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| Ranchhodraiji Temple |
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History
Located in Dakor, at a distance of 70 km from Vadodara is the well known Ranchhodraiji Temple. The temple has been dedicated to Lord Ranchhodraiji who is regarded as the manifestation of Lord Krishna. Ranchhodraiji Temple was built by Shri Gopalrao Jagannath Tambwekar in 1772 A.D., and is a revered place for the followers of Lord Krishna.
The story goes that Lord Krishna had flee from the battleground during a war with an ally of the legendary king, Jarasandha and since then, he came to be known as Ranchhodraiji, meaning ‘he who left the battlefield’. Hence, the temple in addition to Lord Krishna derived this name.
The main deity of Lord Ranchhodrai is in the form of Lord Vishnu, bearing the conch, lotus, discus, and mace in his four arms. The idol is made in black touchstone. The shrine has been set on a raised platform, enclosed in a massive square shaped compound. The platform is 168 feet high with 12 stone steps on all sides, surrounded by the spacious courtyard. The temple has four gates to the huge walls on the outside of the complex, placed considerably. It also has 8 domes and 24 towers, the tallest of them being 90 feet.
The main doorway of the Ranchhodraiji Temple overlooks the banks of the Gomati River. The intricately carved doors and windows which lead to the inner sanctum are covered in silver. The entrance which faces the main deity opens in front of an audience chamber. There is even a bed chamber linked with the audience chamber of the shrine. Here, the bed of the Lord is lavishly festooned with garlands, soft mattress, blankets, and gold and silver couches in soft cotton and silk. The doors to the main Ranchhodraiji shrine remain open throughout the day, except for the afternoon time. This is the time when the Lord is believed to sleep and take rest. Every day, a huge crowd of devotees swarm the temple for darshans.
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Best time to visit
Ideally, the best time to visit Ranchhodraiji temple and Vadodara is during the winter months of November to February when the weather is cool and pleasant, unlike summers which get unbearable.
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Trivia
The brick walls and stone pillars of the temple were constructed at the cost of 1lakh rupees.
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Timing
The regular timings of the temple are from 6:45 am – 11:45 am and 4:15 pm – 7:30 pm.
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Travel Tools
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