The Somnath Temple () located in the Prabhas Kshetra near Veraval in Saurashtra on the western coast of Gujarat, India, is the first among the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines of the god Shiva. It has currently become a tourist spot for pilgrims. The temple is considered sacred due to the various legends connected to it. Somnath means “Lord of the Soma”, an epithet of Shiva. Somnath Temple is known as “the Shrine Eternal”, having been destroyed many times by Islamic kings and rulers. Most recently it was rebuilt in November 1947, when Vallabhbhai Patel visited the area for the integration of Junagadh and mooted a plan for restoration. After Patel’s death, the rebuilding continued under Kanaiyalal Maneklal Munshi, another minister of the Government of India. The temple is open from 0600-2100. There are 3 aarti daily; in the morning at 0700, at 1200 and in the evening at 1900.
