Places of Interest

In Botad District following religious places are of interest to visit.

Hanumanji Temple

Shri Hanuman Mandir, Sarangpur is a Hindu temple located in Sarangpur, Gujarat and comes under the Vadtal Gadi of the Swaminarayan Sampraday. It is the only Swaminarayan Temple which does not have the Murtis of either Swaminarayan or Krishna as the Primary deity of worship.It is dedicated to Hanuman in the form of Kastbhanjan (Crusher of sorrows).

This temple is among the more prominent ones in the Swaminarayan Sampraday. The idol of Hanuman was installed by Sadguru Gopalanand Swami. According to author Raymond Williams, it is reported that when Sadguru Gopalanand Swami installed the idol of Hanuman, he touched it with a rod and the idol 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, crushing a female demon under his foot and baring his teeth, standing among sculpted foliage full of fruit bearing monkey attendants.In 1899, Kothari Gordhandas of Vadtal appointed Shastri Yagnapurushdas to manage the affairs of the mandir; during his tenure, Shastri Yagnapurushdas renovated the site, built the adjacent bungalow, and acquired more land for the complex to bring it to its current state.

Swaminarayan Temple, Gadhada.

Shri Swaminarayan Mandir also known as Gopinathji mandir is a Hindu temple in Gadhada. This temple was built by Lord Swaminarayan himself.

This temple is one of six temples which was made under the supervision of swaminarayan.The land for constructing this temple in Gadhada, was donated by the court of Dada Khachar in Gadhada. Dada Khachar and his family were devotees of Swaminarayan. The temple was made in the courtyard of his own residence.The temple work was planned and executed directly under the consultation and guidance of Swaminarayan. Swaminarayan supervised the construction and also helped with the manual service in the construction of the temple, by lifting stones and mortar. This shrine has two stories and three domes. It is adorned with carvings. The temple is placed on a high plinth is a spacious square and has an assembly hall with large dharamshalas and kitchens for ascetics and pilgrims.

Swaminarayan had installed the idols in this temple on 9 October 1828. Gopinath and Harikrishna in the middle shrine, Dharma and Bhakti and Vasudeva on the western shrine and Revti-Baldevji, Shri Krishna and Suryanarayan in the eastern shrine. The idol of harikrushna has physique as same as lord Swaminarayan.