The presiding deity is the svayambhu linga, Hari-Hara Linga, which is half Siva and half Vishnu. He is also named Tribhuvaneswara, the Lord of the three worlds.

The Siva linga is bathed daily with water, milk and bhang. There are many other deities in the temple. In the northeast corner of the temple there is a deity of Parvati.

The main tower is 55 metres (180 feet) high. The temple area is about 150 square metres. The present temple was built between 1090 to 1104, but parts of the temple are over 1400 years old. Traditionally accepted to have been built in the seventh century A.D. by King Yayati Kesari.

Tradition says that one should first visit this temple before going to Puri. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came here before going to Puri.

There is a four day chariot festival every March/April when Lingaraja is drawn on his chariot to the Ramesvara Temple.

Somnath is famous as the place where Lord Krishna was shot in the foot by a hunter. It is also known as Prabhas Patan. This is where the Yadavas, the relatives of Lord Krishna, fought between themselves by the will of the Lord. The explanation is that after Krishna finished His mission on earth, He wanted to recall His eternal associates, the Yadavas. They were, however, too powerful to be vanquished by anyone, so by the will of the Lord they were cursed, and as a result of intoxication they fought among themselves.

Somnath is on the extreme southwest coast of Gujarat about 300 km southwest of Ahmedabad.One of the twelve jyotirlingas is at the Somnath Temple.

It is said that this temple was originally built by Soma, the moon god, to atone for the curse Daksha put on him. Because of the curse the moon began to wane. Daksha advised Soma to go to Prabhasa to get rid of the curse. The moon bathes here on amavasya, the new moon day, before regaining light. Because the moon regained light here this place is known as Prabhasa. Somnath means the "Lord of the moon'.

This temple is said to have been built by the moon god out of gold, then rebuilt by Ravana out of silver, then by Lord Krishna out of wood , and later by Bhima from stone.