Khodiyar Mandir Rajpara, Bhavnagar Timings and History

Khodiyar Mata Temple is located on the Bhavnagar-Rajkot highway in the small village of Rajpara in the Shihore taluka of the Bhavnagar district of Gujarat. Devotees of Maa Khodiyar all over India visit Rajpara Khodiyar Temple for worship throughout the year, especially during festivals, Navratri and weekends.

The distance of Rajpara Khodiyar Mandir from Bhavnagar is only 18 km, many devotees used to reach the temple on foot. The story of this holy place is related to Maharaja Wakhatsinhji Gohil, the ruler of Bhavnagar state during the 17th and 18th centuries.

Khodiyar Maa is a form of Adi Shakti Devi. There are many temples dedicated to Khodiyar Maa in Gujarat. Five temples are considered the most important.

• Matel (Morbi)
• Khodaldham (Kagvad)
• Galdhara (Dhari)
• Rajpara Khodiyar Maa Temple (Rajpara, Bhavnagar)
• Khodiyar maa temple Aiyavej ( Near Palitana)

Khodiyar Mandir Bhavnagar Aarti Timings

Here we provided the details of Khodiyar Mandir Bhavnagar Darshan and Aarti timings.

The temple is open for Darshan from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. for the devotees of Khodiyar Mataji.

Khodiyar Mandir Rajpara Opening and Closing Times

Dharamshala Booking at Khodiyar Mandir, Rajpara, Bhavnagar

Khodiyar Mandir Trust has started two Dharmashalas for the devotees who visit the temple from a long distance.

The new dharamshala was built recently to accommodate the growing number of visitors. It includes 14 special rooms, four big halls (each with 10 beds), and six standard rooms with two beds each.

The Trust has made sure the facility is comfortable and convenient for devotees. With so many people visiting the temple, this extra rest house was much needed. It is located near the small parking area inside the temple complex.

You can contact Khodiyar Mandir Temple Trust for Dharamshala Booking.

Also, there are many other options to stay near Khodiyar Mandir, Bhavnagar. Visit the YatraDham.Org website for more details.

YatraDham.org provides the best Dharamshala and hotel booking facilities at affordable prices. You can book Dharamshala as per your requirements at any time before planning your journey.

Khodiyar Mandir Rajpara History

Khodiyar Mataji Mandir is located on the bank of Lake Tataliya, near Rajpara village on the Bhavnagar–Rajkot highway. This famous temple is dedicated to Aai Shri Khodiyar Mata and attracts many devotees who come to seek her blessings. Her divine presence brings faith, strength and devotion to people of all ages.

The temple was first established by Maharaja Wakhatsinhji, a devoted follower of Khodiyar Mata. He built a small shrine in Rajpara, which soon became a holy place visited by many people. 

Later, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji of Bhavnagar worked with great devotion to turn that simple shrine into the beautiful temple we see today.

To help the growing number of devotees, he also built a proper road, arranged drinking water and even set up the Khodiyar Mandir Railway Station on the Bhavnagar–Dhola line, so that more people could visit easily.

The temple is always busy with devotees, especially on Sundays, Tuesdays, and full moon days (Poonam). On these days, many people walk to the temple to join the morning aarti (prayer).

Shri Khodiyar Mata is worshipped here as the Sahayak Devi, or guiding goddess, of the Gohil Rajputs. Her story goes back to the 13th century when Maharaja Ranji Gohil ruled a village named Vana. Even then, people worshipped Khodiyar Mata as a Lokdevi, meaning a goddess of the people.

The Gohil rulers helped spread her worship and her temple became a place of faith for everyone.

To make sure the temple continued to grow and serve people for many years, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji started the Shri Khodiyar Mandir Trust in 1953. The Trust offers various facilities to help and support pilgrims and visitors.

The Birth Story of Khodiyar Maa

It begins in a village called Roishala. Roishala was a part of the Vallabhipur region near Bhavnagar city in Saurashtra, Gujarat.

Mamadiya Gadhvi was on very good terms with the then Maharaja of Bhavnagar, Shilbhadra. Due to anger and jealousy in the royal court, Mamadiya Gadhvi was removed from the court because Mamaniya and his wife were ‘baanj’ as they didn’t have a child for years after being married.

Sad and depressed, Mamadiya prayed to Lord Shiva and decided to perform Kamal Puja by sacrificing his life. Just when he was about to prepare to offer his last sacrifice, Lord Shiv appeared and took Mamadiya Gadhvi to Nag Loka for a solution. Nag Devta had seven daughters and a son.

