01/09/2026
🕉️ THE STORY OF SOMNATH, KANHADADEVA & THE SACRED JYOTIRLINGAM 🔱
Over 60,000 prominent temples and places of worship in India—including Mandirs, Gurudwaras, monasteries and others—are claimed to have been demolished during the various phases of the Islamic invasions of the Indian subcontinent.
Among them, the Somnath Temple is traditionally said to have been attacked, looted and damaged numerous times. It was first famously attacked by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1026 CE and was later targeted during the rule of Alauddin Khalji, followed by attacks during the Mughal period, including under Aurangzeb. Yet, time and again, the sacred shrine was restored and rebuilt by Indian rulers and devotees.
🔱 THE SOMNATH JYOTIRLINGAM
After the destruction of Somnath, Alauddin Khalji's army, under his generals Ulugh Khan and Nusrat Khan, is said to have carried away the broken remains of the sacred Jyotirlingam towards Delhi.
The Somnath Jyotirlingam is one of the twelve most revered Jyotirlinga shrines of Lord Shiva in India.
Tradition speaks of 64 Jyotirlingas, of which twelve are regarded as especially sacred. At each of these twelve sites, the principal form is a lingam, representing the beginningless and endless Stambha (pillar)—symbolising the infinite and eternal nature of Shiva. 🕉️
🔱 THE TWELVE JYOTIRLINGAS
Somnath — Gir Somnath, Gujarat
Mallikarjuna — Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh
Mahakaleshwar — Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh
Omkareshwar — Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh
Kedarnath — Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand
Bhimashankar — Maharashtra
Vishwanath — Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Trimbakeshwar — Nashik, Maharashtra
Baidyanath — Deoghar, Jharkhand
Nageshwar — Dwarka, Gujarat
Ramanathaswamy — Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu
Grishneshwar — Aurangabad, Maharashtra
⚔️ KANHADADEVA'S RESISTANCE
Kanhadadeva Songara, a Hindu Rajput ruler of the Chahamana kingdom, ruled the region around Javalipura (present-day Jalore, Rajasthan).
According to the traditional account, when Kanhadadeva learned that the broken pieces of the sacred Jyotirlingam were being transported towards Delhi, he organised his Rajput forces and attacked the Turkish convoy.
Kanhadadeva, along with his son ViramaDeva, confronted the forces of Ulugh Khan and Nusrat Khan. According to this tradition, the Rajput forces defeated them, recovered the broken pieces of the sacred lingam and brought them back to Jalore, where they were ceremonially restored and established in different temples.
❤️ THE STORY OF PIROJA & VIRAMADEVA
Following these events, tradition tells another remarkable story.
Piroja, the daughter of Alauddin Khalji, is said to have fallen in love with ViramaDeva, the son of Kanhadadeva.
Alauddin initially became enraged, but after recognising the strength of the Chahamana kingdom, he is said to have considered a marital alliance as a means of bringing the kingdom under Khalji influence.
According to the tradition, he offered his daughter in marriage to ViramaDeva and even visited Jalore, where he was reportedly received with honour and respect.
However, ViramaDeva rejected the proposal, which Alauddin regarded as an insult.
⚔️ THE FALL OF JALORE
Alauddin subsequently launched a full-scale campaign against Jalore with a large army.
The Chahamanas initially resisted fiercely, aided by their well-defended forts. But eventually, a Rajput ruler is said to have allied with the Khaljis, changing the course of the conflict.
Bravery was defeated by betrayal.
The Chahamana kingdom ultimately fell.
Kanhadadeva and ViramaDeva were killed, while Rajput women are traditionally said to have performed Jauhar—the practice in which women chose self-immolation to avoid capture, enslavement and sexual violence following the defeat of their kingdom.
🕉️ A STORY OF RESISTANCE & FAITH
The story of Somnath and Kanhadadeva continues to live in India's historical and cultural memory.
A temple was destroyed.
A sacred symbol was broken.
A kingdom fought back.
And the sacred tradition endured.
Har Har Mahadev! 🔱🚩
