Properly speaking, three separate things are lumped together as Somnath:
(1) The Port, properly called Verawal, on a beautiful little bay; (2) the
City of Deva-Pattan, Somnath-Pattan, or Prabhas, occupying a prominence on
the south side of the bay, having a massive wall and towers, and many
traces of ancient Hindu workmanship, though the vast multitude of tombs
around shows the existence of a large Mussulman population at some time;
and among these are dates nearly as old as our Traveller's visit; (3) The
famous Temple (or, strictly speaking, the object of worship in that
Temple) crowning a projecting rock at the south-west angle of the city,
and close to the walls. Portions of columns and sculptured fragments strew
the soil around.
Notwithstanding the famous story of Mahmud and the image stuffed with
jewels, there is little doubt that the idol really termed Somnath (Moon's
Lord) was nothing but a huge columnar emblem of Mahadeo. Hindu authorities
mention it as one of the twelve most famous emblems of that kind over
India, and Ibn Asir's account, the oldest extant narrative of Mahmud's
expedition, is to the same effect. Every day it was washed with water
newly brought from the Ganges. Mahmud broke it to pieces, and with a
fragment a step was made at the entrance of the Jami' Mosque at Ghazni.
