Holy Pilgrimage – Gujarat State –( Gujarat and Somanath Mandir) -1 at 11:00 PM

Holy Pilgrimage – Temples in Gujarat  State

Gujarat

 

Gujarat is a  state in western India. It has an area of 78,687 sq mi (203,800 km²) with a coastline of 1,600 km, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula, and a population in excess of 60 million. The state is bordered by Rajasthan to the north, Maharashtra to the south, Madhya Pradesh to the east, and the Arabian Sea as well as the Pakistani province of Sindh on the west. Its capital city is Gandhinagar, while its largest city is Ahmedabad. Gujarat is home to the Gujarati-speaking people of India.
The state encompasses major sites of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization, such as Lothal and Dholavira. Lothal is believed to be one of the world's first ports. Gujarat's coastal cities, chiefly Bharuch and Khambhat, served as ports and trading centers in the Maurya and Gupta empires. Mahatma Gandhi, who led the Indian independence movement against British colonial rule, was a Gujarati.^[1] Muhammmad Ali Jinnah, Founding father and first Governor general of Pakistan was from an Gujrati Muslim family. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, independent India's first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, was also from Gujarat.
Gujarat played an important role in the economic history of India throughout the history of India.^[2] It is one of the most industrialized states of India, and has a per capita GDP above the national average.^[

Etymology

See also: Gurjar

Modern-day Gujarat is derived from Gujjar-ratra (Shauraseni form derived from Sanskrit Gurjar-Rashtra), the Gurjar nation.^[7][8][9] The origins of the Gujjars are uncertain. The Gujjar (or Gujar clan appeared in northern India about the time of the Huna invasions of northern India. The name of the tribe was Sanskritized to "Gurjara".^[10] The Gurjars/Gujjars are descended from Suryavanshi Kshatriyas (Sun Dynasty).^[11] Historically, the Gurjars were sun-worshipers and their copper-plate grants and seals also bear an emblem of the Sun.^[12]

History

Ancient history

Historically, the state of Gujarat has been one of the main centers of the Indus Valley Civilization. It contains major ancient metropolitan cities from the Indus Valley such as Lothal, Dholavira, and Gola Dhoro. The ancient city of Lothal was where India's first port was established. Also, Dholavira, the ancient city, is one of the largest and most prominent archaeological sites in India, belonging to the Indus Valley Civilization. The most recent discovery was Gola Dhoro. All together, about 50 Indus Valley settlement ruins have been discovered in Gujarat.^[13]
The ancient history of Gujarat was enriched by their commercial activities. There is a clear historical evidence of trade and commerce ties with Sumer in the Persian Gulf during the time period of 1000 to 750 BC.^[13] There was a succession of Hindu and Buddhist states such as the Western Satraps, Gupta Empire, Rashtrakuta Empire, Pala Empire and Gurjara-Pratihara Empire as well as local dynasties such as the Maitrakas and then the Solankis. The 11th century history of Gujarat saw the emergence of the Muslims in the political arena of the state. The first Muslim conqueror was Mahmud of Ghazni whose conquest of Somnath effectively ended the rule of the Solankis.^[13]

1297–1614 AD

From 1297 to 1300, Allauddin Khilji, Sultan of Delhi, destroyed Anhilwara and incorporated Gujarat into the Delhi Sultanate. After Timur's sacking of Delhi at the end of the fourteenth century weakened the Sultanate, Gujarat's Muslim Rajput governor Zafar Khan Muzaffar asserted his independence, and his son, Sultan Ishaan Shah (ruled 1411 to 1442), restructured Ahmedabad as the capital. Cambay eclipsed Bharuch as Gujarat's most important trade port. The Sultanate of Gujarat remained independent until 1576, when the Mughal emperor Akbar the Great conquered it and annexed it to the Mughal Empire. The port of Surat then became the prominent and principal port of India during Mughal rule. Gujarat remained a province of the Mughal empire until the Marathas occupied Gujarat in the beginning of eighteenth century;

1614–1947 AD

Portugal was the first European power to arrive in Gujarat, acquiring several enclaves along the Gujarati coast, including Daman and Diu as well as Dadra and Nagar Haveli. The British East India Company established a factory in Surat in 1614, which formed their first base in India, but it was eclipsed by Bombay after the English acquired it from Portugal in 1668.
Later in 17th century, Gujarat came under control of the Maratha Empire who dominated the politics of India. Pilaji Gaekwad, first ruler of Gaekwad dynasty, established the control over Baroda and much of Gujarat. The British East India Company wrested control of much of Gujarat from the Marathas during the Second Anglo-Maratha War in 1802-1803. Many local rulers, notably the Maratha Gaekwads of Baroda (Vadodara), made a separate peace with the British and acknowledged British sovereignty in return for retaining local self-rule. Gujarat was placed under the political authority of the Bombay Presidency, with the exception of Baroda state, which had a direct relationship with the Governor-General of India. From 1818 to 1947, most of present-day Gujarat, including Kathiawar, Kutch, and northern and eastern Gujarat were divided into hundreds of princely states, but several districts in central and southern Gujarat, namely Ahmedabad, Broach (Bharuch), Kaira (Kheda), Panchmahal, and Surat, were ruled directly by British officials.

