History of Somnath Temple: Ruin to Resurrection
Location
The Somnath temple is a significant Hindu temple located in Prabhas Patan, Veraval, Gujarat, India. It is considered to be the first among the twelve jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva, making it a highly revered pilgrimage site for Hindus.
Beliefs
Somnath has been a revered pilgrimage destination since ancient times, primarily due to its status as a Triveni Sangam, or the confluence of three rivers: Kapila, Hiran, and Saraswati. According to folklore, the Moon god Soma lost his radiance due to a curse. To regain his splendor, he bathed in the Sarasvati River at this very site. This legend is believed to be the reason for the waxing and waning of the moon. The town’s name, Prabhas, meaning lustre, as well as the alternative titles Someshvar and Somnath (which means “the lord of the moon” or “the moon god”), derive from this tradition.
History
Origin
There are varying accounts regarding the origins of the Somnath temple, with estimates ranging from the early centuries of the 1st millennium to the 9th century CE.
Although the temple is not specifically referred to as Somnath in ancient Hindu Sanskrit texts, the pilgrimage site of Prabhas Patan, where the temple stands, is mentioned.
The Mahabharata and Bhagavata Purana also recognize Prabhas Patan as a tirtha on the Saurashtra coastline.
Kalidasa’s 5th-century poem, Raghuvamsa, provides insight into some of the revered Shiva pilgrimage sites during his era. This includes Banaras (Varanasi), Mahakala-Ujjain, Tryambaka, Prayaga, Pushkara, Gokarna, and Somnatha-Prabhasa. This list serves as a clear indication of the celebrated tirthas of his time.
While the site was a religious pilgrimage destination in ancient india, the precise date of the first temple remains unknown. However, by analyzing historical texts and archaeological findings, experts have approximated the temple’s origin to be between 800-900 CE.
The name Someshvara begins to appear starting in the 9th century.
The Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty governed much of Northern India from the mid-eighth century until the eleventh century, with a reign that began in Ujjain and later moved to Kannauj. King Nagabhata II (r. 805-833) of the Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty documented his visits to tirthas in Saurashtra, including Someshvara.
The Chaulukya or Solanki dynasty ruled over parts of present-day Gujarat and Rajasthan in northwestern India from approximately 940 CE to 1244 CE. The founder of the Chaulukya dynasty of India was Mularaja, who reigned between 941 and 996 CE. It is believed that Mularaja may have constructed the first temple for Soma at the site before his death. However, some historians argue that he may have simply restored a smaller, earlier temple.
Excavations of the Somnath site have unearthed the earliest known version of the Somnath temple. The excavations showed the foundations of a 10th-century temple
The excavation uncovered significant broken pieces and intricate details of a highly decorated temple.
Al-Biruni
Al-Biruni, an Iranian scholar and polymath, made significant contributions during the Islamic Golden Age. He is often referred to as the “founder of Indology,” “Father of Comparative Religion,” “Father of modern geodesy,” and the first anthropologist. With a keen understanding of subjects such as physics, mathematics, astronomy, and natural sciences, he was a gifted linguist who could speak Khwarezmian, Persian, Arabic, Sanskrit, and also knew Greek, and Hebrew. Many historians view him as an impartial writer.
Between 1017 and 1030 CE, Al-Biruni resided in the northwest Indian subcontinent region, in addition to his homeland of Afghanistan. In his writings, he described Somnath, which was located a little less than three miles west of the mouth of the river Sarasvati.
The location of the Somnath temple was a little less than three miles west of the mouth of the river Sarasvati. The temple was situated on the coast of the Indian ocean so that at the time of flow the idol was bathed by its water. Thus, that moon was perpetually occupied in bathing the idol and serving it.
Al-Biruni (11th Century)
He also pointed out that Somnath served as a harbor for seafaring people and a station for those traveling between the country of Zanj (East Africa) and China.
