ClariceLinderman at 01:30, 31 January 2026

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{{Short description|Lake in Junagadh district, India}}
{{Infobox body of water
| name = Damodar Kund
| image = Damodar Kund - Junagadh - Gujarat - DSC004.jpg
| caption = Damodar Kund at the foothills of [[Girnar]]. The Girnar Hills can be seen in the background.
| alt = Damodar Kund with a view of the Girnar Hills in the background.
| image_bathymetry =
| caption_bathymetry =
| location = Near the [[Girnar Hills, Junagadh, Gujarat]]
| coords = {{coord|21|31|32|N|70|29|10|E|type:waterbody|display=inline,title}}
| lake_type = [[Artificial lake]]
| inflow =
| outflow =
| pushpin_map = India Gujarat#India
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in [[Gujarat]]##Location in India
| pushpin_map_alt = Location of the lake within Gujarat
| catchment =
| basin_countries = India
| length = {{convert|257|ft|abbr=on}}
| width = {{convert|50|ft|abbr=on}}
| area =
| depth =
| max-depth =
| volume =
| residence_time =
| shore =
| elevation =
| islands =
| cities = [[Junagadh]]
}}
'''Damodar Kund''', located at the foothills of [[Girnar]] hills, near [[Junagadh]] in the Indian state of [[Gujarat]], is considered a [[sacred lake]] as per [[Hindu]] beliefs.

Many Hindus prefer to bathe here and immerse the ashes and the bones left after [[cremation]] of dead bodies, here at Damodar Kund due to a belief that the departed souls would get [[moksha]] here.<ref>{{cite book|title=Folklore Notes - 2 Vols. (Vol. I - Gujarat, Vol. II - Konkan) By R.E. Enthoven|year=1989|isbn=9788120604858|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eRkuXFD93zsC&dq=damodar+kund+girnar&pg=PA38|last1=Enthoven|first1=Reginald Edward|publisher=Asian Educational Services }}</ref><ref name=b>{{cite book|title=Global Encyclopaedia of the Brahmana Ethnography edited by K.S. Krishna Rao|year=2008|page=177|isbn=9788182202085|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M5EWgRdnLxAC&dq=damodar+kund+girnar&pg=PA177|last1=Krishna Rao|first1=K. S.|publisher=Global Vision Publishing House }}</ref><ref name=g>{{cite book|title=Gazetteer, Volume 8, Bombay (India : State)|year=1884|publisher=Government Central Press, 1884|page=442|url=https://archive.org/details/gazetteer07pregoog|quote=cremation.}}</ref> It may be mentioned here other such famous places for immersion of ashes and bones (Hindu rite of ''[[asthi-visarjana]]'') are in [[Ganga]] at [[Haridwar]]<ref name=b/> and [[Triveni Sangam]] at [[Allahabad|Prayag]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071230102815/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,798222,00.html "At the Three Rivers"]. ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', February 23, 1948.</ref>

The water of the lake has properties of dissolving the bones.<ref name=g/> The lake is {{convert|257|ft}} long and {{convert|50|ft}} broad and only {{convert|5|ft}} deep. It is surrounded by a well built ghat.<ref name=g/> The steps for going up the Girnar hills start near Damodar Kund.

At the foothills of [[Ashwatthama]] Hill in Girnar mountain range base, southerly to Damodara Kund is the Damodar Hari Temple. The idols here are supposed to have been installed by Vajranabha, the grandson of Lord Shri Krishna, the one who also is credited with [[Dwarkadhish Temple]] and many other. Historically, these temples are supposed to have been built or renovated by a Suryavanshi ruler named Chandraketpur, who is also accredited to have built the temples of Shiva at [[Bhavnath]], a testament to his tolerance for all belief systems.<ref>{{cite book|title=Gir Forest and the Saga of the Asiatic Lion By Sudipta Mitra|page=12|isbn=9788173871832|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J0rME6RjC1sC&dq=chandraketpur&pg=PA12|last1=Mitra|first1=Sudipta|year=2005|publisher=Indus }}</ref> The place underwent renovation during the regime of King Skand Gupta of Gupta dynasty in the year 462 AD. Lord Damodar here is considered by Vaishnavites as Adhipati of Girnar Kshetra.

Covering an area of {{cvt|32|acre}}, the temple is constructed using pink sandstone and consists of an inner Nij Mandir and an outer Solaha Mandapa, each topped with a ''[[shikhara]]'', supported by an array of around 84 exquisitely carved pillars. The Nij Mandir's ''shikhara'' is {{convert|65|feet}} tall and the Sabha Mandap's ''shikhara'' is {{convert|30|ft}} tall. The statue of [[Krishna|Damodar]]ji is found in the form of Chaturbhuj, each arm holding a conch, discus, mace and lotus, along with Sri [[Radha]] Rani. Both the idols are sculpted from black stone and are heavily decorated with gold and silk. There are other sub shrines dedicated to Lord [[Balarama]], Sri [[Revati]] and Lord [[Ganesha]]. There are several other ancient temples nearby with on and outside temple complex.