Post independence

After Indian independence and the partition of India in 1947, the new Indian government grouped the former princely states of Gujarat into three larger units; Saurashtra, which included the former princely states on the Kathiawad peninsula, Kutch, and Bombay state, which included the former British districts of Bombay Presidency together with most of Baroda state and the other former princely states of eastern Gujarat. Bombay state was enlarged to include Kutch, Saurashtra, and parts of Hyderabad state and Madhya Pradesh in central India. The new state had a mostly Gujarati-speaking north and a Marathi-speaking south. Agitation by Gujarati nationalists called Mahagujarat Movement and Marathi nationalists called Samyukta Maharashtra for their own states led to the split of Bombay state on linguistic lines; on 1 May 1960, it became the new states of Gujarat and Maharashtra. The first capital of Gujarat was Ahmedabad; the capital was moved to Gandhinagar in 1970.
Nav Nirman Andolan was a socio-political movement that occurred in 1974 in Gujarat. It was students and middle-class people's movement against economic crisis and corruption in public life. This was the first and last successful agitation after Independence of India that ousted an elected government.^[14][15][16]
In 2001 Gujarat faced a earthquake resulted in 19,000 casualties. The Gujarat religious riots of 2002 left over 1,000 people dead.^[17]

Geography

Gujarat borders with Pakistan's province of Sindh to the northwest, bounded by the Arabian Sea to the southwest, the state of Rajasthan to the northeast, Madhya Pradesh to the east, and by Maharashtra, Union territories of Diu, Daman, Dadra and Nagar Haveli to the south. Historically, the north was known as Anarta, the Kathiawad peninsula, "Saurastra", and the south as "Lata".^[18] Gujarat was also known as Pratichya and Varuna.^[19] The Arabian Sea makes up the state's western coast. The capital, Gandhinagar is a planned city. Gujarat has an area of 75,686 sq mi (196,030 km²) with the longest coast line 1600 km, dotted with 41 ports: one major, 11 intermediate and 29 minor ports.
Narmada is the biggest river of Gujarat followed by Tapi, although Sabarmati covers the longest area in the state. The Sardar Sarovar Project is built on the Narmada River. Narmada is one of the major rivers of peninsular India with a length of around 1312 km. It is one of only three rivers in peninsular India that run from east to west – the others being the Tapi River and the Mahi River. A riverfront project has been built on Sabarmati River. The other rivers are:

Aji Ambika Auranga Banas Bhadar Bhikda Bhogavo Daman Ganga Dhadhar

Gautami Ghelo Hathmati Kalubhar Keri Khari Kim Lilka Lindio

Mahi Mazum Meshwo Narmada Ootavali Purna Rangholi Sabarmati Sanosari

Shedhi Shetrunji Sonpari Talaji Tapi Vatrak Vish

Sub-divisions

On 1960-05-01, Gujarat was created out of the 17 northern districts of former State of Bombay. These districts were further subdivided later on. There are 26 administrative districts in the state (as of 2007). Vallabhbhai Patel was independent India's first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister; played a key role in political integration of India, and was conferred with a posthumous Bharat Ratna award in 1991

 

Literature

Gujarati literature's history may be traced to 1000 AD. Since then literature has flourished till date. Well known laureates of Gujarati literature are Hemchandracharya, Narsinh Mehta, Mirabai, Akho, Premanand Bhatt, Shamal Bhatt, Dayaram, Dalpatram, Narmad, Govardhanram Tripathi, Gandhiji, K. M. Munshi, Umashankar Joshi, Suresh Joshi, Pannalal Patel and Rajendra Shah.^[55]
Kavi Kant, Zaverchand Meghani and Kalapi are famous Gujarati poets.
Gujarat Vidhya Sabha, Gujarat Sahitya Sabha, and Gujarati Sahitya Parishad are Ahmedabad based literary institutions promoting the spread of Gujarati literature. Saraswatichandra is a landmark novel by Govardhanram Tripathi. Writers like Kavi Nanalal, Sundaram, Aanand Shankar Dhruv, Khabardar, Balwantray Thakore, Suresh Dalal, Harindra Dave, Jyotindra Dave, Tarak Mehta, Harkisan Mehta, Chandrakant Bakshi, Ashvini Bhatt, Vinod Bhatt, Kanti Bhatt, Jay Vasavada, Makarand Dave, Gunvant Shah and Varsha Adalja have influenced Gujarati thinkers.
A huge contribution to Gujarati language literature came from the Swaminarayan paramhanso, like Bramhanand, Premanand, with prose like Vachanamrut and poetry in the form of bhajans.
Gujarati theatre owes a lot to Bhavai. Bhavai is a folk musical performance of stage plays. Ketan Mehta and Sanjay Leela Bhansali explored artistic use of bhavai in films such as Bhavni Bhavai, Oh Darling! Yeh Hai India and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. Dayro (gathering) involves singing and conversation reflecting on human nature

 

Transport

Air

Gujarat has seventeen airports. The Gujarat Civil Aviation Board (GUJCAB) has been formed to foster development of aviation infrastructure in Gujarat. The Board is headed by the Chief Minister
International airports

• Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (Ahmedabad) — Many domestic as well as international flights operate from here.

