Prabhas Patan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Prabhas Patan Dev Patan
Neighborhood
Prabhas Patan Location in Gujarat Show map of Gujarat Prabhas Patan Location in India Show map of India
Country	India
State	Gujarat
District	Gir Somnath
City	Veraval
Elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Languages
• Official	Gujarati
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
Vehicle registration	GJ-32

Prabhas Patan, also known as Dev Patan, is a town in Veraval, Gujarat, India. It is a very important place for Hindus. This is because the famous Somnath temple is here. The temple has a special Jyotirlinga, which is a symbol of the god Shiva.

Exploring Prabhas Patan

Prabhas Patan has many interesting places to visit. You can learn about history and see beautiful temples.

Historical Gates and Museums

Junagadh Gate

The Junagadh Gate is the main entrance to Somnath. It helps people get into the temple town from the city of Veraval. This gate is very old and has three parts. It is decorated with amazing carvings.

The Junagadh Gate has seen many historical events. It was once breached by Mahmud of Ghazni. He entered the city through this gate a long time ago.

Archaeological Museum

The Archaeological Museum (also called Prabas Patan Museum) is a great place to visit. It is open from 8:30 AM to 12:15 PM and from 2:30 PM to 6:00 PM. Here, you can see old items found from the original Somnath Temple.

The museum shows parts of the ancient temple. It was rebuilt by a king named Shri Mularaja Deva Solanki. You can see old stone sculptures, writings, and pottery from different times. Many people find the museum even more interesting than the modern temple.

Temples and Holy Sites

The Somnath Temple at Prabhas Patan

Daityasudan Temple

The Daityasudan or Daityusudan temple is a very old temple. It has a statue of Vishnu from the 7th century AD. It is located near the Somnath Mahadev temple. Next to it, you can find the Chandraprabh Swami Jain temple.

Mahakali Temple

The Mahakali temple is also close to the Somnath Mahadev temple. Queen Ahalyabai Holkar of Indore built it in 1783 AD. Other small temples here include Shri Kapardi Vinayak and Shri Hanuman Temple. There is also Vallabhghat, which is a lovely spot to watch the sunset.

Balaji Temple

The Balaji Temple is built in the Dravidian style. It is located near the main road that leads to the Somnath Mandir.

Brahma Kund and Saraswati Devi Temple

The Brahma Kund and Saraswati Devi temple are located near Somnath beach.

Rudralay Mahadev Temple

The Rudralay Mahadev or Rudresvara Temple was built in the 11th or 13th century AD. It is on the left side of the road leading to Triveni Ghat.

Parshuram Temple

The Parshuram or Parshuram Temple is popular with visitors. It is on the right side of the road to Triveni Sangam. Lord Parshuram is believed to be the sixth form of Lord Vishnu. He is one of the seven immortal beings in Hindu stories.

People believe that Lord Parshuram did a lot of meditation here to please Lord Somnath. He wanted to remove a sin he had committed. This temple is one of the few dedicated to Lord Parshuram. It has two old bathing ponds. The temple has three parts: a hall, a central area, and a main shrine. Inside the main shrine, you can see the idol of Lord Parshuram. There are also smaller shrines for Lord Hanuman, Lord Ganesha, and Goddess Renuka.

Kali Mandir

The Kali Mandir is located at the western end of Triveni Ghat. It is behind the Parshuramji Mandir, on the Triveni check-dam road.

Kamnath Mahadev Temple and Sharda Peet

The Kamnath Mahadev Temple and Sharda peet were built about 200 years ago. It is a famous temple in Somnath, across from Triveni Sangam. This temple complex has a holy pond called Dudhiyu Talav. It also has a well called Gangvo Kuvo and a bathing pool called Mahadev no Kund.

People believe that a king named Mayurdhwaj got better from leprosy after bathing here. Many visitors still bathe in this water for its healing powers. There is a saying that if you don't bathe here, you are like a living dead person. The main Kamnath temple is in the center, surrounded by smaller buildings. It is believed that Lord Shiva once turned Kama to ashes here, which is how the temple got its name. Inside, there is a long, narrow cave where Adi Shankaracharya meditated for many years. You can see a display of all twelve Jyotirlingas of Shiva at the cave's entrance.

