Somnath & Veraval Beach - Gujarat - સોમનાથ વેરાવળ બેંચ

Co-ordinates 20.858812, 70.070801 State Gujarat Nearby Stations Junagadh Nearby Places Wikipedia Link Other Langauge Names Hindi: सोमनाथ वेरावल बीच गुजरात Gujarati: સોમનાથ વેરાવળ બેંચ

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Somnath Beach,75 km from Junagarh. The Somnath temple is beautiful and quiet impressive.The aura of devotion is more awesome, but the high point is it's location by the blue waters of the Arabian sea. The beach of Somnath is unshaded but lovely, the views stupendous, and one can enjoy cool, fresh coconuts, camel rides, and spray of the waves as one wade along the shoreline.

The most spectacular sight of Veraval is the fishing port, where thousands of trawlers, country crafts and dhows can be seen unloading their catch. Dhows are built in this region by master artisans who use simple tools to turn piles of rafters and timber into perfectly proportioned, symmetrical sea going vessels (the most modern instrument used is a measuring tape). The beach of Somnath is unshaded but lovely, the views stupendous, and one can enjoy cool, fresh coconuts, camel rides, and spray of the waves as one wade along the shore.

Just 6 km from Somnath, Veraval was a fortified port town of the royal family of Junagadh. The old walls have been pulled down but the impressive Junagadh gate and Patan gate, both with intricate carvings, can still be seen, as can the old Nawabi palace with Gothic features facing the sea. The beach near the palace, has benches and a jogging path, and is a popular place for strolls and swimming in the morning.

Facing the wide open Arabian Sea, the temple at Somnath is an imposing structure offering a spectacular sight to the beholders. At a distance of 79 km from Junagadh and 25 km from Chorwad is the temple of Somnath, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. The legend says, Somnath was built by none other than the Moon God himself at the time of creation. The remains of the temple "braved the shocks of time and survived the attacks of destroyers."

July To March.

Somnath & Veraval Beach is located 75 km from Junagath, Gujrat.

How to Reach

Rail - The place is accessible by rail from Junagadh.
Road - City bus transport is available as are various city sightseeing buses.
Accomodation can be availed at Hotel Park. Other hotels are near the bus or rly station and offer simple a/c or non a/c rooms. If one wants to be near the sea, there are some cheap hotels, guest houses and dharamshalas at Somnath.

Junagadh - 75 km.
Porbandar - 129 km.

Somnath Temple

Somnath is one of the 12 jyotirlingas of lord Shiva. Today, Somnath offers a holy pilgrimage, a beach holiday and a number of places of historic, religious or scenic significance.

Prabhas Patan

Walk down to the Prabhas Patan museum to see the remains of the 11th century version of Somnath temple with 5 domes and multiple pillars, fine 11th century sculpture of lord Agni, lord Shiva, lord Vishnu, Apsaras and Goddesses.Veraval Beach.

Bakhla Tirth

A short distance from the Somnath temple is Bakhla Tirth, where Lord Krishna was hit by an arrow of a Bhil tribal by an accident.

Triveni Tirth

A river is holy in Hinduism, and the meeting place of 3 rivers-Hiran, Kapil and mythical Saraswati-with the Arabian sea, is triply important. The Triveni tirth is an revered place of pilgrimage, specially to immerse ashes and pray for the departed souls. At the Triveni ghat is the chattri of lord Krishna, and important temples, including one dedicated to lord Laxminarayan.

Veraval Fort

6 km from Somnath, Veraval was a fortified port town of the royal family of Junagadh. The old walls have been pulled down but the impressive Junagadh gate and Patan gate, both with aesthetic carvings, can still be seen standing, as can the old Nawabi palace with Gothic features facing the sea. Book a tour to Somnath & Veraval Beach.

Sasan

The most famous excursion from here is ofcourse Sasan, the headqaurters of the 1412 sq km Gir national park & wildlife sanctuary, one of the most important wildlife preserves in India. The Asiatic lion does not survive elsewhere in the world. You can see panther, the handsome spotted deer, the magnificent sambhar and a wealth of birdlife. The Kamleshwar dam nearby has a number of crocodiles and birds.

Surya Mandir

The Sun temple of Prabhas Patan, probably dates from the time of the Solanki Rajput dynasty in Gujarat. Like the Sun temples of Modhera, Ghumli and Kera, it has a sabha mandap, sanctum sanctoruim and intricate carvings. Next to the temple is the Pandav Gufa, a cave associated with the 5 Pandawas, with mosaics of lord Ganesh and other religious art forms.