Gujarat Jyotirlinga Yatra: Somnath and Nageshwar Darshan by the Sea

You want to see the Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. Two of the twelve stand here in Gujarat, close to the Arabian Sea. In one short trip you add Somnath and Nageshwar to your count. You also get a Dwarkadhish darshan, which sits right between them.

The two Gujarat Jyotirlingas

Somnath is the first of the twelve Jyotirlingas. The Shree Somnath Trust calls it the Aadi Jyotirlinga, the first among the twelve. It stands at Prabhas Patan, a short drive from Veraval, in Gir Somnath district, facing the open Arabian Sea. Nageshwar is the second Gujarat shrine. It stands near Dwarka, about 16 km from Dwarka railway station, in the old Darukavana forest.

Part of your 12-Jyotirlinga Sankalp

Many Shiv Bhakts take a quiet vow to see all twelve Jyotirlingas in their lifetime. That is the Sankalp. WayToIndia runs the yatra as a Sankalp you complete leg by leg. You enrol once with a simple free vow. Then you finish the twelve a few at a time over about two years, by joining short group departures. This Gujarat leg adds two of the twelve, plus a Dwarka darshan. You travel with fellow Shiv Bhakts, and the group grows leg by leg. To enrol or to confirm the current rate, use the official WayToIndia portal at waytoindia.com.

Somnath by the Arabian Sea

Somnath stands on the shore of the Arabian Sea. Tradition says the moon god Soma bathed here to remove a curse, and prayed to Lord Shiva. The site is also honoured as a Triveni Sangam, where the Kapila, Hiran, and Saraswati rivers are said to meet the sea. The temple you see today is new, but the site is very old. After independence, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel ordered the rebuilding. President Dr. Rajendra Prasad performed the consecration on 11 May 1951.

Somnath darshan, aarti, and the evening light show

The Shree Somnath Trust lists darshan from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM. There are three aarti times each day, at 7:00 AM, 12:00 noon, and 7:00 PM. The evening aarti by the sea is a calm sight. After dark, the trust runs a light and sound show from 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM, but not in the monsoon.

What is not allowed inside Somnath

Somnath does not allow any electronic item inside. This covers your mobile, camera, smartwatch, laptop, and tablet. Photography inside is not allowed at all. There is a free cloak room where you leave these items and your footwear. Dress simply, and smoking is banned across the grounds.

Nageshwar near Dwarka

Nageshwar sits near Dwarka, about 16 km from the Dwarka railway station. The old texts call this forest Darukavana. The Shiva Purana counts this as the tenth of the twelve Jyotirlingas. At the temple you will see a tall seated statue of Lord Shiva, about 25 metres high. The darshan is easy, with flat access and little climbing.

Dwarka and the Dwarkadhish temple

Dwarka sits right between Somnath and Nageshwar. Remember one thing clearly. The Dwarkadhish temple is a temple of Lord Krishna, not a Jyotirlinga. It is one of the Char Dham. The temple opens in the morning from 6:30 to 13:00, and again in the evening from 17:00 to 21:30. From Okha, near Dwarka, the Sudarshan Setu now runs to Bet Dwarka island. It opened on 25 February 2024 and is about 2,320 metres long, the longest cable-stayed bridge in India.

How to reach and the road between the shrines

For Somnath, the nearest railway is Somnath Terminus, about 2.5 km from the temple. The nearest airports are Keshod, about 57 km, and Diu, about 85 km. For Nageshwar and Dwarka, the nearest airport is Jamnagar. From Somnath to Dwarka, the coastal road runs about 230 to 255 km, roughly 4 to 5 hours by NH-51 through Porbandar. Nageshwar sits about 16 km beyond Dwarka town.

Best season and honest weather

The best months are October to March. April to June is hot on this coast. July to September brings the monsoon, and the Somnath light and sound show does not run in the rains. Maha Shivaratri and the month of Shravan bring big crowds.

For elders and the NRI and OCI way

This is an easy sector for elders. At Somnath, the trust keeps wheelchairs and a golf cart at the main gate, and a lift inside. Nageshwar and Dwarkadhish have flat access. No special foreign quota is needed at these temples. You carry your passport and OCI card as photo identity. Two of the twelve Jyotirlingas in one short trip is a strong start to your family Sankalp.