Somnath the first Jyotirling has its own charm. I have been in love with this place since 2020 when I first went there after almost 18 long years, and till now I have been there two more times. The Somnath Mandir has that thing that can attract you even looking it from far. I have given details regarding Somnath mandir in one of my previous blogs and today I am trying to give the best answer to the regular questions by those who want to visit Somnath. These questions are ‘Where to stay in Somnath?’ and ‘Where to eat in Somnath’.
Like any Hindu pilgrimage place in India, Somnath also has dozens of hotels, lodges, and Dharmshalas to stay by keeping all tiers of budget in mind. But for my last two visits, I stayed at Somnath Trust’s finest guest house ‘Sagar Darshan’. Before we get into any details, let me tell you that there are three guest houses run by the Somnath trust. One is Sagar Darshan and the other two are Lilavati Atithi Bhavan and Maheshwari Atithi Bhavan. But what Sagar Darshan makes great is that it is situated on the Somnath sea face.
Where to Stay in Somnath? – Sagar Darshan Guest House
This Sagar Darshan Guest House run by the Somnath trust is just a few walks away from the Somnath mandir itself and that makes it more special than the other two guest houses in the town. Both Lilavati Atithi Bhavan and Maheshwari Atithi Bhavan are a bit far from the temple. Plus, as I mentioned above Sagar Darshan is on the Shore of the Somnath Sea or in technical words the Arabian Sea. What’s more? All the rooms of this fantastic property are sea-facing.
So, if you have nothing to do or don’t want to visit various places in Somnath, just pull a chair and sit on the balcony of your room provided by Sagar Darshan management and enjoy the sea. I did exactly the same for an entire day when I visited Somnath this February. As my primary purpose to visit Somnath is to attend all three aartis (7 am, 12 pm, and 7 pm), so being a regular visitor now, I don’t have any inclination to visit the town again and hence I have plenty of time to spend in between two aartis. So I just sit on the balcony and enjoy the sea sometimes sipping tea.
Sagar Darshan also has a restaurant where you can enjoy different types of food at a good cost. One thing that should be noted here is that you can’t order the food inside your Sagar Darshan room, but yes you can call for tea or coffee as many times as you want. In the evening time, the restaurant provides the option of a buffet that has a fixed amount to pay. Although you can always go for a-la-carte should you not want the fixed thali.
Regarding rooms and tariffs at Sagar Darshan, you have to book your rooms well in advance if you are planning to stay here during your visit to Somnath. Here is the booking link for Sagar Darshan Guest House in Somnath where you can easily book your rooms. They charge Rs. 500 per person per day as a deposit and it will be refunded after deducting the GST at the time when you check out. During my latest visit, I paid Rs. 2500 for my room in Sagar Darshan for one day and I stayed there for two days. While booking I paid Rs. 6000 as an advance, and at the time of checking out the reception refunded me around 900 rupees in cash.
As far as the quality of rooms at Sagar Darshan is concerned there is no problem at all, at least I have not found any problem during my latest two visits. Rooms are spacious and clean and as I wrote previously, they are sea-facing. For just 2500 rupees per day, I don’t think that one can get such exclusive rooms anywhere in Somnath with the added advantage of looking directly into the sea. Although it is run by a trust you won’t find any difference between its management and of a private hotel. All rooms are AC and have a TV with cable and an attached bathroom where hot and cold water runs throughout the day.
Here are some of the pictures of the Sagar Darshan guest house room that I clicked during my 2022 visit to Somnath. Just take a glance and decide for yourself!
Where to Eat in Somnath? – Hotel Sukh Sagar and Madhav Hotel
There is a common problem at any Hindu pilgrim place as far as my thinking goes is having proper food options. In Somnath, there are plenty of options like roadside food or having small food stalls just outside the Somnath Mandir campus, but I will advocate two must-eat places in Somnath and these are Hotel Sukh Sagar and Madhav Hotel and your question about where to eat in Somnath will be answered. Hotel Sukh Sagar is just on the outskirts of the town and any local commute will take you there, whereas Madhav Hotel is 18 kilometers away from Somnath town.
Hotel Sukh Sagar in Somnath provides almost all kinds of delicacies like Gujarati, Kathiyawadi, Punjabi, and others. I have visited this place twice during my last three visits and I had Punjabi food both times. I liked the taste and what I liked the most is that Hotel Sukh Sagar in Somnath serves Tava Roti which is a bit rare in Punjabi restaurants of Gujarat these days. Almost everywhere in Gujarat you will find Tandoori roti only and a person like me who prefers roti always has a tough time.
Anyways, if you are in Somnath and looking for the good quality food you must visit Hotel Sukh Sagar.
If I talk about Madhav Hotel, then it provides only Kathiyawadi food but the taste is mind-blowing. Because this restaurant is so popular you will find many Madhav Hotels inside Somnath and also outside of it. But the original Madhav Hotel is some 18 kilometers away from the center of Somnath town and it is near Gadu village. Here is the Google Maps link to reach the original and real Madhav Hotel.
Madhav Hotel, as I mentioned provides only Kathiawadi food. The cost for one dish of this Kathiyawadi delight is just Rs. 150. For this small amount, you will get 7 to 8 different Gujarati vegetables, Gujarati dal, farsan, tava roti, some crispy munching, one bean, roasted papad, a few kachoombers, pickle, and unlimited chhash! I can assure you that you won’t be able to complete even the first servings and yet shockingly this 150 rupees Kathiyawadi dish is unlimited!
So, if you are a food lover like me and want to try Kathiyawadi cuisine then you should and you must try Madhav Hotel near Somnath. Although you have to travel 18 kilometers it is worth traveling to.
I am sure that after reading this blog you have got your answers to the questions of Where to Stay in Somnath and Where to eat in Somnath, right? So after your next visit to this magnificent place do drop your comments below and let me know whether you agreed with my views on Sagar Darshan, Hotel Sukh Sagar, and Madhav Hotel or not. You can even write your views of your Somnath visit below.
That’s all for today folks, till we meet next time it is Aavjo from my side.
18th March 2023, Saturday
Ahmedabad
SiddTalks