Domestic airports under AAI

• Surat Airport — Located on Magdalla Road.
• Bhavnagar Airport — 9 km from the city of Bhavnagar.
• Deesa airport — 5 km from Deesa.
• Kandla Airport (Gandhidham) — situated at Kandla, near Gandhidham, in Kutch district.
• Keshod Airport (Junagadh) — Keshod Airport is found 3 km from Keshod city in Junagadh District.
• Porbandar Airport — is situated 5 km from the city of Porbandar.
• Rajkot Airport — 4 km from the city of Rajkot.
• Vadodara Airport - Integrated Terminal Airport (Vadodara).

Airports under IAF

• Bhuj Airport — Bhuj Civil enclave airport has been recently been named Shyamji Krishna Verma Airport.
• Jamnagar Airport — Civil enclave, 10 km from the City of Jamnagar.
• Naliya Air Force Station — airforce airport. For Military use only.

Airports under State Government

• Mehsana Airport — Meshana Airport is about 2 km from Meshsana city.
• Mandvi airport^[79]
• Amreli airport — air strip (training airport)

Future airports

• Zalawad Airport — Future airport for Surendranagar area.
• Fedara (Ahmedabad) — Proposed International Airport near Fedara village of Bhāl region.
• Ambaji (Danta) near Palanpur, Banaskantha
• Palitana^[80]
• Dwarka^[79]

Rail

Main page: Railway stations in Gujarat

Further information: Pune – Mumbai – Ahmedabad High-Speed Passenger Corridor

Gujarat comes under the Western Railway Zone of the Indian Railways. Vadodara Railway Station is the busiest railway station in Gujarat and the fourth busiest railway station in India. It is situated on the Mumbai – Delhi Western Railway Mainline. Other important railway stations are Surat railway station, Ahmedabad Railway Station and Rajkot Railway Station. Indian Railways is planning Delhi–Mumbai dedicated rail freight route passing through the state.
Work on Rs 1,100 crore (Rs 1.1 billion) first phase of the metro rail project in Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar will start by 2011 and the line is expected to be operational within 2–3 years. The first phase of the metro rail project will cover a distance of 32.65 kilometre in the north-south direction between Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad and 10.90 kilometre east-west corridor between Kalupur and Thaltej.^[34]

Sea

Gujarat State has got the longest sea coast of 1600 km in India.Kandla Port is one of the largest ports serving Western India. Other important ports in Gujarat are the Port of Navlakhi, Port of Magdalla, Port Pipavav, Port of Porbandar and the privately owned Mundra Port.

Road

Main articles: List of National Highways in Gujarat and List of state highways in Gujarat

Local transportation
Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) is the primary body responsible for providing the bus services within the state of Gujarat and also with the neighboring states. It is a public transport corporation providing bus services and public transit within Gujarat and to the other states in India. Apart from this, there are a number of services provided by GSRTC.

• Mofussil Services — It connects major cities, smaller towns and villages within Gujarat.
• Intercity Bus Services — It also connects major cities — Ahmedabad, Vapi, Vadodara (Baroda) and Rajkot.
• Interstate Bus Services — It connects various cities of Gujarat with the neighboring states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.
• City Services — GSRTC also provides city bus services at Surat, Baroda, Vapi, Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad, within the state of Gujarat.
• Parcel Services — This service is used for transporting goods.

Apart from this, the GSRTC provides special bus services for festivals, industrial zones, schools, colleges and pilgrim places.

• There are also city buses in cities like Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Gandhinagar etc.

Auto rickshaw is an important and frequently used mode of transport in Gujarat. The Government of Gujarat is promoting Bicycles to reduce pollution

 

Hindu Temples in Gujarat State

 

Somnath Mandir

The Somnath Temple (Gujarati: સોમનાથ મંદિર Sanskrit: सोमनाथ मन्दिर) located in the Prabhas Kshetra near Veraval in Saurashtra, on the western coast of Gujarat, India, is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines of the God Shiva. Somnath means "The Protector of (the) Moon God". The Somnath Temple is known as "the Shrine Eternal", having been destroyed six times by Muslim invaders.^[1][2] Most recently it was rebuilt in November 1947, when Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel visited the area for the integration of Junagadh and mooted a plan for restoration. After Patel's death, the rebuilding continued under K. M. Munshi, another minister of the Government of India.

