Hanuman temple, Salangpur or Shree Kashtabhanjan Dev Hanumanji Temple, Sarangpur 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 ...

located in Sarangpur,

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 ...

and is part of the Vadtal Gadi of the

Swaminarayan Sampradaya The Swaminarayan Sampradaya, also known as Swaminarayan Hinduism and Swaminarayan movement, is a Hindu Vaishnava sampradaya rooted in Ramanuja's Vishishtadvaita, characterized by the worship of its charismatic founder Sahajanand Swami, be ...

. The term ''Kashtabhanjan Dev'' literally means "Crusher of Sorrows."

History and description

The idol of Shree Kashtabhanjandev was installed by

Gopalanand Swami Gopalanand Swami (1781–1852) was a paramhansa of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya who was ordained by Swaminarayan. He worked and guided many followers to spread the Swaminarayan Sampradaya. The Swaminarayan Sampradaya believes that Gopala ...

. Gopalanand Swami touched the murti with a rod and the murti came alive and moved. This story has become a charter for the healing ritual performed at this temple. The idol of Hanuman here is a stout figure with a handlebar moustache, with Shani Dev in his feminine form under his foot and baring his teeth, standing among sculpted foliage full of fruit bearing monkey attendants. The overall temple renovations were done many times by the

. In 1899, Kothari Gordhandas of Vadtal appointed Shastriji Maharaj (Shastri Yagnapurushdas), the founder of BAPS, to oversee the temple’s affairs. During his tenure, Shastriji Maharaj renovated the temple, constructed the adjacent bungalow, and acquired additional land to expand the complex, contributing significantly to its present form. Govardhandas then appointed a new mahant of the temple of Sarangpur. Since, then the Vadtal Gadi has constructed additional improvements and buildings to the temple. Hariprakash Swami is an incumbent trustee. Adjacent to the main temple is a dedicated mandir honoring Swaminarayan, which houses numerous sacred relics associated with his life and teachings. This mandir serves as a place of reverence and reflection for devotees, offering a unique glimpse into Swaminarayan’s legacy through carefully preserved items that are integral to the faith's history. King of Salangpur Statue

On 6 April 2023, then Indian home minister

Amit Shah Amitbhai Anilchandra Shah (born 22 October 1964) is an Indian politician who is currently serving as the 32nd Ministry of Home Affairs (India), Minister of Home Affairs since May 2019 and the 1st Ministry of Co-operation, Minister of Co-operat ...

unveiled 54-feet tall statue made out of metals which weighs 30,000 kg. The statue, visible from 7 km away, was crafted at the cost of ₹11 crore (₹110 million).

Rituals

The image of this temple is said to be so powerful that a mere look at it will drive the evil spirits out of the people affected by them. Saturday is the designated day for a special ritual for those affected by mental illnesses and other disorders. The temple administration has hired a

brahmin Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...

householder for puja and vidhi at the temple and conduct this ritual. After this, the person affected is instructed to

circumambulate Circumambulation (from Latin ''circum'' around and ''ambulātus ''to walk) is the act of moving around a sacred object or idol. Circumambulation of temples or deity images is an integral part of Hindu and Buddhist devotional practice (known in ...

the shrine and repeat this after doing darshan a number of times.

References

{{reflist Hanuman temples Hindu temples in Gujarat Botad district