They asked Mamadiya Gadhvi to go home and prepare eight cradles. Soon after that, Mamadiya Gadvi’s wife was blessed with seven daughters and a son, even though she was not pregnant.

Khodiyar Mata appeared as the daughter of a Charan warrior called Mamadiya Gadhvi of Roishala in about 700 CE. One of the seven sisters is Janbai (Khodiyar Maa) and a brother, Mamadiya Gadhvi, names their daughters Aaval, Jogal, Togal, Janbai, Holbai, Beejbai, Sosai and the sonbai, Mehrak (Mehrakiya).

Khodiyar Mata also Known as Janbai

One day, Mehrakiya was bitten by a snake. Aaval suggests bringing “Ami” from the “Naglok”. It had to be brought before sunset to save Mehrak’s life. Janbai saved her brother’s life by travelling underwater to Nag Loka and bringing the “Ami”.

While returning, Janbai injured her leg and travelled on a crocodile to get back home. She walks with a limp (Khodi) and Aaval decides to name her Khodiyar and declares that she will be known and worshipped as Khodiyar Maa in the future. Ever since then, Khodiyar Mata temples have come up in various places where Mataji continues to bless devotees.

Facilities at Khodiyar Mandir, Rajpara

Khodiyar Mandir, Rajpara, offers various facilities to ensure a comfortable and convenient experience for all devotees.

Annashetra

For devotees who come only for darshan and prefer not to cook or prepare prasad themselves, a special Anna Kshetra has been set up. Here, free meals are provided to all visitors.

In addition, every Tuesday, the temple trust offers special prasad to devotees, which may include sukhdi, lapsi, ladudi, or mohanthal.

Lapsi Ghar

Earlier, devotees used to cook their own meals in the old dharamshala. Later, a special kitchen called Lapsi Ghar (also known as Prasad Ghar) was set up for preparing prasad for the goddess.

For groups who want to prepare prasad themselves, Lapsi Ghar has 40 gas stoves with cylinders. A small gas charge is taken, but all cooking utensils are provided free. A clean and comfortable dining hall is also available for devotees to enjoy their meals.

Free Medical Services

The Shri Khodiyar Mandir Trust also provides free medical services for devotees through its dispensary, which treats around 50 patients every day. The dispensary is open from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Vishram Gruh

A Vishram Gruh (rest house) has been built inside the temple complex for devotees. It has four big halls-two for men and two for women-with bedding for up to 50 people in each.

Places to Visit Near Khodiyar Mandir, Rajpara

Plan your visit with these must-see places near Khodiyar Mandir.

1. Sihor

Sihor is one of the talukas of Bhavnagar. There are many ancient places that can be visited during a visit to Khodiyar Mandir Rajpara.

There is a beautiful piece of architecture, a 12th-century Brahma Kund built by the king Sidhraj Jaisinh and Vijay Vilas Palace, made by the Maharajahs, with beautiful paintings and wooden cravings.

The distance from Khodiyar Mandir to Sihor is just about 7.4 km.

2. Palitana

Palitana is one of the holy places for Jain. It is located in the Bhavnagar District. Many Jain devotees all over India come to visit this place during parikrama.

There is a mountain in Palitana that has around 1300 temples of the Jain Saints, which are must-visit temples and all the temples have a different architecture, which is their speciality.

The distance from Khodiyar Mandir Rajpara to Palitana is about 39.4 km.

3. Bhavnagar

Bhavnagar is the central city of Bhavnagar District. There are many places to visit in Bhavnagar, like Bortalav lakefront, Gandhi Smruti, Nilambag Palace, Akshardham Temple, Victoria Park (The Forest between the City), Asia’s Biggest shipbreaking yard, etc.

Khodiyar Mandir Rajpara Contact Details

Reach out to Khodiyar Mandir Rajpara using the contact details provided below.

How to Reach Khodiyar Mandir Rajpara

Planning a visit? Here’s how you can easily reach Khodiyar Mandir in Rajpara.

By Train

Khodiyar Mandir railway station is about 2.8 km from the temple.

By Air

Bhavnagar Airport is about 21.6 km from the temple.

By Road

You can easily reach Khodiyar Mandir by road via the Bhavnagar–Rajkot Highway, just before Rajpara village.

If you are coming from another city or district, first reach Bhavnagar bus station. From there, you can easily take a rickshaw to Khodiyar Mandir. If you are coming from Ahmedabad, you can also get a vehicle from Nari Chokdi.

Distance of Khodiyar Mandir, Rajpara

Find out how far Khodiyar Mandir in Rajpara is from major cities and nearby landmarks to help plan your visit with ease.

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