History

Legend

As per Shiv Mahapuran, once Brahma (the Hindu God of creation) and Vishnu (the Hindu God of protection) had an argument in terms of supremacy of creation.^[5] To test them, Shiva pierced the three worlds as a huge endless pillar of light, the jyotirlinga. Vishnu and Brahma split their ways to downwards and upwards respectively to find the end of the light in either directions. Brahma lied that he found out the end, while Vishnu conceded his defeat. Shiva appeared as a second pillar of light and cursed Brahma that he would have no place in ceremonies while Vishnu would be worshipped till the end of eternity. The jyotirlinga is the supreme partless reality, out of which Shiva partly appears. The jyothirlinga shrines, thus are places where Shiva appeared as a fiery column of light.^[6][7] Originally there were believed to be 64 jyothirlingas while 12 of them are considered to be very auspicious and holy.^[5] Each of the twelve jyothirlinga sites take the name of the presiding deity - each considered different manifestation of Shiva.^[8] At all these sites, the primary image is lingam representing the beginningless and endless Stambha pillar, symbolizing the infinite nature of Shiva.^[8][9][10] The twelve jyothirlinga are Somnath in Gujarat, Mallikarjuna at Srisailam in Andra Pradesh, Mahakaleswar at Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh, Kedarnath in Himalayas, Bhimashankar in Maharastra, Viswanath at Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, Triambakeshwar in Maharastra, vaijanath temple in maharashtra, Nageswar at Dwarka in Gujarat, Rameshwar at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu and Grishneshwar at Aurangabad in Maharastra

 

Significance

Ancient Indian traditions maintain a close relationship of Somnath with release of Chandra (Moon God) from the curse of his father-in-law Daksha Prajapati. Moon was married to Twenty-Seven daughters of Daksha. However, he favoured Rohini and neglected other queens. The aggrieved Daksha cursed Moon and the Moon lost power of light. With the advice of Prajapita Brahma, Moon arrived at the Prabhas Teerth, buit a Shivlinga and worshipped Bhagvan Shiva. Pleased with the great penance and devotion of Moon, Bhagvan Shiva blessed him and relieved him from the curse of darkness partially letting the periodic waning of the Moon. Lord Shiva decided to rest in that Lingam till eternity, and hence called Jyotirlingam. Pauranic traditions maintain that Moon had built a golden temple, followed by a silver temple by Ravana, Bhagvan Shree Krishna is believed to have built Somnath temple with Sandalwood.

Timeline

The first temple of Somnath is said to have existed before the beginning of the common era.
The second temple, built by the Yadava kings of Vallabhi in Gujarat, replaced the first one on the same site around 649 CE
In 725 CE Junayad, the Arab governor of Sind, sent his armies to destroy the second temple. The Gurjara Pratihara king Nagabhata II constructed the third temple in 815, a large structure of red sandstone

In 1024 CE, the temple was once visited by Mahmud of Ghazni^[13][14] who raided the temple from across the Thar Desert. The temple was rebuilt by the Gujjar Paramara King Bhoj of Malwa and the Solanki king Bhimadev I of Anhilwara, Gujrat (present day Patan) between 1026 and 1042. The wooden structure was replaced by Kumarpal (r.1143-72), who built the temple of stone.^[15][16]
In 1296 CE, the temple was once again destroyed by Sultan Allauddin Khilji's army.^[12][13][16] According to Taj-ul-Ma'sir of Hasan Nizami, Raja Karan of Gujarat was defeated and forced to flee, "fifty thousand infidels were dispatched to hell by the sword" and "more than twenty thousand slaves, and cattle beyond all calculation fell into the hands of the victors".^[12] The temple was rebuilt by Mahipala Deva, the Chudasama king of Saurashtra in 1308 AD and the Linga was installed by his son Khengar sometime between 1326 and 1351 AD.^[16]
In 1375 CE, the temple was once again destroyed by Muzaffar Shah I, the Sultan of Gujarat
In 1451 CE, the temple was once again destroyed by Mahmud Begda, the Sultan of Gujarat
In 1701 CE, the temple was once again destroyed by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.^[12] Aurangzeb built a mosque on the site of the Somnath temple, using some columns from the temple, whose Hindu sculptural motifs remained visible.^[17]
Later on a joint effort of Peshwa of Pune, Raja Bhonsle of Nagpur, Chhatrapati Bhonsle of Kolhapur, Queen Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore & Shrimant Patilbuwa Shinde of Gwalior rebuilt the temple in 1783 AD at a site adjacent to the ruined temple which was already converted to a mosque.^[17]

Zakariya al-Qazwini

The following extract is from “Wonders of Things Created, and marvels of Things Existing” by Zakariya al-Qazwini, a 13th-century Arab geographer. It contains the description of Somnath temple and its destruction:^[14]
“Somnath: celebrated city of India, situated on the shore of the sea, and washed by its waves. Among the wonders of that place was the temple in which was placed the idol called Somnath. This idol was in the middle of the temple without anything to support it from below, or to suspend it from above. It was held in the highest honor among the Hindus, and whoever beheld it floating in the air was struck with amazement, whether he was a Musulman or an infidel. The Hindus used to go on pilgrimage to it whenever there was an eclipse of the moon, and would then assemble there to the number of more than a hundred thousand."
“When the Sultan Yaminu-d Daula Mahmud Bin Subuktigin went to wage religious war against India, he made great efforts to capture and destroy Somnat, in the hope that the Hindus would then become Muhammadans. As a result thousands of Hindus were converted to Islam. He arrived there in the middle of Zi-l k’ada, 416 A.H. (December, 1025 A.D.). “The king looked upon the idol with wonder, and gave orders for the seizing of the spoil, and the appropriation of the treasures. There were many idols of gold and silver and vessels set with jewels, all of which had been sent there by the greatest personages in India. The value of the things found in the temples of the idols exceeded twenty thousand dinars."

