Somnath - સોમનાથ

"Somnath" means "lord of moon". Demigod Soma was too much inclined towards his wife Rohini. Since the other Soma's wives were Daksa's daughters, Daksa cursed Soma to loose his light. Waning Soma had to atone for the curse by taking bath in this place and therefore this place is known as "Prabhas" or "the place where moon regained light". He also built a temple for Lord Siva in place. The land of "Surashtra" or Ancient Kathiawar was, according to a proverbial sloka, "well known for its five jewels: rivers, damsels, horses, the god Krishna at the city of Dwarka and the god Somnath at the city of Prabhas."

Somnath, one of these five jewels, is a form of Shiva, the Indian phallus, and is enumerated first among the "Twelve Self- created Jyotirlingas" (or "the Brilliant Phallii") of Hinduism. The great historic shrine dedicated to Somnath is situated on the sacred confluence of the rivers Saraswati, Hiranya and Kapila, on the south- western coast of Kathiawar. This part of the country was known as "Prabhas Kshetra" or "The Land of Exceeding Brilliancy." It was. Probably, the wealthiest and the most pompously adorned shrine ever built in India. The stories of its immense wealth spread beyond the frontiers of India and fired the greed of Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni. Sheikh Saadi, the great poet of Iran, was so attracted by its great fame that he made a special sojourn to visit this glorious temple from far off Shiraz.