It is said that with the blessings of Lord Somnath, Chandra Dev got freedom from the curse of his father-in-law, Daksha Prajapati. In the Shiva Purana, Lord Shiva has said, "I am always present everywhere, but especially in 12 forms and places, because Somnath is the first among these 12 Jyotirlingas. The shore of the Somnath temple is believed to have been built in four stages. Somnath temple was built by Lord Soma (Moon) in gold, Ravi (Sun) in silver, Lord Krishna in sandalwood and King Bhimdev in stone.

The temple has faced humiliation six times by the invaders. The seventh extant temple was built in Kailas Mahameru Prasad style. Sardar Shri Vallabhbhai Patel was the founder of the existing temple.

The Kalash at the top of the 150 feet high shikhara weighs 10 tonnes and the Dhwajastambh is 27 feet tall and the circumference is 1 foot. Unobstructed Sea Route, the tirthambh (arrow) indicates an unobstructed sea route to the South Pole. It is a wonderful indicator of the ancient Indian knowledge of geography and the strategic location of the Jyotirlinga.

Service and Worship:
 

• Somnath temple is open for darshan from 6 am to 9 pm, aarti is performed thrice a day; the First mangla aarti at 7 am, second-noon aarti at 12 noon, and third sandhya aarti at 7 pm.
• Somnath Mahadev Mela: Celebrated in November to mark the birth of Kartikeya, the son of Lord Shiva. Also known as Kartik Purnima Mela, the fair includes stage shows, folk dances, and instrumental music at the Somnath temple.
• Maha Shivratri: Celebrated every year in February-March. Thousands of Hindu devotees make a pilgrimage here at this time.

Best time to visit: October-March.

Interesting fact:

The modern temple was rebuilt with the resolve of Sardar Patel, who visited the ruins of the Somnath temple on November 13, 1947. The President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad had performed prana-pratishtha in the existing temple on May 11, 1951.

Nearby Places:

• Har Har Tirthallar- This is the place where Shri Krishna was killed by a hunter's arrow and is known as Bhaluka Tirtha
• Gita Mandir- Divine message of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita carved on 18 marble pillars
• Shri Laxmi Narayan Temple Gir Somnath - The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu.
• Parashurama Temple - is the place where Parashurama did penance for his sin of killing the Kshatriyas.
• Baneshwar Mahadev Temple- Pandavas are believed to have visited this place and took holy bath in Jalprabha and constructed five Shiva temples.
• Triveni Ghat, Math of Adi Guru Shankaracharya