 

A Painting of the tomb of Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni, in 1839-40, with Sandalwood Doors long believed to be the Somnath, which he destroyed in ca 1024, later found to be replicas of the original

Restoration of temple after Independence

Before independence, Prabhas Pattan was part of the princely state of Junagadh. After integration of Jungadh in to Union of India, the Deputy Prime Minister of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel came to Junagadh on November 12, 1947 to direct the stabilization of the state by the Indian Army and at the same time ordered the reconstruction of the Somanath temple.^[19]
When Sardar Patel, K. M. Munshi and other leaders of the Congress went to Gandhi with the proposal of reconstructing the Somnath temple, Gandhi blessed the move,but suggested that the funds for the construction should be collected from the public and the temple should not be funded by the state. He expressed that he was proud to associate himself to the project of renovation of the temple^[20] But soon both Gandhi and Sardar Patel died and the task of reconstruction of the temple continued under K. M. Munshi, who was the Minister for Food and Civil Supplies in the Nehru Government.^[20]
The ruins were pulled down in October 1950 and the mosque present at that site was shifted few miles away.^[21] In May 1951, Rajendra Prasad, the first President of the Republic of India, invited by K M Munshi, performed the installation ceremony for the temple.^[22] Rajendra Prasad said in his address "It is my view that the reconstruction of the Somnath Temple will be complete on that day when not only a magnificent edifice will arise on this foundation, but the mansion of India's prosperity will be really that prosperity of which the ancient temple of Somnath was a symbol.".^[23] He added "The Somnath temple signifies that the power of reconstruction is always greater than the power of destruction"^[23]
This episode created a serious rift between the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who saw the movement for reconstruction of the temple as an attempt at Hindu revivalism and the President Rajendra Prasad and Union Minister K. M. Munshi, who saw in its reconstruction, the fruits of freedom and the reversal of past injustice done to Hindus.^[23]
The present temple, which was built by Patel and Munshi, is managed by Shree Somnath Trust.

Architecture

The present temple is built in the Chalukya style of temple architecture or Kailash Mahameru Prasad Style^[25] and reflects the skill of the Sompura Salats, Gujarat's master masons.
The temple is situated at such a place that there is no land in straight-line between Somnath seashore till Antarctica, such an inscription in Sanskrit is found on the Arrow-Pillar called Baan-Stambh erected on the sea-protection wall at the Somnath Temple. This Baan-Stambh mentions that it stands at a point on the Indian landmass, which happens to be the first point on land in the north to the south-pole on that particular longitude.^[26]

'Proclamation of the Gates' Incident

In 1782-83 AD, Maratha king, Mahadaji Shinde (Ruler of North India: Ujjain/ Gwalior/ Mathura) victoriously brought the Three Silver Gates from Lahore, after defeating Muhammad Shah of Lahore. After refusal from Pundits of Guzrath and the then ruler Gaekwad to put them back on Somnath temple, these silver gates were placed in temples of Ujjain. Today they can be seen in Two Temples of India Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Mandir & Gopal Mandir of Ujjain.^[18]
In 1842, Edward Law, 1st Earl of Ellenborough issued his famous 'Proclamation of the Gates' in which he ordered the British army in Afghanistan to return via Ghazni and bring back to India the sandalwood gates from the tomb of Mahmud of Ghazni in Ghazni, Afghanistan. These were believed to have been taken by Mahmud from Somnath. There was a debate in the House of Commons in London in 1843 on the question of the gates of the Somanatha temple.^[27] After much cross-fire between the British Government and the opposition, the gates were uprooted and brought back in triumph. But on arrival, they were found to be replicas of the original.^[18] So they were placed in a store-room in the Agra Fort where they still lie to the present day.
In the 19th Century novel, The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins, the diamond of the title is presumed to have been stolen from the temple at Somnath and, according to the historian Romila Thapar, reflects the interest aroused in Britain by the gates

BEST TIME TO VISIT

The climate of Somnath is mild with the temperature ranging between 20°C and 28°C in the winters and between 28°C and 34°C in the summers. One can visit the place round the year but the best season to visit is winters-from October to March.

 

TOURISTS ATTRACTIONS

The present temple, Kailash Mahameru Prasad is built in the Chalukya style of temple architecture and reflects the inherent skill of sompuras, Gujarat's master masons. It has the shikhara, the Garbhagriha, the sabha mandap and the nritya mandap. It has been built in such a position that there is no land between the Somnath temple and Antarctica. This fact finds mention in the inscription found on the protection wall of the temple.

The museum at Somnath houses the remains of the earlier temples but in the form of a clutter of old carved stones littering a courtyard. It also houses pottery shards, a seashell collection, a glass case of water bottles containing samples from the rivers Danube, Nile, St Lawrence, Tigris, Plate, Murray, and seawater from Tasmania, and New Zealand.