Suraj Mandir

The Suraj Mandir, also known as the Sun Temple, is an ancient temple in Somnath. It is located north of the Triveni Ghat. The temple has amazing architecture with carvings of elephants, lions, and other animals. There is also a step well inside the temple area. This temple was also attacked many times in the past.

Panch Pandava Gufa

The Panch Pandava Gufa (also called Hinglaj Mata Gufa) is a cave temple. It is near Lalghati in Somnath, close to Suraj Mandir. This temple was made bigger in 1949 by Baba Narayandas. People believe that the Pandava brothers meditated in these caves during their exile. They wanted to please Lord Shiva. They also worshipped Hinglaj Mataji here.

The old temple might have been built around the 15th century. It is on a small hill, offering great views of Somnath town and the sea. This temple is dedicated to the five Pandava brothers. Narrow steps lead to the cave and temple. Besides the idols of the Pandavas, you can also see idols of Lord Shiva, Goddess Durga, Lord Rama, Devi Sita, Laxman, and Hanuman. The Panch Pandava Gufa temple also has a Sanskrit college inside.

Gita Mandir

The Gita Mandir, also known as Birla Mandir, is a Krishna temple. The Birla family built it in 1970. It is located where three holy rivers meet, called Triveni Tirtha. Stories say that Lord Krishna rested here after being shot by a hunter at Bhalka Teerth. He then went to his permanent home at Dehotsarg.

Lord Krishna is said to have walked about 4 km from Bhalka Teerth to this spot. The Gita Mandir is beautifully built with polished marble stone. It has an idol of Lord Krishna. On either side, there are statues of Lord Laxminarayan and Lord SitaRam. Lord Krishna's footprint is carved here to remember his journey. The most special part of the Gita Mandir is its eighteen marble pillars. Each pillar has one of the 18 chapters of the holy book Shrimad Bhagwat Geeta carved on it. The temple's inside is decorated with paintings showing different parts of Lord Krishna's life. The temple is built so that any sound made inside echoes. This makes the prayers and songs sound very spiritual.

Lakshminarayan Temple

The Lakshminarayan Temple is next to the Gita Mandir, along the Hiren river. It is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and Goddess Laxmi. This temple is near the beautiful beach. It is known for its divine idol of Bhagwan Laxminarayan.

This temple is thought to be like the Laxminarayan Temple in Badrinath. It is built in a modern Indian style. The large structure is made of shiny marble and has lovely carvings. These carvings show stories from Hindu Puranas. Besides Lord Laxminarayan, the temple also has idols of many other Hindu Gods and Goddesses.

Kashi Vishwanath Mahadev Temple

The Kashi Vishwanath Mahadev temple is small but very old. It is located close to the Lakshminarayan temple.

Shree Mahaprabhuji Bethakji

The Shree Mahaprabhuji Bethakji is near Gita Mandir. At Dehotsarg Tirth, Shri Vallabhacharya gave talks about Shrimad Bhagvat Gita for seven days. This place is the 65th of his 84 special places called bethakjis.

Bhimnath Mahadev

The Bhimnath Mahadev is another small, old temple. It is located a little north of Gita Mandir. This temple was damaged by Muslim rulers in the past.

Jain Temple

A Jain temple is located a little north of the old Bhimnath temple.

Dholeshwar Mahadev Mandir

The Dholeshwar Mahadev Mandir is an ancient temple. It is located further north of the Jain temple complex, along the river.

Shree Veneshwar Mahadev Temple

The Shree Veneshwar Mahadev temple is dedicated to Lord Shiv. It is in the center of town, across from the Somnath Trust Dharamshala Gate. You can also reach it from Dholeshvar mandir by a narrow path.