Ghazni’s Invasion
Al Biruni’s significant accounts of the events that occurred in Somnath are particularly noteworthy. For he was in service in the Persian court to a certain monarch, He witnessed the destruction of the Somnath temple and the brutal massacres that occurred under the rule of this Persian monarch.
In 1026, the Somnath temple was raided and looted of its jyotirlinga by the Turkic Muslim ruler Mahmud of Ghazni. According to estimates, he took away approximately 20 million dinars worth of valuables.
Al-Biruni confirmed the raid undertaken by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1026 in Somnath. This event is also validated by other Islamic historians. According to Al-Biruni, Mahmud’s intentions were to raid for the purpose of plunder and to satisfy the righteous iconoclasm of a true Muslim, and he came back to Ghazna with valuable loot acquired from Hindu temples.
Al-Biruni made criticism of the raids on India, pointing out that they have led to a decline in prosperity, created resentment among Hindus towards foreigners, and forced Hindu scholars to flee from conquered regions.
As per Jamal Malik, a scholar of South Asian history and Islamic Studies. Mahmud’s Iconic Status in Islam by several Muslim historians in the 11th century Stemmed from the Demolition of the Somnath Temple in 1026,
The destruction of Somnath left a lasting cultural impact on both the Persian and Hindu sides. For the Persians, it fueled a cultural memory of the event, inspiring “epics of conquest.” On the other hand, the Hindus viewed Somnath as a symbol of resilience, inspiring tales of recovery and “epics of resistance.” Persia elevated Mahmud as the exemplary hero and Islamic warrior for the Muslims, while in India, Mahmud emerged as the exemplary arch-enemy.
As per historian Cynthia Talbot, a tradition claims that during Mahmud’s attack on the Somnath temple, around 50,000 devotees perished while attempting to halt him.
Rebuilt by Kumarapala
Following the attack on Ghazni, Kumarapala (r. 1143-72), a king from the Solanki dynasty of Gujarat, oversaw the reconstruction of the Somnath temple, which included the use of precious stones and excellent stonework. An inscription dated 1169 describes the temple’s refurbishment, which replaced a previously decaying wooden structure. Kumarapala’s reign encompassed present-day Gujarat and surrounding areas.
1299 – Alauddin Khalji’s Invasion of Gujarat: The Fall of the Vaghela Dynasty
In 1299, Alauddin Khalji, led by Ulugh Khan, successfully defeated Karna, the final Vaghela king of Gujarat in India. This led to the sacking of the Somnath temple and the collapse of the Vaghela dynasty. Karna’s life is relatively unknown, save for his defeat against the Delhi Sultanate. Following the invasion, Karna was forced to flee Gujarat, but later regained control of some of his territory. Unfortunately, a second invasion in 1304 resulted in the ultimate downfall of the Vaghela dynasty, marking the end of Hindu rule in Gujarat before the Muslim conquest of the region.
Legends state that the Jalore ruler Kanhadadeva later recovered the Somnath idol and freed the Hindu prisoners, after an attack on the Delhi army near Jalore. However, other sources state that the idol was taken to Delhi, where it was thrown to be trampled under the feet of Muslims.
1308 – Restoration
During 1395, Zafar Khan, who was the final governor of Gujarat under the Delhi Sultanate and subsequently the founder of the Gujarat Sultanate, destroyed the temple for the third time.
1451 – Desceration by Mahmud Begheda
In 1451, it was desecrated by Mahmud Begada, the Sultan of Gujarat.
Sultan Mahmud Begada ( 25 May 1458 – 23 November 1511) was the most successful ruler of the Gujarat Sultanate. Elevated to the throne at an early age, he successfully took the forts of Pavagadh and Junagadh in fights that gave him the name Begada. Champaner became the capital after he established it. He was also responsible for the destruction of the Dwarkadhish Temple at Dwarka, Gujarat, one of the Hindu Char Dhams.
