Ranchhodraiji temple at Dakor- an important pilgrim center of Gujarat

Photo copyright: Satyabrata Maiti 

Dakor is known for its Ranchhodraiji temple which is about 35 km from Anand. Many people call it also  Dakor temple. Recently, Dakor is included in one of the six major pilgrimage places under “Yatradham Vikas Board” by Government of Gujarat for its development as a well-planned    pilgrimage center for providing first-rate facilities to  about 70-80 lakh visiting pilgrims every year. I was fortunate to visit this temple for half-a-dozen times since 2014 and witnessed its increasing popularity year to year.

Dakor, in its earlier stages as pilgrimage center in Gujarat, was famous for the Danknath temple, a place of Shiva worship. In a later stage it is developed into a Vaishnavite center with the growing fame of Ranchhodraiji temple, which was built in 1772 A.D.

The temple is a pilgrimage site where Lord Krishna is worshipped.  Devotees come to the temple to receive blessings, pray, and participate in various religious rituals.

When we say Sri Krishna, we should understand the essence of who he is – he is an irrepressible child, a terrible prankster, an enchanting flute player, a graceful dancer, an irresistible lover, a truly valiant warrior, a ruthless vanquisher of his foes, a man who left a broken heart in every home, an astute statesman and kingmaker, a thorough gentleman, a yogi of the highest order, and the most colourful incarnation.

Shree Krishna has been seen, perceived, understood and experienced in many different ways by different people. For example, in Duryodhana words, Krishna is a “smiling rogue if there ever was one. He can eat, he can drink, he can sing, he can dance. He can make love, he can fight, he can gossip with old women, and play with little children. Who says he’s God?” That was Duryodhana’s perception.

How name Ranchhodraiji came in picture?

The name “Raṇchoḍ” refers to when Kr̥ṣhṇa fled the battlefield by running away from Jarāsandha to Dawārkā.

To cut a long story short, when Jarasandha was planning to attack Mathura  for eighteenth times in his mission of exterminating the Yadava clan, Shree Krishna convinced Yadava and Balaram to shift entire kingdom to Dwaraka to avoid the war. When Jarasandha and his army reached Mathura, they were met with an empty city. An enraged Jarasandha put the city to destruction and called Krishna a coward – Ranchod – a man who had run away form battle.

Krishna, though appeared unfazed by the new name. He knew that it would be better of one sacrificed his name and fame for the good of people. However, Krishna was instrumental to kill Jarsandha by Bhhima at a later date.

Story Behind Shree Ranchhodraiji Temple at Dakor

Shree Ranchhodraiji Temple  was built  by Gopal Jagannath Tamabekar, a Gayakwad banker and Peshwar Ruler. This temple is a major pilgrimage site for Lord Shree Krishna devotees. This is a massive temple that houses numerous artistic sculptures.

Shree Vijaysinh Bodana, a great devotee of Lord Shree Krishna who lived in Dakor many years ago.  He used to go to Dwaraka on foot with the Krishna idol and an earthen pot of Tulsi plant for Darshan of Lord Krishna regularly.  As he grew older, he gradually lost his ability to walk, but the God was pleased by his devotion and worship. In a dream, Lord Krishna told Bodana to return to Dwarka with a bullock cart to take Him to Dakor. Bodana followed Lord Shree Krishna’s instructions and transported Lord Shree Krishna’s idol to Dakor on a bullock cart in Vikram Samvat 1212.

In fact, it was said that while Bodana was sleeping, Lord Shree Krishna took the command of the bullock cart and brought him to Dakor. When Bodana arrived in Dakor, a priest from Dwarka stopped him and asked him to return the Krishna idol. However, Lord Shree Krishna advised  Bodana to hide the idol in Gomati Lake. Subsiquently, during a meeting with Bodana and the priests of Dwarka, one priest became enraged and threw a spear at Bodana, killing him at Gomti Ghat  turning the entire Gomati lake red with his blood.