Long ago, when Mahmud of Ghazni attacked Somnath in 1025 AD, the local king fought bravely. Mahmud of Ghazni learned that the king's daughter, Veni, visited this Shiva Temple every day. He planned to kidnap Veni to make the king surrender. When his soldiers tried, the Shiva lingam (a symbol of Shiva) suddenly split open. Princess Veni was buried inside it. Since then, the Shiva temple is known as "Veneshwar temple." You can still see the marks of Veni and where the Shiva Lingam split. This amazing story is told in a novel by the writer K M Munshi.

Gaurikund or BanGanaga

According to old texts, Gaurikund is named after the holy Shree Parvati Mata. She meditated here. Once, Lord Shiva told Parvati Maa that she looked dark. Feeling a little sad, Parvati decided to meditate in Prabhas. After a long time, Lord Shiva was pleased. He told her that she was now "Gauri" (meaning the white one). She was also given a blessing that the place would be known as "Gaurishwar." And anyone who worships here would have their wishes come true.

Rivers and Holy Spots

Triveni Sangam and Dehotsarg

The Triveni Sangam Snanghat in Somnath is a very holy place. It is where three sacred rivers – Saraswati, Kapil, and Hiran – meet and flow into the Arabian Sea. Hindus believe taking a dip here cleanses sins and helps achieve Moksha (freedom from the cycle of rebirth).

The three rivers represent the three stages of life: birth, life, and death. This place is also important for offering prayers to ancestors. In Hindu stories, it is believed that Lord Krishna walked to this spot after being hit by an arrow. This happened at Bhalka Tirth. This is a very peaceful and special place in Somnath. Many famous temples are located along the banks of Triveni Ghat.

Dehotsarg is the place where Lord Krishna left his body. He was resting under a pipal tree when a hunter named Jara accidentally shot him in the foot. Lord Krishna then walked a long way and passed away in a small cave near the Hiranya river. His body was taken to Triveni Sangam and cremated there. The word 'Dehotsarg' means 'leaving the body'. This is why it is also called Golak Dham Teerth. The women of the Ahir community in this area still wear black to show their sadness for his death. Dehotsarg is about 1.5 km from Somnath Temple. You can see Lord Krishna's footprint carved in marble here, called "Golok Dham." It is a very calm and beautiful place with the tranquil Hiran river and trees.

Baldev Gufa

Balramji ki Gufa (also called Baldev Gufa or Dauji - ni - Gufa) is a cave. Balarama, Lord Sri Krishna's elder brother, was with him on his last journey. After seeing Lord Sri Krishna leave his body, Balarama also left his human form. He went to his home from a nearby place in his original serpent form. This place is marked by an ancient holy cave. You can see a mark of Aadisesha (the serpent form) on the cave wall, showing where he left. This cave is next to the place where Sri Krishna left his body.

Other Interesting Places

Somnath Beach

Somnath Beach is near the Somnath Mahadev temple. Swimming is not advised here for safety reasons. You can find snacks and even ride a camel on the beach.

Harihar Van

Harihar Van is a nice garden along Triveni Sangam.

Cremation Yard

The Cremation yard or Smashan Ghat is next to the Parsuramji temple.

Buddhist Caves

The Buddhist caves of Prabhas Patan are very old. They are located northwest of Dholeshwar, close to the highway.

Mai Puri Masjid

The Mai Puri Masjid (Hazrat Maai Puri Masjid) is about one kilometer from the Junagadh Gate. This gate is the main entrance to Somnath from Veraval. This building was originally a Hindu temple dedicated to the Sun God. It was changed into a mosque during the time of Mohamed of Ghazni. The Mai Puri Masjid is an impressive building with blue and white tiles. Around it, there are several tombs, showing that this area belonged to the Muslim community.

Pir Haji Mangroli Shah

The Tomb of Haji Mangroli Shah is a respected place for Muslims. It is close to Hazrat Maai Puri Masjid. His real name was Khwaja Abul Hasan Baghdadi urf Haji Piya. He was a great saint from Baghdad who came to India a long time ago.

Khwaja Miya Gulam Mohammad Masjid

The Khwaja Miya Gulam Mohammad Masjid is another holy place for Muslims in Somnath. It is located near the Daityasudan temple.

Somnath Railway Station

Somnath railway station is also a tourist attraction. It has a unique design that looks like a temple.