Devotees are seen taking a holy dip in the sacred bathing tank, Damodar Kund, before offering prayers at the temple.

The sewa of Shri Damodarji is being performed here in the Samprant-Yug by Vaishnav tradition. Shri Damodarji is the Ishtdev of the Giri Narayan Brahmin community and several other local communities. As per the traditional belief, Giri Narayan community is living here since around 12000 years ago.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.shreeradhadamodarji.org/ |title=Radha Damodarji Temple |access-date=2019-07-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181004051210/http://www.shreeradhadamodarji.org/ |archive-date=2018-10-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The Damodar Kund is closely attached to the life of [[Narsinh Mehta]], the famous 15th century [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]] poet and devotee of [[Krishna]], who used to come to bathe at Damodar Kund and is said to have written many of his ''prabhatiyas'' (morning prayers), in the natural surrounding here at the Damodar lake, at picturesque foothills of Girnar.<ref name=f/> At present, there is also a temple of [[Narsinh Mehta]], which is built near temple of Damodar, to commemorate the association of this great saint-poet with Damodar Kund and ancient temple of Damodar here. This temple was built in decade of 1890 during reign of [[Nawab of Junagarh|Nawab Sir Muhammad Bahadur Khan III]] at behest of his [[Diwan (title)|Diwan]] [[Haridas Viharidas Desai]], who used to public money by organizing [[lottery]] to build the temple and foot steps leading up the mount Girnar.<ref name=c>Census of India, 1961: Gujarat published by India. Office of the Registrar General, 1965, pp 818.</ref>

Narsinh Mehta in one of his verses mentions this fact as quoting self as under:
{{blockquote|([[Gujarati language|Gujarati]]:|ગિરિ તળેટી ને કુંડ દામોદર ત્યાં મહેતાજી ના’વા જાય.)}}

{{blockquote|at the foot hills of Girnar, there is Kund (lake) Damodar, where [[Narsinh Mehta|Mehtaji]] goes for bathe}}

Close to Damodara Kund, on the westerly to the Damodarji temple is '''Revati Kund'''. The kund is {{convert|52|ft}} long, {{convert|52 |feet}} broad and {{convert|37|feet}} deep. Because of the depth dip here is not safe for all. [[Revati]], who was the daughter of King Raiwat, took form from the fires of putreshti yagna. It is said that Raivata Kakudmin or simply [[Kakudmi]] left Dwarka and moved to Girnar Hill after Revati was married to Lord Balarama. Hence, mount Girnar was also known as Raivatachal, Raivatgiri, Revatak Parvat or simply Raivata. And Junagadh was also referred to similarly. '''Baithakji of MahaPrabhuji''' is located close to Revati Kund. The founder of Pushti Sampradaya Shrimad Vallabhacharayaji (MahaPrabhuji) once visited Damodar pilgrim, where he remitted the shrimad Bhagwat. This is 64th seat of Shri Mahaprabhuji. Close to Revati kund is another mythological place, '''cave of [[Muchukunda]]'''. The cave has a temple of Lord Krishna, and a Shiv Linga established either by Lord Krishna himself or by Muchkundh. This is the place where [[Kalayavan]], the great Yavana or Greek warrior king, who was chasing Lord [[Krishna]] was killed by Muchukunda's gaze in the Indian epic Mahābhārata.

There is another holy lake, [[Mrigi Kund]] located nearby in [[Bhavnath]] temple premises. Hindus prefer to bathe in all these lakes to get rid of their sins.<ref name=f>Fairs and Festivals of India: Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra by Madan Prasad Bezbaruah, Dr. Krishna Gopal, Phal S. Girota - 2003 - Page 157</ref>

Damodar Kund is one of the [[List of State Protected Monuments in Gujarat|monuments protected by the state government of Gujarat]]. It is a temporary [[Check dam|check-dam]] reservoir, which are being made and shifted regularly, in order to maintain water levels throughout the year at Damodar Kund. There are changing rooms, public toilet and other basic amenities provided by government, who have built permanent structure at Damodar Kund for facility of pilgrims.

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{commons category}}

[[Category:Hindu pilgrimage sites in India]]
[[Category:Sacred lakes of India]]
[[Category:Lakes of Gujarat]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Junagadh district]]
[[Category:Reservoirs in India]]

Damodar Kund - Revision history

ClariceLinderman at 01:30, 31 January 2026