1665 – 1702 : Destruction by Aurangzeb
By 1665, the temple, one of many, was ordered to be destroyed by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
In 1665, Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb ordered the destruction of the temple, which was one of many temples destroyed during his reign..
In 1702, he ordered that if Hindus revived worship there, it should be demolished completely.
1951 – Rebuilt in Independent India
Before independence, Veraval was part of the Junagadh State, whose ruler had acceded to Pakistan in 1947. India contested the accession and annexed the state after holding a referendum.
India’s Deputy Prime Minister Vallabhbhai Patel came to Junagadh on 12 November 1947 to direct the stabilization of the state by the Indian Army, at which time he ordered the reconstruction of the Somnath temple.
Sardar Patel, K. M. Munshi and other leaders of the Congress went to Mahatma Gandhi with their proposal to reconstruct the Somnath temple,
Although Gandhi supported the renovation of the temple, he recommended that the public should fund the construction instead of the state. He expressed his pride in being associated with this project.
After the deaths of both Gandhi and Sardar Patel, the reconstruction of the temple continued under Munshi’s leadership. Munshi served as the Minister for Food and Civil Supplies at the time.
In October 1950, the ruins were demolished, and the mosque situated at the same location was relocated a few kilometers away with the aid of construction vehicles.
The installation ceremony for the temple was carried out by Rajendra Prasad, the first President of the Republic of India, on May 11th, 1951. This invitation was extended to him by K M Munshi.
Design
The new Somnath temple was designed by Prabhashankarbhai Oghadbhai Sompura, an architect who worked on the recovery and integration of old, recoverable parts with a new design in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The temple is built using the Solanki architectural style and was constructed by the master masons of Sompura Salats, a well-known group from Gujarat.
The New Somanth Temple
The reconstructed Somnath temple has been the preferred pilgrimage site for Hindus in Gujarat, often combined with a pilgrimage to neigbouring Dwarka. It is now a mojor local tourist destination and has been managed by the Shree Somnath Trust.
Their is a 35-minute long 3D light and sound show inside the Somnath Temple premises. It depicts the history as well as the religious and cultural importance of the temple. The light and sound show in a voice-over by Indian superstar Amitabh Bachchan.
Controversy
The Somnath temple has been used as a catalyst to reflect on India’s history and to raise concerns over its sacred spaces, including controversial sites like Ayodhya.
The Somnath temple was used as a cultural symbol and the starting point for a Rath yatra (chariot journey), states K.N. Pannikkar, by Lal Krishna Advani to begin his Ayodhya campaign in 1990.
Points To Remember
Muslims come forward and donated 200 bighas of land for its development.
Inscription have been found Bohra of Arab descent living in Somnath, who died defending Somnath against the attacks of the Delhi Sultan. Many inscriptions of mosques in somnath show harmonious relations between hindus and muslims.
As late as the 14th century, Gujarati Muslim pilgrims were noted by Amir Khusrow to stop at that temple to pay their respects before departing for the Hajj pilgrimage.
Sources
Wikipedia contributors. (2023, April 7). Somnath temple. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 09:38, April 10, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Somnath_temple&oldid=1148642567
Dhaky, M. A.; Shastri, H. P., eds. (1974). The Riddle of the Temple at Somanatha. Bharata Manisha.
Thapar, Romila (2004). Somanatha: The Many Voices of a History. Penguin Books India. ISBN 1-84467-020-1.
Khan, M. S. (1976). “al-Bīrūnī and the Political History of India”. Oriens. 25: 86–115. doi:10.2307/1580658. JSTOR 1580658.
Malik, J. (2008). Islam in South Asia: a short history. Boston: Brill.
Sheth, S., Yājñika, A. (2005). The Shaping of Modern Gujarat: Plurality, Hindutva, and Beyond. India: Penguin Books.
Asher, C. B., Talbot, C. (2006). India Before Europe. (n.p.): Cambridge University Press.
