Ranchhodrai ji Temple – Dakor

About

The form of Lord Ranchhodrai is that of the Lord Vishnu with four arms. As is usual with Lord Vishnu, he bears the conch, lotus, discus, and the mace in his hands. The lower right arm is held up in the Abhaya mudra – giving protection to all those who come to Him. There may be a lotus imprinted on the hand, but it is impossible to confirm that without getting close to the Lord. As the Lord here is worshipped more as Krishna than Dwarkadhish, i.e. younger and freer than the mature Lord of Dwaraka, His right hand is often shown to hold a flute – a favorite instrument of the Lord in His younger days. The upper right hand holds the mace, the upper left-hand holds the discus and the lower left-hand holds the conch.

History

A great devotee of Lord Krishna. In his previous birth, he is supposed to have lived in Gokul and been a cowherd called Vijayanand. On one ‘Holy’ day, all the cowherds except Vijyanand worshipped Lord Krishna. His wife too worshipped Lord Krishna. But Vijayanand was proud and stayed at home. Lord Krishna came to his house in the disguise of his friend and sent him to perform ‘Holi’ puja. Coming back, he realized that his friend was none else but Lord Krishna. The next day they fought a battle of color. Lord Krishna lost and fell into the river. Vijyanand went after him where Lord Krishna revealed his true self. Vijyanand begged forgiveness. Lord Krishna took pity on him and solaced him with a boon that he would be born in Gujarat again in Kaliyug after 4200 years as Vijayanand Bodana in the house of a Krishatriya and his present wife Sudha would again be his wife, called Gangabai when he will give them a glimpse and relieve them by offering them Moksha.

So as this, ‘Vijayanand Bodana’, a Rajput of Dakor, becomes a staunch devotee of Lord Krishna. He used to let the Tulsi grow in an earthen pot with him on his palm and used to go every six months to Dwaraka to worship Lord Krishna with Tulsi leaves. He did this continuously, till he was 72 years he then began to find it increasingly difficult to pursue this ritual. Seeing his plight, Lord Krishna told him that on his ensuing visit to Dwaraka, he should bring a bullock-cart with him and Lord Krishna would accompany him to Dakor as he was exceedingly pleased with his devotion. Accordingly, Bodana went with bullock-cart to Dwaraka. The hereditary priests of Dwarika (Gugli Brahmins) asked him as to why he had brought a cart with him. Whereupon, Bodana replied that he had done so to take away Lord Krishna. Looking to the ramshackle cart, they did not believe him but locked and sealed the sanctum sanctorum of Dwaraka Temple for the night. At midnight, Lord Krishna broke open all the doors, awoke Bodana, and told him to take him to Dakor. Shortly afterward, Lord Krishna called upon Bodana to rest in the bullock cart and drove the cart himself till reached the vicinity of Dakor. Here they rested for some time, touching and holding a branch of the neem tree. He woke up Bodana and asked him to take over. Since that day, this neem tree is found to have one sweet branch though the rest of the branches are bitter and it forms the subject of a well-known Gujarati song. In Dwaraka, the Gugli Brahmins finding the image missing chased Bodana and came to Dakor in pursuit. Bodana was frightened but Lord Krishna told him to hide the idol of the deity in the Gomti tank and meet the Guglis. Accordingly, Bodana hid the idol and went to meet the Guglis with a pot of curd to pacify them. They became angry and one of them threw a spear at him. He fell dead While hurting Bodana with a spear it also hurt the image of the deity hidden in the Gomti tank and the water turned red with Lord Krishna’s (Ranchhodraiji’s) blood. It is said that even today the earth of the Gomti tank where the image lay is red while the rest of the tank is of brown mud.

Amid the Gomti tank, over the place where Lord Krishna was hidden, a small temple having the Lord’s footprints is constructed and this temple is linked with the bank of Gomti Tank by a bridge. Even with the death of Bodana, the Guglis were not appeased. Requesting Lord Krishna to return to Dwarika, they sat on the bank of the Gomti tank and went on a hunger strike. At last, Lord Ranchhodraiji (Krishna) directed Gangabai, wife of Bodana, to give the gold equivalent of his weight and ask the Guglis to return to Dwaraka. Poor lady, the widow of Bodana, was a pauper and could not afford to do so. By a miracle, the idol became as light as a golden nose-ring which was all that the widow of Bodana Gangabai had. The Guglis were disappointed but the Lord mercifully directed that they would find after six months a replica of the idol in Sevaradhan Vav (Well with steps) at Dwarika. The impatient Guglis looked for the idol sometime earlier than they were told and as a result, found an idol which, though similar to the original one, was smaller, Pilgrims to Dakor still visit the places stated to have been associated with the legend viz. Where the branch of neem tree under which Lord rested while coming to Dankpur subsequently turned sweet; where the idol was hidden in the Gomti tank; whereon the balance was set up to weigh the original idol which Bodana had enshrined.

Temple Timings

Morning : 6:45 AM to Noon
Evening: 4:15 PM to 7:30 PM

Temple is closed at noon

Seva / Darshan Timings

*Note: Darshan timings may vary on Full Moon Day.

Important Festivals

Sharad Purnima
Krishna Janmotsav, Second Day Nand Mahotsav.
Holi
Rathyatra
Diwali
Bestu Varsh (Hindu New Year)
After New year “Annakut Mahotsav”
Every Friday & Every Agyaras Ranchhod Ray Ji ( Gopallal Ji ) went to Laxmiji Temple
Amali ekadasi(Amliagiyaras)
Tulsi Vivah
Dashera
Hindoda
Gopalnathji
Navkavihar

How to Reach Ranchhodrai

By Road: (Bus Stations)Dakor, Kheda District – 43 km, Nadiad – 35 km, and buses will be available from all the major cities.

By Train: Nearest one is Nadiad 30km

By Air: Vadodara Airport- 78 km south, Ahmedabad airport – 90km

Temple Contact Details

+91-2699-244491

Email: [email protected]

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Address

Shri Ranchhodraiji Maharaj Mandir, Kapad Bazar Laxmiji Rd, Dakor, Gujarat, 388225.