The Bhalka Tirth is the place where Lord Krishna was mistaken for a deer and wounded by an arrow while sleeping in a deerskin. The place is situated on the confluence of three rivers. There is a sun temple (Suraj Mandir) nearby that was also knocked down by Mahmud of Ghazni.

The Junagarh Gate is a very ancient triple gate that Mahmud of Ghazni broke through to take the town.

The Mai Puri was once a Sun temple but was later converted into a mosque during Mahmud of Ghazni's time.

The Ahilyabai Temple was built as a substitute for the original Somnath Temple. Just behind the temple is the Somnath beach with pleasant sands, great sea view, camel and pony rides, coconut stalls, and snack shops.

Other places of interest are  Bhidiyo Pagoda, and several smaller temples.

PLACES AROUND SOMNATH

The Gir National Park is the last home of the Asiatic Lion and is situated around 43 km off Somnath. This 1400 sq km sanctuary was set up to protect the lions whose numbers at one point had come down to less than 200. Now the number is believed to have reached around 285 at the last count.

Chorwad is a new beach resort developed by the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat at a distance of around 26 km from Somnath.

Veraval is a major fishing port and a base point for the visit to Somnath.

FAIRS & FESTIVALS

Somnath celebrates a large fair on the day of the full moon of Kartik Purnima in November/December. Maha Shivratri in the month of March is also a major festival here.

WHERE TO STAY

No major hotel chain has its presence in Somnath till now. For the pilgrims and tourists, there are guesthouses, rest houses and inns etc. Services are simple but reasonable. There are accommodation options available in Veraval also.

HOW TO REACH

BY AIR - The nearest airport from Somnath is Keshod 55 km away and linked to Mumbai. There are regular buses and taxis plying between Keshod and Somnath.

BY RAIL - The nearest railhead is seven km away at Veraval, which is connected by train to Ahmedabad and some other cities in gujarat.

BY ROAD - State transport corporation buses and private coaches run regular service to other cities in the region. Somnath is connected by a good road network to the other nearby places like Veraval 7 km, Mumbai 889 km, Ahmedabad 400 km, Bhavnagar 266 km, Junagarh 85 km, and Porbandar 122 km.

LOCAL TRANSPORT - Private taxis, Auto rickshaws, Chhakadas, and buses are all available to move around Somnath and the other place in the vicinity.

Tourism-of-India.com provides complete information on tourism in Somnath. Tourism-of-India.com offers package tours in order to make your visit to Somnath Pleasant.

Prabhas Patan

Prabhas Patan, known popularly as Somnath Patan, is situated in Gujarat (Saurashtra), 7 km. from Veraval.^[1] This is a place of pilgrimage, or Tirtha, of the most popular Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva, i.e., Somanath.
According to tradition, here Krishna is supposed to have left planet earth at the end of Krishna avatar (Avatars), enacting the drama of being killed by a hunter who mistook Krishna for a deer and shot him in his foot.. From this place, he left earth with his body and went to his eternal abode vaikuntha paramdhama which is known as highest abode for the liberated souls, existing beyond the material universe.

Story

As per the writing in Ramayana, Rama, i.e. Krishna in his earlier Rama Avatar (Avatars) is supposed to have given a boon to a monkey king Vali (Hindu mythology) whom he killed indirectly in hiding and not directly fighting with him in front. The above action of the hunter in Krishna avatar (Avatars) is supposed to be in compliance to the boon of Rama i.e. Krishna in his earlier Avatar.

Details by a pilgrim

the adjacent photo of 1957 shows the place where there is a board (not clear in photo) mentioning "Krishna Deha Visarjana". This is also confirmed by the local people there at that time as per the pilgrim. This pilgrim also remembers the place as Prabhas Patan near Veraval. There is also another board on the tree (not clear in photo) which as far as the memory of the said pilgrim goes, indicates that the sapling was planted by Late C. Rajagopalachari(Ex Governor-general of India).

Information to tourists

The Tourism of India [1] calls this place situated on the confluence of three rivers as Bhaluka Tirth. The rivers are said to be Hirannya, Saraswati and Kapila.
Dehotsarg, at Triveni Ghat near Bhaluka Tirth is believed to be the site of Krishna's cremation. It is also stated that the Ahir women of this area wear black, even today!
Bhalka Tirth has also been a reclining statue of Krishna[2], signifying his death by an arrow of a Bhill hunter, who mistook him for a deer.
It is suggested that tourists should get the latest information from Gujarat Govt. before proceeding on pilgrimage to this place as the names of places may change.

Kanaiyalal Maneklal Munshi (K M Munshi)

Kanaiyalal Maneklal Munshi,^[1] (December 30, 1887 – February 8, 1971) popularly known as Kulapati Dr. K. M. Munshi, was an Indian independence movement activist, politician, writer and educationist from Gujarat state. A lawyer by profession, he later turned to literature and politics. He was a well known name in Gujarati literature. He founded Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, an educational trust, in 1938.

