somnath,first jyothirlinga!

Traditionaly, Dwadash Jyotirlinga pilgrimage begins with the Somnath temple. The present Somnath temple is an elegant reflection of the past glory of Somnath. Built in Kailsah Mahameruprasad style, it was constructed under the guidance of Prabhashankar Sompura. The temple has Garbhagriha, Sabhamandap and Nrityamandap with a 150 feet high Shikhar. The Kalash at the top of the Shikhar weighs 10 tons and the Dhwajdand is 27 feet tall and a foot in circumference.

The temple has large central hall with entrances on three sides, each protected by a lofty porch. The temple carvings and sculptures speak about the great artistic endeavor of the craftsmen who built it. The main gate faces east, and the sense of space and light is glorious.

The sanctum of the temple is spacious. The shivalinga is huge, and one can see the priests performing different pujas. The doors are silver framed with golden ceilings. The entrance is from Shri Digvijay Dwar, and there is a small temple of Ganesh and Hanuman after the entrance, followed by Nandi. Then comes the garbhagriha, where one can have darshan of the jyotirlinga. A Tripurasundari idol on the right side of the sanctum and Ambika Mataji idol on the left side are offered prayers after the jyotirlinga.