The year 2026 marks the thousandth in the history of raids mounted on the revered Somnath temple by the infamous, drunk-on-power Turkish marauder from Ghazni, Yamin-ud-Daulah Abdul Qasim Mahmud ibn Subuktegin, popularly known as Mahmud of Ghazni. Notorious for pillaging Hindu sites from Kurukshetra (1014 CE) to Mathura and Kannauj (1018 CE) and finally Somnath (1026 CE)—one of the twelve jyotirlingas of Bharat—the invasions led by Ghazni, interpreted variously by historians as mere “raids" for looting wealth, were, in fact, much more than simple economically motivated incursions. The ambition of showcasing himself as a champion of Islam by waging jihad (holy war) against kafir (infidel) Hindus in his iconoclastic zeal cannot be undermined, as it was central to the desecration of temples and massacre of Hindus perpetrated by him in the 11th century.

The bloodletting and carnage effected by Ghazni at Somnath has become part of Bharat’s collective memory. He was, however, not the last to raid the holy temple; it was attacked periodically throughout the long, bloody history of Islamic rule in Bharat. From Alauddin Khalji to Muzaffar Shah I (Zafar Khan), the bigoted Sultan of Gujarat, and later the Mughal zealot, Aurangzeb, stormed the temple and befouled it through their abominable acts. Despite being battered and ruined by raiding armies, Somnath was rebuilt on several occasions. The story of this great jyotirlinga is one of resilience rather than of ruination.

King Kumarapala of the Chaulukya (Solanki) Dynasty of Gujarat rebuilt the temple ravaged by Mahmud of Ghazni. Somnath was once again razed to the ground by Ulugh Khan, Alauddin Khalji’s brother and general, in 1299 CE, and this time, a mosque was constructed on the site. Khalji’s iconoclastic fervour knew no bounds, but the timelessness of Hindu dharma could not be subdued. Mahipala I, the Chudasama ruler of Saurashtra, rebuilt the temple in the early 14th century, and his son, Khengara, later installed the lingam within the temple sanctum, which was destroyed yet again by Aurangzeb........

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