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HERITAGE · MUSEUM · SOMNATHPrabhas Patan Museum
Relics of an ancient holy city — the Prabhas Patan Museum at Somnath, housing carved sculptures and remains from the old Somnath temples and the sacred town of Prabhas.
The art behind the temple
Close to the great Somnath temple, in the old sacred town of Prabhas Patan, stands a small but fascinating ASI museum that gathers together carved stone sculptures, architectural fragments, inscriptions and relics recovered from the earlier Somnath temples and the ancient city around them.
Housed in part of the old temple precinct, the museum’s collection — pillars, panels, deities and decorative stonework spanning centuries — tells the story of Somnath’s repeated destruction and rebuilding, and of Prabhas Patan as one of the oldest and holiest sites on the Saurashtra coast.
For visitors interested in the deeper history and art behind the gleaming modern temple, the Prabhas Patan Museum is a quiet, rewarding stop. (An ASI museum; entry by ticket.)
Carved relics recovered from the earlier Somnath temples.
What was salvaged from the temple
Old temple stone gathered from the ancient city of Prabhas.
Prabhas Patan has been a sacred site on this coast since deep antiquity, long before any of the surviving temple buildings.
Sculpture and architectural fragments from the earlier Somnath temples survived their repeated destruction, scattered across the precinct.
The Archaeological Survey gathered what remained into a museum, so the pieces could be read together rather than lost.
The result is the clearest window there is into what stood here before the temple of 1951.
Reasons to make the time
Temple sculptures
Carved deities, narrative panels and figural sculpture recovered from the temples that preceded the present one.
Inscriptions
The collection spans centuries, so you can see the style shift across successive rebuildings of the same shrine.
Somnath's past
Together the fragments tell the story of destruction and rebuilding more directly than any account of it.
ASI museum
It sits inside the old precinct at Prabhas Patan, minutes from the modern temple.
Stone art
Decorative fragments — pillars, brackets, door frames — show the quality of what was lost.
Ancient Prabhas
Inscriptions in the collection carry the site's documentary record across the centuries.
What to look for inside
THE SCULPTURESCarved stone
Deities and narrative panels from the earlier shrines.
THE RELICSFragments
Pillars, brackets and door frames recovered from old Somnath.
INSCRIPTIONSInscriptions
The site's written record, cut into stone across the centuries.
ARCHITECTURETemple fragments
Architectural pieces gathered from across the precinct.
DEITIESStone deities
Carved figures that stood in the shrines before this one.
HISTORYSomnath's layers
Physical evidence of a temple rebuilt again and again.
How to spend an hour or two
See the sculptures
Look at the carved temple stone recovered from the earlier Somnath shrines, which is the substance of the collection.
Read the story
Trace the destruction and rebuilding through the objects; the sequence is easier to grasp here than in any account.
Find inscriptions
Read the inscriptions, which carry centuries of the site's own record.
Sense old Prabhas
Picture the ancient city that stood around the precinct, of which this is most of what survives.
Pair with the temple
Walk over to the modern temple afterwards; seeing the museum first changes how it reads.
Reflect on history
Consider the depth of the past behind the gold and marble of the present building.
The museum, set in part of the old temple precinct.
Sculpture, panel and inscription
The Prabhas Patan Museum holds carved sculptures, architectural fragments, deities and inscriptions recovered from the earlier Somnath temples and the ancient city of Prabhas, displayed in part of the old temple precinct.
A quiet ASI collection, it reveals the art and the turbulent history — destruction and rebuilding — behind the gleaming modern Somnath. (An ASI museum; entry by ticket.)
Planning more of the area? Our Gir Somnath guide covers the whole district.
For more in the same vein, see museums and palaces in Gujarat.
Sculptures from old Somnath
Architectural fragments
Inscriptions & relics
In the ASI temple precinct
When to go
November to February is the season on this coast — comfortable for combining the museum with the temple and the shore.
The monsoon brings a heavy sea to Prabhas Patan, and the museum is indoors in any case.
April to June is hot and dry; come early and use the museum as the shaded part of the morning.
⏰ Pair the museum with the Somnath temple to understand the site's long history of destruction and rebuilding.
Timings & entry
- Open daily (check off-day)
- Maintained by the ASI
- Pair with the temple
- A short visit
- A modest ASI ticket
- Photography may be limited
- No flash on artefacts
- Combine with Somnath
Getting there
By Air
Diu and Keshod airports are the nearest, with onward taxis to Somnath and Prabhas Patan.
By Rail
Veraval railway station lies about 7 km away, the closest major railhead to the site.
By Road
The museum sits right in Prabhas Patan, Somnath — easily reached by local taxi or auto.
At the museum
STONE & STORY
Relics of ancient Somnath, in carved stone and inscription.
What to shoot
Carved sculpture, where photography is permitted.
Detail
Inscribed stones from the precinct.
Setting
The old precinct around the museum.
Note
Check the rules first; photography may be limited.
Know before you go
More to see close by
SEASIDEAhmadpur-Mandvi Beach
A long, clean beach near Diu
PILGRIMAGEBhalka Tirth
Where Krishna is said to have left his body
Kankai Mata Temple
Sacred confluence of rivers and sea
CONFLUENCEKamleshwar Dam
Ritual bathing where rivers meet the sea
SAFARIDevalia Safari Park
A fenced zone for reliable lion sightings
SACREDTriveni Sangam
Where three rivers meet the Arabian Sea
Where to eat near Prabhas Patan Museum
THALIKathiyawadi Thali
Spicy Saurashtra meals.
FARSANGanthiya & farsan
Fried Gujarati snacks.
STREETSeaside snacks
Chaat by the shore.
Coast & temple
Pure-veg near the temple; Veraval seafood near.
Prabhas Patan Museum FAQ
What is the Prabhas Patan Museum?
An Archaeological Survey of India museum at Prabhas Patan holding sculpture, architectural fragments and inscriptions recovered from the earlier Somnath temples.
What does it hold?
Carved deities, narrative panels, pillars, brackets and door frames, along with inscriptions that record the site's history across centuries.
Why visit?
Because it shows you what stood here before. The present temple dates from 1951, and this collection is the surviving evidence of everything that preceded it.
Is there an entry fee?
Yes, a modest ASI ticket, bought at the entrance.
Where is it?
In Prabhas Patan, within the old precinct and a few minutes from the Somnath temple itself.
Can I photograph inside?
It may be limited, and flash is not permitted on the artefacts. Check the rules at the desk when you arrive.
How long does it take?
About forty-five minutes. Longer if you want to work through the inscriptions properly.
When should I visit?
October to March, when the coast is comfortable and the museum combines easily with the temple and Triveni Sangam.
Related places across Gujarat
PILGRIMShuklatirth
Shukleshwar Mahadev on the riverbank
NATUREWillingdon Crescent
Pelicans, flamingos & cranes in winter
SEASIDEAhmadpur-Mandvi Beach
A long, clean beach near Diu
Nagnath Mahadev
A revered old Shiva temple in Amreli
SEAFOODDumas Food Street
Famous bhajiya, locho and sea breeze
ICONICSidi Saiyyed Mosque
The famous ‘tree of life’ stone lattice
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Published 24 June 2026 · Updated 24 August 2026