Sri Somesvara Temple — Attraction in North Carolina

I visited this place last month. I can say that this is one of the best and the most beautiful places that I've visited in the US. The drive (especially the final few miles) is extremely scenic. The temple at the top of the hills is really majestic, and there is a sense of peace and calm, whenever you are in and around the temple. I stayed here for a couple of nights and I must say, I have thoroughly enjoyed it. The process of booking my accomodation for these two nights at the Student union Dormitory (because it is priced lower and also because I stayed alone) was extremely smooth and seamless, thanks to the help and support of Ms. Patrycia from the Mount Soma Reservation Center. I visited this place, when there wasn't a lot of tourist traffic, hence I was practically the only one staying in the dormitory, which just added to the peace and calm. I had read some reviews in which people said that the Wi-Fi connectivity is not too great in this area. In reply, I can say that though I faced similar troubles, I did not have any reason to complain. I had to just come up to the deck of the Student Union (which was just above my room and also had a really good Wi-Fi connection) if I needed the internet to video-call my family or watch any videos. Talking about the Student Union, the staff are extremely friendly and courteous, the food (no onion or garlic used) is pretty good and it is pretty reasonably priced as well. Apart from the temple, I also visited the three parks near the temple namely Nandi Park, Hanuman park and Ganga park. I can say that I loved and enjoyed all the three parks. I would say that though the Ganga park is the furthest away from the temple (about a mile away, and you need to walk the last few feet, and hence not many people visit it), it is a must-visit place. The sight of the water flowing over the shiv-lingas is extremely mesmerizing and it reminds me of the holy Gangajal being offered to Lord Shiva. Speaking about Lord Shiva, his temple is extremely majestic. As soon as you enter inside, you get this amazing sense of peace and calm and you are filled with a lot of positive energy. I attended the Rudrabhishekham on Saturday, and it was a truly divine and spiritual experience listening to Panditji, when he recited the powerful mantras. I attended the evening aarti of Lord Somesvara on both days (i.e. Friday and Saturday) at 5:30 pm, and I must say, it was a truly unforgettable experience. The lights in the temple are dimmed/turned off before the aarti is performed, which I say, just elevates the experience to the next level. I feel that this experience is elevated even further during the winter months when the sunset occurs at 5:15 pm. The darkness outside the temple because of early sunset, coupled with the darkness inside the temple due to dimming/switching off the lights, just makes for an utterly unforgettable and otherworldly experience. Standing inside the temple, seeing the Lord during the aarti and singing His prayers, this is an experience that words fail to describe. I can also say that this experience is unique to this temple, and hard to find in any Hindu...

Mount Soma, Stunning views, profound temple construction, powerful Siva Linga and Upadevathas inside the temple, astounding Hanuman Statue, Nandi and Ganga Park; this place a perfect place to come and spend some quality time throughout an year sitting and experiencing the ultimate spiritual sanctity. Veda Pandit Sri. Garlapati Vara Prasad will take you to the height of sacredness with his most unique way of performing Radrabhishekam and the other poojas. We have had an opportunity watch the Ahishekam, Karthikeya Pooja , Navagraha pooja and in the evening Satyanarayana pooja followed by evening Aarti. One will find an amazing group of knowledge and spirituality seekers volunteering at Mt. Soma at Visitor Center and Dining hall. I have known Dave, Marlene and other wonderful people and i envy them for Lord Shiva’s blessings on them to stay and experience such an incredulous feeling at Mt. Soma on a daily basis. I have also seen Panditji spending some time with visitors and answering various questions and teaching the chanting of Vedic mantras to some of his students inside the temple after the lunch break. You will be overwhelmed to know that he pursued his Vedic studies from childhood and he is a distinguished scholar in Krishna Yajurveda. What a wonderful experience it was. - Siva...

This was our second visit since the first one (2 years back).

It is always an amazing experience to travel thru the scenic route and getting on the top of the mountain.

Highly suggest: do not travel on long weekends, weekends or special festival occasions. Parking is a tuff situation on the mountain. Restrooms are blocked and be prepared for huge lines. Travelers lack basic social sense driving up/down the mountain, speeding, driving in the middle of the road and not giving enough space for the other cars which is a safety issue.

People park where they feel like (in the middle of the road) - lacking basic social sense.

Trash thrown everywhere, on the side of the streets, on the trail etc. In spite of there being trash cans everywhere, visitors lack basic manners.

Be prepared to bring food, water etc. Cell phone coverage is patchy. Recommend: download offline maps.

We did not visit the cafe this time (we did 2 years back and paid $10 pp for a basic meal at the cafe).

Unlike other reviews: when we reached for darshan, the staff offered us to sit alongside the crowd who were a part of the paid puja going on. Thankful for that as we were visiting with elderly and they enjoyed to last bit of the puja.

Comparing both our visits, we definitely enjoyed our 1st visit 2 years ago,...