Bihar’s ‘Somnath’ Temple Connects to Gujarat and Mahmud of Ghazni’s Historic Invasion

Madhubani, Bihar:
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed rituals at the Somnath Temple in Gujarat on Sunday during the ‘Somnath Swabhimaan Parv’, an ancient Somnath temple in Bihar also caught public attention for its historic significance. The Bihar temple, located in Saurath village of Madhubani district, shares a historical link with the famous Gujarat temple and Mahmud of Ghazni’s invasion.

Bihar Tourism Minister Visits the Temple
Arun Shankar Prasad, Bihar’s Tourism Minister, visited the centuries-old Somnath Mahadev Temple in Saurath, accompanied by MP Ashok Yadav, former MLA Haribhushan Thakur Bachaul, and other dignitaries including Mrityunjay Jha, Chairman of the Sanskrit Education Board. During the visit, the minister offered prayers and assured government support for the temple’s preservation and development.

Historic Link to Gujarat’s Somnath
According to local folklore, the legendary Somnath Temple in Saurashtra (Gujarat) was attacked and destroyed by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1026. At that time, it is said that a priest from Bihar was serving at the Gujarat temple. Following the invasion, the priest returned to his native village in Bihar and established the Somnath Temple in Saurath, naming it in honor of the original shrine.

Interestingly, the village name ‘Saurath’ is believed to be derived from ‘Saurashtra’, symbolically connecting the two sacred sites across geography and centuries. The temple continues to be a significant religious and cultural landmark for the region.