Dakor

The Ranchhodrai dham of Gujarat, where the Lord came from Dwarka out of love for his devotee Bodana.

Dakor, in the Kheda district of Gujarat, is the famous dham of Bhagavan Ranchhodrai. The name "Ranchhod", "the one who left the battlefield", recalls the leela in which Shri Krishna, for the welfare of his people, withdrew from the fight against Jarasandha and Kalayavana and made Dwarka his capital. The devotees of Gujarat lovingly call him "Raja Ranchhod".

According to the popular tradition, the devotee Bodana of Dakor walked to Dwarka regularly for many years for the Lord's darshan. When old age made the journey too hard, the Lord himself asked him to bring a bullock cart and came with him to Dakor. When the priests of Dwarka followed them, the Lord hid in the Gomti lake. Bodana gave up his life for the Lord. The priests then demanded gold equal to the weight of the deity, but Bodana's wife Gangabai owned only a single gold nose-ring (vali). By the Lord's grace, when it was placed on the scale, that small nose-ring balanced the deity. The story teaches that the Lord is weighed by a devotee's love, not by wealth.

The present Ranchhodrai temple was built in the eighteenth century. Beside it lies the Gomti lake, held sacred because of this story. The fairs of Sharad Purnima and Kartik Purnima draw huge crowds, and on Phalgun Purnima (Holi) thousands of devotees from all over Gujarat come on foot for darshan. Janmashtami too is celebrated with great joy.

Practical note: Dakor has its own railway station on the Anand–Godhra line. The nearest larger towns are Nadiad and Anand, and it is easily reached by road from Ahmedabad.

State

Gujarat

Nearest City

Nadiad

Main Temples

Ranchhodrai Temple, Gomti Lake

Associated Leela

The Lord coming from Dwarka for the devotee Bodana