Sonkansari Temple, Ghumli,
Gujarat
Sonkansari Temple is a Hindu Temple
dedicated to Lord Shiva, located in Ghumli Village in Devbhumi Dwarka district
of Gujarat, India. The Temple Complex is situated
on a hill summit to the south western side of Navlakha Temple.
Legends
A daughter with only 2 teeth was
born to Shankhodwar Bet ruler Dudanshi Vadhel at the end of 13th
Century CE. An Astrologer predicted that she would bring ill fortune to the
family. The family decided to put the infant girl in a wooden box and threw her
in sea. The wooden box containing the child reached the coast of Miyani port
where a Kansara (copper smith) found it. As the Kansara was childless, he
brought up her as his own daughter. He named her as Son. When she reached
puberty, she was very beautiful.
Miyani ruler Prabhat Chavda
wished to marry her, but she refused. The Coppersmith and her daughter Son left
Miyani in anticipating backlash from the ruler. Both of them migrated to
Ghumali. Son decided to marry Rakhayat Babaria, Ghumli ruler Bhan Jethwa's brother-in-law
son. When the marriage ceremony is over, the dacoits arrived and looted cows
& cattle’s from the marriage place. Rakhayat went to fight with dacoits,
but he was killed in action. Son Kansari decided to perform Sati.
Ghumli ruler Rana Bhan Jethwa
sent message to Son Kansari not to be Sati and ordered her to marry him. She
refused to marry Rana Bhan Jethwa. Son Kansari took refuge under Bardai
Brahmins of Ghumli. Bhan Jethwa ordered Bardai Brahmins to surrender Son Kansari
but Bardai Brahmins refused. Ghumli ruler Bhan Jethwa sent soldiers against
Bardai Brahmins In 1315 AD. Thousands of Brahmin sacrificed their lives to
protect Son. Son Kansari performed Sati and she cursed, Ghumali will be
destroyed forever. Sindh prince Bamanioji invaded Ghumali & destroyed it
forever in 1316 AD.
History
Ghumli
was the capital of Saindhava dynasty which ruled
western Saurashtra from middle of eighth century to middle of tenth century.
The Saindhava Copper plates and several inscriptions mention Bhutambilika,
Bhumilika, Bhutambilimandal, Bhutambilyan, Bhumbhall Bhubhrutpalli,
Bhumbhiliya. It was later corrupted into Bhumli and then Ghumli. Bhutambilika /
Ghumli was capital city of 12th century Rajput Jethwa dynasty of Gujarat. The
dynasty extended from today’s Porbandar to Morbi.
According to book 'Makardhwajvanshi Mahimala' Morbi
area of Saurashtra was under rule of 12th century Jethwa Kings of Ghumli. Ghumli was declared as second
Capital by Jethwa dynasty, in 1220 by Rana Shiyaji, who took the title of Rana of
Ghumli and shifted capital from Shrinagar.
The 12th and 13th century Jethwa rulers of Ghumali were under rule of Gujarat's
Solanki / Vaghela Kings at Patan.
Jadeja Jam Unaji came from Sindh and attacked Ghumli in 1309 but was defeated
later in 1313 his son Barmaniyaji Jadeja attacked and defeated Rana Bhanji
Jethwa. On the same night Goddess Ambaji came in his dream and told him that, as she has
granted the wish of his father to conquer Ghumli, he should make a temple in
her name. So Bamaniyaji built the Temple of Ambaji on the hill in the middle of
Ghumli and named it as Ashapura Mata Temple. He completely
destroyed Ghumli and turned it into ruins.
Rana Bhanji Jethwa fled Ghumli and shifted to Ranpur. It is said that Ghumli was
destroyed due to curse of a Sati named Son with whom Rana
Bhanji Jethwa fell in love. The Story of the bravery of Bardai Brahmins &
their final stand for the protection of Son Kansari is narrated in a book of
Zaverchand Meghani. A historical Gujarati novel 'Sati Sonal Ni Sakhate' was
written by Devkumar Modha published at Porbandar in 1970 AD.
The
Temple
The Temple Complex is situated
to the south western side of Navlakha Temple. It is situated on a hill summit.
The temples in these complex care situated around a pond called Sonkansari
Pond. The larger ones consist of a square shrine with a long mandapa and the
smaller ones of a cell and a porch. The mandapas have fallen. This is a Sindhava
era temple, built in the middle of 9th Century A.D., of which only sanctum
with shikara remains. The hill around the temple is known as Son hill.
Connectivity
The Temple is located at about 1
Km from Ghumli, 8 Kms from Bhanvad Bus Stand, 9 Kms from Bhanvad Railway
Station, 42 Kms from Porbandar Airport, 42 Kms from Porbandar, 88 Kms from
Jamnagar, 146 Kms from Rajkot Airport and 361 Kms from Ahmedabad. The temple is
situated on Porbandar to Jamnagar Route via Bhanvad.
excellent, beautiful photos!
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