The Somnath #Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva as ‘Lord of the Moon’, has been one of the most sacred shrines in #India for over 1,500 years. Due to its fame as a centre of wealth, it was attacked and plundered by Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni in 1026 CE. #Hindu #religion
A few years after this infamous sack, the temple was restored and continued to serve as an important pilgrimage centre. But over the centuries, the temple was attacked and plundered repeatedly.
The last destruction of the Somnath Temple took place in 1665 CE, when it was partially demolished and converted into a mosque, on the orders of #Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. For almost three centuries, the shrine lay abandoned, appearing occasionally in old #British photos and paintings.
Following India’s independence in 1947, the Nawab of Junagadh, who ruled the region where Somnath is located, fled to #Pakistan with his jewels and dogs. Sardar Patel visited the Somnath Temple, and proposed to restore it to its former glory.
#MahatmaGandhi suggested that the temple be restored, not with government funds, but through donations from ordinary Indians. With the funds collected, the ruins of the old temple were pulled down and construction began in October 1950.
Noted temple builder Prabhashankar Oghadji Sompura (1896–1979), whose family had been constructing temples in Gujarat for centuries, was the architect of the new temple. The temple followed the Chalukyan style of #architecture and took elements from the old temple ruins.
It was noted #Congress leader K M Munshi, who took a lead in the reconstruction of the temple, despite vehement opposition from #JawaharlalNehru, who dubbed it ‘Hindu Revivalism’. The new temple was completed in 1951.
On 11th May 1951, Dr Rajendra Prasad, the then President of India, inaugurated the new temple. It marked a new epoch in the history of Indian temples.
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