On September 4, devotees across the nation will celebrate Krishna Janmashtami with immense fervor during the auspicious conjunction of Ashtami tithi of the Krishna Paksha in the month of Bhadrapada and the Rohini Nakshatra. While Lord Krishna is worshiped in various divine forms across India, the sacred legend behind the Ranchhodraiji Temple in Dakor, located in the Kheda district of Gujarat, holds a uniquely mesmerizing place in spiritual history. This is not merely the history of a grand architectural monument, but a deeply moving chronicle of how the Lord of the Universe left the royal splendor of Dwarka to travel to Dakor in a simple bullock cart, solely to honor the pure devotion of his humble follower.
From Cowherd Vijayanand in Gokul to Devotee Bodana in Dakor
According to ancient scriptures, Bodana, who became celebrated in Kali Yuga as an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna, was originally a cowherd named Vijayanand in Gokul in his previous life. Having been born on the holy soil of Gokul, his heart was permanently imbued with selfless affection for the divine child Krishna. In the cycle of rebirth, he took birth in Gujarat as Bodana, where his wife Gangabai actively supported his spiritual journey. Bodana devoted his entire life to the worship of Lord Krishna, chanting the divine names without any personal desires or material expectations.
Walking to Dwarka Every Six Months for 72 Years with a Tulsi Plant
The depth of Bodana’s devotion was evident from his extraordinary pilgrimage routine. Every six months, he would set out on foot from Dakor to Dwarka, carrying a live Tulsi plant in his hands. Upon reaching the famous temple, he would lovingly offer Tulsi leaves at the feet of Lord Dwarkadhish. He maintained this arduous pilgrimage for decades without fail. However, as Bodana reached around 72 years of age, his physical strength began to fail, making the long journey nearly impossible. Despite his frail health, his longing to behold his deity remained unquenched. Touched by his unconditional love, Lord Krishna appeared before Bodana and instructed him to bring a bullock cart on his next journey to Dwarka, promising that he would personally travel back with him to Dakor.
Miracle at Midnight: Temple Doors Unlocked Automatically
Overjoyed by the divine directive, the elderly Bodana arranged a basic bullock cart and journeyed to Dwarka. When the resident priests at the Dwarka temple saw the poor old man arriving with a cart, they inquired about its purpose. Bodana innocently replied that he had come to take Lord Krishna back to Dakor with him. Dismissing his statement as the delusion of an old man, the priests mocked him and locked the massive doors of the inner sanctum before retiring for the night. At midnight, however, a miraculous event unfolded. The heavy locked gates of the sanctum opened on their own. Lord Krishna stepped out, awakened the sleeping Bodana, and seated himself inside the bullock cart. Deeply overwhelmed with joy, Bodana placed the sacred idol in the cart and departed toward Dakor.
Rest Near Bileshwar Mahadev and the Sacred Legend of the Sweet Neem
En route from Dwarka to Dakor, Lord Krishna and Bodana paused to rest near the Bileshwar Mahadev temple close to Dakor. Local folklore recalls that during this brief halt, Lord Krishna touched a branch of a nearby neem tree. Miraculously, that specific branch turned sweet to the taste, while the rest of the branches on the tree retained their natural bitterness. Even today, pilgrims visiting Dakor honor this sweet neem tree, and the tale remains a beloved part of Gujarati folk traditions.
Concealment in Gomti Pond and the Dispute with Dwarka Priests
Meanwhile, when the priests in Dwarka discovered the sanctum empty the following morning, they realized Bodana’s words had come true. Filled with anxiety and anger, they pursued Bodana to Dakor. Seeing the priests approach, Bodana panicked. It is believed that upon Lord Krishna’s advice, Bodana submerged the holy idol in the waters of Gomti pond for safekeeping. When the priests confronted Bodana, a heated altercation ensued, during which the elderly devotee collapsed and died.
The Miracle of the Gold Nose Ring and the Permanent Abode at Dakor
Even after Bodana’s demise, the priests insisted on retrieving the idol and taking it back to Dwarka. Lord Krishna then appeared in a dream to Bodana’s grieving widow, Gangabai, advising her to offer the priests gold equivalent to the weight of the idol. Gangabai was extremely poor and possessed only a small gold nose ring. Yet, when the tiny nose ring was placed on one side of a balance scale and the heavy stone idol on the other, a divine miracle occurred. The idol magically became as light as the single nose ring. Stunned by this divine intervention, the priests relinquished their claim. Lord Krishna assured them that six months later, a replica of his idol would be discovered in a well in Dwarka. From that day onward, Lord Krishna took up permanent residence in Dakor as Ranchhodraiji.