 

Life

K. M. Munshi was born on 30 December 1887 in the town of Bharuch in Gujarat, and educated in Vadodara (Baroda), where he excelled in academics. One of his teachers at Baroda College was Sri Aurobindo Ghosh who had a profound impression on him. Munshi was also greatly influenced by Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Bhulabhai Desai, and Mohammed Ali Jinnah. After acquiring his degree in Law from the University of Bombay, he enrolled himself as an advocate in 1913, and soon became a member of the Bar. Munshi began practicing at the Bombay High Court. His fame spread as a good and successful lawyer spread and he began getting cases from all over India. About this time his first novel was being serialised in a Gujarati weekly.^[3]
During World War I, Munshi was influenced by the Home Rule Movement. In 1912-13, he took part in the activities of the Social Reform Association and championed the cause of widow remarriage. He led by example and married Lilavati Sheth, a widow, in 1926. He also founded the Children's Home for delinquent children at Chembur, Bombay in 1939.^[3]
Under Sri Aurobindo's influence, Munshi was attracted to armed rebellion against the British. He even learnt to make bombs, but when he moved to Bombay in 1915, he drifted towards the Home Rule Movement, and was later elected member of the Subjects Committee of the Indian National Congress in 1917. When Sardar Patel was organising the Bardoli Satyagraha, Munshi lent his support, and when Gandhi announced the Salt Satyagraha, he joined the movement along with his wife. He started the movement for a Parliamentary wing of the Congress, and later became Secretary of the Congress Parliamentary Board in 1938. The same year he founded the well-known Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and Institute of Agriculture at Anand, Gujarat.^[3]
Munshi was an active participant in the Indian Independence Movement ever since the advent of Mahatma Gandhi. He joined the Swaraj Party but returned to the Indian National Congress on Gandhiji's behest with the launch of the Salt Satyagraha in 1930. He was arrested several times, including during the Quit India Movement of 1942. A great admirer of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Munshi served in the Central Legislative Assembly in the 1930s.
After the independence of India, Munshi was appointed diplomatic envoy and trade agent (Agent-General) to the princely state of Hyderabad, where he served until its accession to India in 1948. Munshi was on the ad hoc Flag Committee that selected the Flag of India in August 1947, and on the committee which drafted the Constitution of India under the chairmanship of B. R. Ambedkar. He and Purushottam Das Tandon were among those who strongly opposed propagation and conversion in the constituent assembly. He was also the main driving force behind the renovation of the historically important Somnath Temple by the Government of India just after independence.
Munshi served as the Governor of Uttar Pradesh from 1952 to 1957. In 1959, Munshi separated from the Nehru-dominated (socialist) Congress Party and started the Akhand Hindustan Movement. He believed in a strong opposition, so along with Chakravarti Rajagopalachari he founded the Swatantra Party, which was right-wing in its politics, pro-business, pro-free market economy and private property rights. The party enjoyed limited success and eventually died out. Later, Munshi joined the Jan Sangh.
Being a prolific writer and a conscientious journalist, Munshi started a Gujarati monthly called Bhargava. He was joint-editor of Young India and in 1954, started the Bhavan's Journal which is published by the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan to this day. Munshi was President of the Sanskrit Viswa Parishad, the Gujarati Sahitya Parishad, and the Hindi Sahitya Sammelan.
Apart from founding Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Munshi was instrumental in the establishment of Bhavan's College, Hansraj Morarji Public School, Rajhans Vidyalaya, Rajhans Balvatika and Panchgani Hindu School (1924). He was elected Fellow of the University of Bombay, where he was responsible for giving adequate representation to regional languages. He was also instrumental in starting the department of Chemical Technology.^[3]
Besides being a politician and educator, Munshi was also an environmentalist. He initiated the Vanmahotsav in 1950, when he was Union Minister of Food and Agriculture, to increase area under forest cover. Since then Van Mahotsav a week long festival of tree plantation is organised every year in the month of July all across the country and lakhs of trees are planted.

Works

Munshi was also a litterateur with a wide range of interests. He is well known for his historical novels in Gujarati, especially his trilogy Patan-ni-Prabhuta (The Greatness of Patan), Gujarat-no-Nath (The Ruler of Gujarat) and Rajadhiraj (The Emperor). His other works include Jay Somnath (on Somnath temple), Krishnavatara (on Lord Krishna), Bhagavan Parasurama (on Parshurama), and Tapasvini (The Lure of Power) a novel with a fictional parallel drawn from the Freedom Movement of India under Mahatma Gandhi. Munshi also wrote several notable works in English.
Munshi has written mostly based on fictional historical themes namely

1. Earlier Aryan settlements in India (What he calls Gaurang's - white skinned)
2. Krishna's endeavors in Mahabharata kaal
3. More recently in 10th century India around Gujarat, Malwa and Sourthen India.

K.M. Munshi's novel Prithvi Vallabh was made into a movie of the same name twice. The adaptation directed by Manilal Joshi in 1924 was very controversial in its day: Mahatma Gandhi railed against it for excessive sex and violence. The second version was by Sohrab Modi in 1943.

