Over the years, much has changed at Dakor. From a small village of
Dankapur, it has now transformed itself into a major center of religious
and commercial activity in the region. The small shrine of the original
temple is now encased in a large temple complex, which has grown up
around it. The current temple complex is set in a large square setting.
Four gates pierce the outer walls at the cardinal points. Various
offices and storerooms are set around the outer perimeter of the temple.
The actual temple is set on a high platform in a complex, set in the
style of medieval temples from the region. The form of Lord Ranchhodrai
is that of the Lord Vishnu with four arms. As is usual with Lord Vishnu,
he bears the conch, lotus, discus and the mace in his hands. The lower
right arm is held up in the abhaya mudra - giving protection to all
those who come to Him. There may be a lotus imprinted on the hand, but
it is impossible to confirm that without getting really close to the
Lord. As the Lord here is worshipped more as Krishna than Dwarkadhish,
i.e. younger and freer than the mature Lord of Dwaraka, His right hand
is often shown to hold a flute - a favorite instrument of the Lord in
His younger days. The upper right hand holds the mace, the upper left
hand holds the discus and the lower left hand holds the conch.
Ordinarily, it is difficult to see these "ayudhas" of the Lord in His
hands. During festivals, the hands encased in gloves of gold studded
with gems.
Dakor, in its earlier phases as pilgrimage center in Gujarat, was famous for the Danknath temple, a place of shiva worship. In the later phases it developed into a Vaishnavite center with the growing fame of Ranchhodraiji temple, which was built in 1772 A.D. Today this place is known not only as a pilgrimage center but also a trading center where one can get the articles related to puja, and other rituals.
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