The priests were dissatisfied with the event and went on a hunger strike at Gomati Ghat. Then Lord Shree Krishna instructed Gangabai, Bodana’s wife, to give them the statue’s weight in gold. Gangabai only had one nose ring, but when it was placed on a balance scale the idol became lighter than the nose ring. Witnessing this, hopeless priest returned to Dwarka, but Lord Shree Krishna blessed them and informed them that the same idol could be found in Dwarka’s Sevardhan Vav – step well – after six months. Then Lord Shree Krishna stayed in Dakor permanently. Lord Shree Krishna is known as Raja Ranchhod Rai and Dakor Na Thakor in this region.

Finally, Lord Shree Krishna’s idol was installed at Danknath Mahadev temple.  Around 1650 – 1700 AD, Harirayjee Maharaj, a descendant of Shree Vallabhacharya, visited Dakor for Ranchhodrai darshan. He inspired descendants of Bodana and other Brahmin families to worship Lord Shree Krishan according to Pushthi Sampraday and established various Raja Ranchhod rai Puja vidhi and rituals.

The architecture of Shree Ranchhodraiji Temple

The present Shree Ranchhodraiji Temple was built in 1772 A.D. for a sum of one lakh rupees by Shri Gopalrao Jagannath Tambwekar. It was constructed with brick walls and stone pillars. It stands on a 168-foot-by-151-foot plinth with twelve stone steps on each side and is surrounded by a large courtyard. It has eight domes and twenty-four towers, the tallest of which is 90 feet, making it the district’s tallest temple.  Lake Gomati is visible from the temple’s main gate which is very  crowded now.   The silver gates are guarded by the Vedic Gods – Lord Ganesha, Sun, Moon, and so on – who are beautifully carved in high relief. The gate provides access to the main courtyard.

On either side of the courtyard, two tall structure  houses the thousands of lamps that are lit during the holiday season. This multi-story, multi-tiered structure is typical of mediaeval Gujarati temple architecture. Back at the front gate, marble stairs lead to the temple’s main audience chamber, the “Jagmohan” – literally, the place where the devotees  witness  magical  Lord’s beauty . Devotees can enter the main audience chamber through three large entrances.

The audience chamber’s large open square structure is topped by an imposing, glittering dome. The dome has  an intricate mirror work inlay depicting flowers and trellis in a classical Rajput garden. Murals depicting Lord Krishna’s life adorn the walls of the audience chamber. A small section of the chamber is fenced off  for women. The inner sanctum of Ranchodrai, like all classical temples, is set in a straight line from the temple’s main gate. In the inner sanctum, the Lord sits beneath a canopied pavilion.

The entire structure is raised on a marble platform, and the pavilion’s pillars are gold-plated. The main entrances to the inner sanctum are open for the majority of the day. However, it is advisable to confirm the timings for “Darshan” before one go there.

Famous festivals in Shree Ranchhodraiji temple

• Krishna Janmashtami – Lord Krishna was born on Ashtami, the eighth day of Bhadra, a Hindu month.  The celebrations at the Temple begin early in the morning and continue until late night.
• Holi – This festival is celebrated in the month of  Phalgun. During the celebration, people celebrate with colours and also celebrate and enjoy in temples complex.

How to reach Shree Ranchhodraiji temple

The best time to visit the Shree Ranchhodraiji Temple is between November and February, and during Janmashtami which is celebrated grandly here.

By Air: The nearest airport is Vadodara International Airport, which is 61 km away from Shree Ranchhodraiji temple.

By Rail: The nearest convenient railway station is Dakor Railway Station, which is 2 km away from Shree Ranchhodraiji temple.

By Road: State Transport Bus service connects Dakor with Anand,  Nadiad, Ahmedabad, Kapadvanj, Vadodara, Mumbai, etc. The nearest bus stand is Dakor GSRTC Bus Station, which is 1 km away.

Disclaimer:  No part of this blog is my original work. I have collected and compiled the information from the open source literatures and presented here only for information and knowledge.

Satyabrata Maiti

14-Feb-2024 (Swarasti Puja and Valentines day)