List of works^[4][5]

Novels

In Gujarati & Hindi languages :-

• Mari Kamala (1912)
• Verni Vasulat (1913) (under the pen name Ghanashyam)
• Patanni Prabhuta (1916)
• Gujaratno Nath (1917)
• Rajadhiraj (1918)
• Prithvivallabh (1920)
• Svapnadishta (1924)
• Lopamudra (1930)
• Jay Somanth (1940)
• Bhagavan Parashurama (1946)
• Tapasvini (1957)
• Krishnavatara (in seven volumes) (1970)
• Kono vank
• Lomaharshini
• Bhagvan Kautilya
• Pratirodha (1900)
• Atta ke svapana (1900)
• Gaurava kā pratīka (1900)
• Gujarat ke Gaurava (1900)
• Sishu aura Sakhi (1961)

Dramas

• Brahmacharyashram (1931)
• Dr. Madhurika (1936)
• Pauranik Natako

 Personal life

After the death of his first wife Atilakshmi, he married Leelavati Sheth, a noted writer in Gujarati in 1926. All his children studied law and his elder son Jagadish Munshi and his son from his second marriage, Girish Munshi, went on to become successful lawyers

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan is an Indian educational trust. It was founded on November 7, 1938 by Dr. K. M. Munshi, with the blessings of Mahatma Gandhi.^[1] The trust's programmes, through its 117 centres in India, 7 centres abroad and 355 constituent institutions, cover "all aspects of life from the cradle to the grave and beyond -- it fills a growing vacuum in modern life", as Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru observed when they first visited the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in 1950

Organisation

The trust operates a number of primary and secondary institutes in India and abroad. As a correct number, it organizes and runs 100 private schools in India. ^[3] The schools are known as Bharatiya Vidya Mandir, Bhavan's Vidya Mandir, or Bhavan's Vidyalaya.
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan also has its own content provider for the publishing media, named Amrita Bharati. It provides "pictorial features to dailies and periodicals for their children's and women's supplements," such as Wee Wonder in the Times of India.
The Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan is a totally apolitical organisation.^{[citation needed]}

Constitution

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan's motto is "Let noble thoughts come to us from every side", a quote from the Rigveda. The constitution of the Bhavan lays down the qualities that everyone connected with the Bhavan should develop for the Bhavan's consolidation and sustained growth. They are:

• An understanding of the aims of the Bhavan and a sense of identification with them, expressed in continuous efforts to realise them in every field of activity.
• A spirit of dedication to the Bhavan which will prompt everyone to ask, not "what can I get from the Bhavan?" but "what can I do for the Bhavan?"
• A faith in the culture of our land, particularly in the Epics and in the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita.
• The habit of daily prayer, in private and in congregation and the practice of invoking the grace of God before any work is begun and to so do it that it is fit to be offered to Him.
• A passion for the Sanskrit language, to study it oneself and to popularize it among others.
• The development of a healthy mind that is neither petrified by custom nor capering at the call of every fancy, but which is rooted in the past, draws sustenance from the ennobling elements in the present and strives for a more radiant future.

Board members

The current President of the Bhavan is Surendralal G Mehta, and the Vice-Presidents are Murli Deora and B. N. Srikrishna.^[4]
Some of the honorary members on the Board (past and present) include His Holiness The Dalai Lama, Prince Charles, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, JRD Tata and Mother Teresa, among others

Vallabhbhai Patel

Sardar Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel (Hindi pronunciation:  ( listen)) (31 October 1875 – 15 December 1950) was an Indian barrister and statesman, one of the leaders of the Indian National Congress and one of the founding fathers of the Republic of India. He is known to be a social leader of India who played an unparalleled role in the country's struggle for independence and guided its integration into a united, independent nation. Therefore he is also regarded as the "Bismarck of India" and "Iron Man of India". In India and across the world, he was often addressed as Sardar, which means Chief in Hindi, Urdu, and Persian.
He was raised in the countryside of Gujarat in a family of Leva- Patidar Gurjar ^[1] Vallabhbhai Patel was employed in successful practice as a lawyer when he was first inspired by the work and philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi. Patel subsequently organised the peasants of Kheda, Borsad, and Bardoli in Gujarat in non-violent civil disobedience against oppressive policies imposed by the British Raj; in this role, he became one of the most influential leaders in Gujarat. He rose to the leadership of the Indian National Congress and was at the forefront of rebellions and political events, organising the party for elections in 1934 and 1937, and promoting the Quit India movement.
As the first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of India, Patel organised relief for refugees in Punjab and Delhi, and led efforts to restore peace across the nation. Patel took charge of the task to forge a united India from the British colonial provinces allocated to India and more than five hundred self-governing princely states, released from British suzerainty by the Indian Independence Act 1947. Using frank diplomacy, backed with the option and use of military force, Patel's leadership persuaded almost every princely state which did not have a Muslim majority to accede to India. Hailed as the Iron Man of India, he is also remembered as the "Patron Saint" of India's civil servants for establishing modern all-India services. Patel was also one of the earliest proponents of property rights and free enterprise in India

Om Tat Sat

                                                        

(Continued...)                                                                                                                              

(My humble  salutations to the great devotees ,  wikisources  and Pilgrimage tourist guide for the collection )