Somnath, as the name implies, was constructed to worship and revere Lord Shiva, whose avatars, or the 12 forms of Jyotirlinga, appeared at 12 places in India according to the mythological tales. Therefore, the people here live with the tales of Hinduism in their lifestyle and ideals and earn their money from similar tourism and pilgrimage ventures that occur all around the year. Amid the religious milieu of the place, the Gujarati cuisine with all its vegetarian delicacies reigns throughout, and its range attracts tourists further.
The intriguing attribute of the place is the Shivalingam, the rest eleven of which are spread across India. The lingam represents the beginningless and the stambha, the endless pillar, both signifying the infinite nature of Lord Shiva. The present temple's construction is in the Chaulukya or the Kailash Mahameru Prasad Style, which represents the architectural skills of the Sompura Salats, one of the greatest masons of Gujarat. The shikhara, or the main spire of the temple, is about 15 m high and has an 8.2-meter tall flag pole at the top. Apart from the temple, there is also the Somnath beach, which though crowded at times, lures tourists in with its soothing waves and holy atmosphere, much like Puri in Odissa. The Paanch Pandav Guha is also an interesting site to visit. It is a cave-like temple dedicated to the Pandav brothers in the Indian epic Mahabharata by Baba Narayandas in 1949. Another one of the well-known tourist spots, or rather a pilgrim area, is the Bhalka Tirtha. It is said to be where an arrow shot Lord Krishna on the feet by a hunter, and he decided to leave his body behind so his soul travels to eternity.
