Somnath Temple Image Credit source: PTI
Story of Somnath Jyotirlinga: Exactly 75 years ago, on 11 May 1951, Somnath Temple, one of the oldest temples in the country, was rebuilt. This historical occasion is now being celebrated as Somnath Amrit Parv. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also participate in this special event, where the Kumbhabhishek of the 90 meter high temple peak will be done with the water of 11 holy shrines. Located on the banks of the Arabian Sea in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat. Somnath Temple It is considered to be the first and oldest Jyotirlinga among the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. Let us know how Somnath Jyotirlinga was established and what is the mythological secret hidden behind it.
Why is Somnath Jyotirlinga special?
In Hindu religion, Jyotirlinga is considered a symbol of the divine and infinite energy of Lord Shiva. A total of 12 Jyotirlingas are established across the country, but Somnath has the first place among them. Located in Prabhas Patan near Veraval, Gujarat, this temple has remained the center of faith of devotees for centuries. The word Somnath means Lord of Som, i.e. Lord of the Moon.
It is believed that this Jyotirlinga was established by Chandradev himself. Somnath Jyotirlinga has also been mentioned in many ancient texts including Shiv Purana and Skanda Purana. According to religious belief, just by seeing Somnath Jyotirling, the sins of the devotees are destroyed and they attain salvation. Here along with Lord Shiva one also gets the blessings of Mother Parvati.
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Story of Chandradev and Daksh Prajapati
The most famous story related to the establishment of Somnath Jyotirlinga is related to Chandradev and Daksh Prajapati. According to mythological beliefs, Chandradev was married to 27 daughters of Daksh Prajapati. These 27 daughters are considered to be the symbols of 27 constellations. However, Chandrama loved Rohini the most among all his wives. He spent most of his time with Rohini. Due to this the remaining 26 wives started feeling sad.
Finally he complained about this to his father Daksh Prajapati. When Daksh Prajapati came to know about this, he tried to convince Chandradev that he should treat all the wives equally. But Chandradev did not take his words seriously. Angered by this, Daksh Prajapati cursed the moon that his glory would gradually fade away.
Chandradev started becoming weak due to curse
The effect of Daksh’s curse soon became visible. The brightness of Chandradev started diminishing and his brightness kept decreasing. Gradually he became very weak and dejected. The gods and sages also expressed concern after seeing this situation. Then Brahmadev advised Moon to worship Lord Shiva. After getting the permission of Brahma, Chandradev reached Prabhas coast situated in Saurashtra region of Gujarat and started rigorous penance by establishing Shivalinga there. It is said that Chandrama did very rigorous penance for many years and pleased Lord Shiva by chanting the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra.
Lord Shiva gave boon
Lord Shiva was pleased with Chandradev’s hard penance and appeared before him. Moon prayed to Lord Shiva to liberate him from the curse of Daksh Prajapati. Then Lord Shiva blessed him and said that he would not be completely free from the curse, but his brightness would increase for 15 days every month and he would become a full moon on the full moon day. After this, their intensity will gradually decrease again in the next 15 days. For this reason, even today the moon is seen increasing in Shukla Paksha and decreasing in Krishna Paksha. Lord Shiva gave new life to Chandradev, hence he is called Somnath.
How was Somnath Jyotirlinga established?
According to the legend, when Chandradev was freed from the curse, he prayed to Lord Shiva to reside forever in the same Shivalinga which he had established in Prabhas area. Lord Shiva accepted his prayer and got established in that Shivalinga in the form of light. Since then this place became famous by the name of Somnath Jyotirlinga. It is believed that this is the first Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva.
Also read: Somnath Shivling Mystery: 2 percent iron, 80 percent barium. Then how did Somnath’s Shivling float in the air, mystery unveiled?
Disclaimer: The information given in this news is based on religious beliefs and general information. TV9 Bharatvarsha does not confirm this.
