Chandrabhaga Temple(Prabhas Shaktipeeth) -Timings, History & How to Reach

May 5, 2021

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Prabhas Shaktipeeth – Chandrabhaga Temple, Somnath, Gujarat

Known as the Chandrabhaga Shaktipeeth, this is one of the Shaktipeeths of India. Located in Prabhas Patan (Somnath) on the West Coast of Gujarat. This Shaktipeeth is not far from the famous Somnath Jyotirling Temple. The protector of the Goddess is Bhairava Vakratunda. It is believed the stomach part of Mata Sati fell at this spot.

History

Daksha Prajapati was the son of Lord Brahma and was a devotee of Lord Vishnu. He had enmity towards Lord Shiva which was actually due to a misunderstanding on his part. His daughter Sati was married to Lord Shiva. Daksha Prajapati organized a Yagya with the aim of insulting Lord Shiva. Sati attended the Yagya without being invited and was shocked when Lord Shiva was insulted. She ended Her life by entering the Yagya fire. When Lord Shiva heard, he was uncontrollably enraged and also grieved. He took to the skies with Sati’s body in His arms. The situation was such that it would cause great harm to the world. To stop that from happening, Lord Vishnu sent His Sudarshan Chakra and cut Sati’s body into 51 parts. These parts fell all over the Indian subcontinent. The places where they fell became the 51 Shaktipeeths.

Unique Shaktipeeth without a Temple

This is a unique Shaktipeeth – there is no temple dedicated to the Goddess in particular. The confluence of the three rivers – Hiran, Kapila, and Saraswati (Triveni) is the actual Shaktipeeth. There used to be a temple dedicated to Chandrabhaga Devi in the ancient days. Most of the history of this pilgrimage is not known. There are several other small shrines around, dedicated to Lord Shiva, Ganesh Ji, Guru Dattatreya, and other deities.

Origin of the Name – Chandrabhaga

Somnath is the place where Chandra Dev prayed to Lord Shiva to get relief from a curse given by Daksha Prajapati. The curse caused Chandra Dev to lose His luster and Shine. After long years of prayer, Lord Shiva was pleased and blessed Chandra Dev. In gratitude, Chandra Dev built the first Jyotirling temple and it was called Somnath Jyotirling. Chandrabhaga means a part of the moon.

Temple Festivals

Navratri is the main festival here. Shivratri is celebrated with special pujas and ceremonies. Nag Panchami is celebrated in the month of Shravan. A Mela is held on Kartik Purnima.