Thousands of Devotees Gather at Shree Mumbadevi Mandir for Somnath Jyotirlinga Yatra

Thousands of devotees gathered at the Shree Mumbadevi Mandir in Mumbai last week to attend the darshan of the sacred Somnath Jyotirlingas. The historic icons were brought to the city as part of the ongoing Somnath Jyotirlinga Mumbai Yatra, drawing massive crowds of worshippers to the temple.

According to Shree Mumbadevi Mandir temple manager Hemant Jadhav, these Jyotirlingas carry profound historical significance. They are believed to be the original sacred icons that devotees hid to protect them during the 11th-century raid on the Somnath Temple, when Mahmud of Ghazni attacked and destroyed the ancient shrine.

Following the destruction and the subsequent reconstruction of the Somnath Temple, these protected Jyotirlingas were preserved. Over time, they came to be used as utsav murtis, or festival idols.

Now, these sacred icons are being taken on a nationwide journey. The Somnath Jyotirlinga Mumbai Yatra is part of this larger nationwide tour, which aims to give devotees across India the opportunity to see and worship the historic relics.

During the event last week, thousands of local devotees in Mumbai were able to participate in the darshan at the Shree Mumbadevi Mandir, marking a significant spiritual occasion for the temple and its visitors.