Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency, Vol. I, Part I: History of Gujarat c19.s2.t1.103.1

c19.s2.t1.103.1

Somnath. Al Bírúni (A.D. 970-1031) is the first of the Arab writers to notice Somnath. He calls Somnáth and Kachh the capital of the Bawárij pirates who commit their depredations in boats called baira.⁹ He places Somnáth (14 farsakhs) fifty-six miles from Debal or Karáchi 200 miles (50 farsakhs) from Anhilwára and 180 miles (60 yojanas) from Broach. He notes that the river Sarsút falls into the sea an arrow-shot from the town. He speaks of Somnáth as an important place of Hindu worship and as a centre of pilgrimage from all parts of India. He tells of votaries and pilgrims performing the last stage of their journey crawling on their sides or on their ankles, never touching the sacred ground with the soles of their feet, even progressing on their heads.¹⁰ Al Bírúni gives¹¹ the legendary origin of the Somnath idol: how the moon loved the daughters of Prajápati; how his surpassing love for one of them the fair Rohini kindled the jealousy of her slighted sisters; how their angry sire punished the partiality of the moon by pronouncing a curse which caused the pallor of leprosy to overspread his face; how the penitent moon sued for forgiveness to the saint and how the saint unable to recall his curse showed him the way of salvation by the worship of the Lingam;