Somnath Temple timings
The Shree Somnath Trust publishes darshan from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM, with aarti at 7:00 AM, 12:00 noon and 7:00 PM, and a light and sound show from 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM except in the monsoon. Unlike temples that publish a fresh schedule each day, these are standing hours, which makes them easier to plan around and no less worth confirming before a long journey.
Photo: Aditya Mahar, CC BY-SA 4.0
Somnath timings through the day
Best time for darshan. Somnath publishes one continuous darshan window, 06:00 to 22:00, with aartis at 07:00, 12:00 and 19:00 inside it rather than breaking it up. That makes it easy to plan: arrive shortly before an aarti if you want to attend one, or come in the gaps between them for a simpler visit. An evening visit can take in the 19:00 aarti and the light and sound show afterwards, outside the monsoon. The Trust's FAQ gives the show as 20:00 to 21:00, while its Somnath Darshan page says 19:45 to 20:45, so confirm the show time locally.
Somnath aarti timings
Full daily schedule
The Trust publishes these as standing hours rather than as a day schedule, so the same times apply from one day to the next. The aartis sit inside the darshan window rather than interrupting it.
| Time | What happens | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 06:00 – 22:00 | Darshan | Public darshan |
| 07:00 | Aarti, morning | Ritual |
| 12:00 | Aarti, noon | Ritual |
| 19:00 | Aarti, evening | Ritual |
| 20:00 – 21:00 | Light and Sound Show, except in the monsoon or rainy season | Public, not darshan |
How to read the Somnath schedule
Somnath is unusual among large temples in publishing a single continuous darshan window. What varies is the show and the seasons, not the sanctum.
No midday closure 06:00 – 22:00
Most large South Asian temples shut the sanctum for several hours around noon. The Trust publishes no such break here.
No ticket to enter Entrance
The Trust states entrance is free of cost. Paid bookings on its site are for rooms, pooja and prasad, not for entry.
The three aartis 07:00, 12:00, 19:00
Published as moments rather than windows, and inside the darshan block rather than replacing it.
The show stops in the rains 20:00 – 21:00
The Trust's exception for the monsoon is the one part of this schedule that predictably does not apply.
Where your phone goes Cloak room
The electronics ban means a stop at the cloak room is part of the visit rather than optional, and it has its own queue.
Standing hours still move Before you travel
Standing hours are not permanent hours. Festival days and temple events change them, and the Trust's own page is the place to check.
Not verified yet 4 items no official source publishes
- Queue or waiting times. Nobody outside the temple measures them reliably.
- Whether darshan hours change on festival days such as Mahashivratri.
- The exact months in which the light and sound show is suspended for the monsoon.
- Cloak room hours, without which the compulsory phone deposit cannot be planned around.
Know one of these from an official notice? Send it to us and the page is updated with a new date.
What people ask about the schedule
Answered from the published schedule, and marked unverified where it is.
What are the darshan timings at Somnath?
The Shree Somnath Trust publishes darshan from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM. That is a single continuous window with no published midday closure, which is unusual for a temple of this size.
Where do these timings come from?
From the Shree Somnath Trust's own published answers on somnath.org, read on the date shown under the table. Nothing here is taken from a travel site or reconstructed from visitor reports.
Does the temple close in the afternoon?
The Trust publishes no midday closure. Most large temples in India shut the sanctum for several hours around noon, so this is worth noting rather than assuming.
What are the aarti timings?
Three a day: 7:00 AM, 12:00 noon and 7:00 PM. The Trust publishes them as fixed times rather than as windows, and they sit inside the darshan block.
Does the noon aarti close the temple?
Nothing the Trust publishes says so. It lists the aarti at 12:00 noon and separately publishes darshan as running from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM, without a break.
When is the light and sound show?
8:00 PM to 9:00 PM, with one exception the Trust states explicitly: the show does not run in the monsoon or rainy season. Which months that covers has not been verified here.
Do I need a ticket for the show?
This site has not verified whether the show is ticketed or free, or whether it needs booking. The Trust publishes the timing without stating either, so the answer should come from the Trust.
Do these timings change during festivals?
Almost certainly, as at any large temple, but the Trust does not publish festival timings on the page this site reads. Treat Mahashivratri and similar dates as a different schedule and confirm before travelling.
How long should I allow for a visit?
This site does not publish waiting times. What it can tell you is that the compulsory cloak room stop, forced by the electronics ban, is part of the visit and has its own queue.
Is the temple open at night?
Until 10:00 PM on the published hours, with the light and sound show running from 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM inside that. Nothing published indicates darshan continuing past 10:00 PM.
Is there a weekly closed day?
Nothing the Trust publishes indicates one. This site has not confirmed the absence of a closed day with the Trust, so it is treated as unverified rather than reported as no.
What should I do before travelling?
Check the Trust's own page for your date, and plan for the electronics ban. Standing hours are stable enough to build a day around, but the phone rule changes what you carry, which is harder to fix at the gate.
Back to the whole temple
The dress code, the entry rules and everything else about Somnath that has been verified against a published source.