SOMNATH TEMPLE | TOURISM PLACES TO VISIT & TRAVEL GUIDE TO SOMNATH
Pilgrimage
About Somnath
#1 of 17 Places to visit in Gujarat | #15 of 100 Places to visit in India
Ideal Trip Duration: 1-2 Days
Nearest City to Somnath: Rajkot (197 Kms), Ahmedabad (408 Kms)
Best Time to Visit Somnath: October to March
Peak Season: November to February
At a distance of 6 km from Veraval, 83 km from Diu, 94 km from Junagadh, 131 km from Porbandar, 197 km from Rajkot, 221 km from Jamnagar, 233 km from Dwarka, 408 km from Ahmedabad, 428 km from Bhuj, 447 km from Vadodara, 601 km from Mount Abu, 636 km from Surat, 669 km from Udaipur, 787 km from Indore and 912 km from Mumbai, Somnath is a temple town situated in the Gir Somnath district of Gujarat. Also known as Prabhas Patan, it is one of the most important places of pilgrimage in India, and among the must include places in Gujarat tour packages.
The town of Somnath is famous for the Somnath Temple, considered to be one of the most revered and holy shrines in India. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the temple is one among the twelve prominent Jyotirlinga shrines and also one of the oldest places of pilgrimage in Gujarat. The meaning of the word 'Somnath' is the 'Lord of the Moon God', which refers to Lord Shiva as He is known to wear the Moon on his head. Also, Somnath is believed to be the place where Lord Krishna ended his Lila and thereafter for heavenly abode.
Among the best places to visit near Rajkot, the temple town of Somnath is a place where one can rejuvenate spiritually and also relax on the serene seaside. Its spiritual environment is ornamented by the huge number of temples in the area. Besides Somnath Temple, Somnath is also popular for its beaches, museums, and other attractions that one can visit as part of Somnath tour packages. Somnath Beach, Gita Mandir, Bhalka Tirtha, Rudreshwara Temple, Triveni Sangam Temple, Suraj Mandir, Parshuram Temple, Kamnath Mahadev Temple, Junagadh Gate, Somnath Museum, Panch Pandav Gufa are some other places to visit in Somnath.
Diu Airport is the nearest airport which is about 80 km from Somnath and is well connected by flights with Mumbai. Somnath Railway Station has regular trains from Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Jabalpur, Okha, and Porbandar. Veraval Junction Railway station is the nearest major railhead, which has trains from Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Indore, and Trivandrum. Somnath Bus Stand is directly connected by bus with cities like Rajkot, Ahmedabad, Diu, Jamnagar, Porbandar, Bhavnagar, Gandhidham, Bhuj, Vadodara, Junagadh, Udaipur, and Surat.
There are many accommodation options in Somnath from temple guest houses to dharmashalas and from budget hotels to luxury hotels. However, Somnath does not have many restaurants or lavish fine dining experiences to offer. There are a few popular eating places around the temple, as well as some local joints and Dhabas.
Somnath Mahadev Fair which is held on Kartik Purnima and Maha Shivaratri are the two major festivals celebrated in Somnath with great pomp and fervor. The temple town witnesses a huge number of tourists from various parts of the country during these festivals.
Being a coastal town, Somnath experiences a humid climate throughout the year. The best time to visit Somnath is from October to March while the peak season is from November to February.
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