Shri Radha Damodar Temple is a

Hindu temple A Hindu temple, also known as Mandir, Devasthanam, Pura, or Kovil, is a sacred place where Hindus worship and show their devotion to Hindu deities, deities through worship, sacrifice, and prayers. It is considered the house of the god to who ...

, situated in the

Junagadh Junagadh () is the city and headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Located at the foot of the Girnar hills, southwest of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar (the state capital), it is the seventh largest city in the state. It i ...

district of

Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. The temple is dedicated to the ''Damodar'' ''Hari'', another name of Hindu god

Krishna Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...

. In this temple, Damodar is worshiped in his four arms form of

Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...

along with his consort, goddess

Radha Radha (, ), also called Radhika, is a Hindu goddess and the chief consort of the god Krishna. She is the goddess of love, tenderness, compassion, and devotion. In scriptures, Radha is mentioned as the avatar of Lakshmi and also as the Prak� ...

who is seated next to him in the central shrine. Within the premises of temple, Damodar kund and Revati kund are also present. This temple comes under the special care of the

Government of Gujarat The Government of Gujarat, also known as Gujarat Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Gujarat and its 33 districts. It consists of an executive of the legislators appointed by the Governor of Gujarat, a judiciar ...

. Shri Damodar Pilgrimage which includes Shri Radha Damodar temple and its popular lakes - Damodar Kund and Revti Kund, is situated along the road to

Girnar Girnar is an ancient hill in Junagadh, Gujarat, India. It is one of the holiest pilgrimages of Jains, where the 22nd Tirthankara, Tirthaṅkar, Lord Neminath attained omniscience, and later nirvana at its highest peak (''Neminath Shikhar''), ...

mountains. The renovation of this pilgrimage was done in the year 462 CE during the regime of king Skand Gupta who belongs to

Gupta Empire The Gupta Empire was an Indian empire during the classical period of the Indian subcontinent which existed from the mid 3rd century to mid 6th century CE. At its zenith, the dynasty ruled over an empire that spanned much of the northern Indian ...

Structure

The main temple is made up of pink sand stone and has two important parts—Nij temple and Saloha Mandap. Peak of Nij temple is 65 feet high and the height of Saloha Mandap’s peak is 30.5 feet. The flag is at the apex of Nij temple. The temple also has 32 arcs and 84 well crafted pillars. The central shrine of temple is dedicated to Radha and Damodar (Krishna) where Krishna is present in his four hands form of Vishnu holding a conch, discus, mace and lotus in each hand. Adjacent to central shrine, another shrine is present which is dedicated to Lord Balrama and his wife Revati. In the south-west side of the temple there is a temple dedicated

Ganesha Ganesha or Ganesh (, , ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped Deva (Hinduism), deities in the Hindu deities, Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in the Ganapatya sect. His depictions ...

Significance

Shri Radha Damodar temple is one of the ancient temple of Gujarat. It is believed that temple was built by Vajranabh, grandson of Krishna. The temple is crowded with thousands of devotees on special occasions like 15th day of Krishna paksh of

Bhadra ''Bhadra'' is a Sanskrit word meaning 'good', 'fortune' or 'auspicious'. It is also the name of many men, women and objects in Hinduism. Male Figures King of Chedi Bhadra was a king of Chedi Kingdom who participated in the Kurukshetra War from t ...

month for Pitru Tarpan (paying tribute to deceased ancestors). Devotees also take holy bath in sacred Damodar Kund with the belief of getting salvation post life. In the Skand Upanishad, it is described that the Damodar kund rests in the path of river Swarna Rasha. By bathing in this river, people get rid off their sins. The famous devotional poet

Narsinh Mehta Narsinh Mehta, also known as Narsinh Bhagat, was a 15th-century poet-saint of Gujarat, India, honored as the first poet, or ''Adi Kavi,'' of the Gujarati language. Narsinh Mehta is member of Nagar Brahman community. Narsinh became a devotee of ...

also used to bath in Damodar Kund everyday before worshiping Damodar (Krishna).

Festivals

Janmashtami

Vishnu Yagya is performed in this temple on the day of Janmashtami. ''Vishnu Sahasra'' is recited in this temple along with ''Vishnuyag Yajna'' to relieve the suffering that Lord Vishnu suffered when he descended on earth as Krishna. After that the Krishna Janmotsav (Birth Celebrations) begins with the Abhishak of Shaligramji. Krishna is specially dressed and ornamented. At midnight when the gate of the temple opens, the devotees present cheer aloud with the spirit of Krishna's birth. After the Abhishekam of Shri Krishna, the Matki (Earten Pot) hanged high is broken, in which the youth celebrate the festival by displaying their skills by creation of human pyramid.Butter is placed in the pot which is later given as prasad to the devotees present.

Gallery

Damodar Kund - Junagadh - Gujarat - DSC001.jpg, Front view of Radha Damodar Temple Burning Ghat at Damodar temple, Junagadh.jpg, Ghats of Radha Damodar temple Damodar Kund - Junagadh - Gujarat - DSC002.jpg, Temple premises Damodar Kund - Junagadh - Gujarat - DSC004.jpg, Damodar Kund Damodar Kund - Junagadh - Gujarat - DSC005.jpg, Devotees visiting temple Girnar Hills from Damodar Kund.jpg, View of

Hills from temple

References

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External links

* https://shreeradhadamodarji.org/ Radha Krishna temples Krishna temples Hindu temples in Gujarat Junagadh