Among the most ancient Saktipeethas in the state of Gujarat, The Ambika of Arasur, occupies an enviable place. She is popularly known throughout Gujarat and Maharastra as Ambaji. The architecture of the temple is very artistic and wonderful, displaying Indian Culture and Traditions. A glorious Pot or Kalash shines at 103 feet height on the top of the temple, weighing more than 3 three tones as a whole. The shrine of the Goddess Ambaji, located in the village bearing her name, lies at the foothills of the Aravali mountain range. It is the principal shrine of the goddess in Gujarat and its origins are lost in the mists of time. The earliest reference to this location dates as far back as AD 746.

A triangular Vishwa Yantra, inscribed with figures and the syllable shree in the center, represents the deity. Surprisingly, and unlike almost all other Hindu temples, there is no idol in the sanctum sanctorum of this temple. This is a fact testifying to the temple's antiquity, since worship of images of deities became popular much later than the period in which this temple is believed to have been constructed.

THE SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS

Amongst the most popular places of pilgrimage in Gujarat is the famous temple of Goddess Ambaji. It is situated about 198 km from Ahmedabad on the Arasur Mountain of the Aravali range. On full moon nights, there is a colorful traditional festival at Ambaji and the full moon of Bhadrapad is the day when the most important, and elaborate festival takes place.

Agriculturists from all over Gujarat especially go to the temple for this festival along with members of the general public. There is a large fair on this occasion while in the evening, performances of Bhavai are held, and Garba programs are organized. The devout attend readings of the Saptashati, the seven hundred verses in praise of the goddess, and visit the temple for an auspicious darshan.

As the devotees come to the Ambaji temple on the Bhadrapadi Purnima, there is a tradition to visit a nearby place called Gabbargadh, a small hill two miles west of Ambaji. There is a pipal tree, at the top of the hill, which pilgrims circumambulate probably to show their respect to nature.

LEGENDS

The temple of Ambaji is recognized as one of the original Shakti pithas where, according the ancient scriptures written about the goddess, the heart of the Goddess Ambaji fell on the earth, when her body was dismembered. It is said that the tonsorial ceremony or mundan of Lord Krishna, one of the ten avatars of Lord Vishnu, was performed at Ambaji.

Eklingji (Shiva) temple is said to be the guardian deity of Mewar.

This deity was regarded as the virtual ruler, by the Maharajas of Mewar - who considered themselves to be regents (Dewans) under Eklingji. Ekligji (Kailashpuri) is a town situated in a beautiful valley and it attracts multitudes of visitors throughout the year.

Sri Nathji is an absolutely beautiful black marble Deity of Lord Krishna, standing with His hand upraised lifting Govardhana Hill. The idol of Srinathji, sculpted out of one piece of black marble was installed first at the Jatipura temple at Mathura (UP) by Jagatguru Sri Vallabhacharya.

Nathdwara enshrines Shrinathji - a deity of Krishna which was originally enshrined at Govardhana in Vrindavan. According to local tradition, the deity was discovered by Madhavendra Puri in the forests of Govardhan. Krishna had appeared to him in a dream and asked him to install the deity of Shrinathji who had been originally installed by Vajranabha, the great grandson of Krishna Himself.

Followers of Pushtimarg, the sampradaya (lineage) which now maintains the worship of Shrinathji in Nathdwara, believe that the deity's arm and face first emerged out of the Govardhan Hill, at which time the local inhabitants (Vrajavasis) and others, including the above mentioned Madhavendra Puri, carried out the worship of the deity's upraised arm and later, his face. In the Hindu Samvat year 1549, according to Pushtimarg literature, Shrinathji appeared to Shri Vallabhacharya, root guru and founding philosopher of the Pushtimarg (Path of Grace), and requested the Acharya to proceed to the Govardhan Hill to meet him and begin his (Shrinathji's) worship, beginning the Pushtimarg's current spiritual stewardship of Shrinathji.

Shrinathji was brought to Mewar, Rajasthan during the reign of the Moghul Emperor Aurangazeb, for the sake of protection from widespread destruction of Hindu temples. The chariot carrying the image is said to have become stuck in Mewar while traveling, and hence a temple was established with the permission of the then Rana of Mewar at Nathdwara. According to local worshipers, the Srinathji deity is believed to have originally self manifested from stone and emerged from the Govardhan Hill. Shrinathji was originally worshipped in a humble shrine and then moved to a larger temple on top of the Govardhan Hill. Vallabhacharya made arrangements for the worship of this deity, and this tradition was continued by his son, Vitthalnathji. It is believed that Taj Bibi, a wife of the Emperor Akbar, had visited this temple. It was during the 17th century that this image was shifted to Rajasthan.