The Somnath Temple on the west coast of Gujarat was demolished and rebuilt many times. Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar built a Somnath Mandir nearby in 1788 after the original was destroyed, and the present temple was built after Independence, driven by Sardar Patel.
On the sea wall, a little away from the temple, stands the Baan Stambh, a column topped by an arrow. It is said to have stood since the 6th century, perhaps saved by its distance from the temple. The arrow points due south, and the Sanskrit shloka on the column says that the path of light from here to the South Pole, across the end of the ocean, has no obstruction. In other words there is no land between this column and Antarctica. There were no world maps or satellites in the 6th century, yet the direction has proved correct.
About 2 km from the main temple is a little-known Surya temple. At a particular time of day, the Sun's rays fall inside the temple directly on the statue of Surya Bhagwan. This temple too was destroyed many times and rebuilt again and again.
