamps.
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