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HANUMAN · KASHTABHANJAN · UTSAVSalangpur Utsav
Festivals at the Hanuman king's seat — Salangpur's celebrations, centred on the mighty Kashtabhanjan Dev temple, fill the town with devotion and crowds, above all on Hanuman Jayanti.
Festivals of Salangpur's Hanuman
Salangpur, in Botad district, is one of Gujarat’s most important Hanuman pilgrimage centres — home to the revered Kashtabhanjan Dev temple, where the monkey-god is worshipped as the “breaker of afflictions” — and its festivals (utsavs) fill the town with devotion and crowds. The temple, of the Swaminarayan tradition (Vadtal Gadi), draws devotees year-round, especially on Saturdays and Tuesdays sacred to Hanuman, but the great peak is Hanuman Jayanti, the deity’s birthday, when an enormous gathering celebrates with darshan, mahapuja, processions, annakut and the distribution of prasad. The recently raised colossal Hanuman statue and the expanded complex have added to the scale of the celebrations. Throughout the year, patotsav (anniversary) and other utsavs mark the temple calendar. The Salangpur utsavs combine fervent Hanuman devotion with the organising energy of the Swaminarayan sampraday, producing celebrations of great scale and warmth. For the visitor, the Salangpur Utsav offers a powerful experience of Hanuman devotion — best on Hanuman Jayanti or a Saturday, with patience for the crowds. (Festivals at the Salangpur Kashtabhanjan Dev temple; peak on Hanuman Jayanti; great crowds on Saturdays and Tuesdays.)
The Vadtal diocese’s stewardship shapes the utsav style — disciplined queues, spotless grounds and a warmth toward newcomers that first-time visitors remark on; October to March keeps the travel comfortable, and the festival dates follow the lunar calendar each year.
The utsav days transform Salangpur: Hanuman Jayanti brings dawn-to-midnight darshan queues, abhishek ceremonies and processions under the great bronze; Kali Chaudas — the shrine’s special night for relief from afflictions — fills the complex with vow-keepers; and the ordinary Saturdays between run at festival pitch by any other temple’s standard. The kitchens feed everyone, the queues move with practised efficiency, and the crowd itself is the spectacle.
Time a visit deliberately: festival days for the phenomenon, an ordinary weekday for the shrine’s calm. Botad and Barvala hold the nearest lodging when the dharamshalas fill.
Salangpur, Botad. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Devotion to the breaker of afflictions
Salangpur. Wikimedia Commons.
Salangpur's Kashtabhanjan Dev shrine anchors the utsav calendar.
The Vadtal Swaminarayan tradition keeps the temple and its festivals.
Hanuman Jayanti is the great annual peak.
The celebrations now draw lakhs across the festival days.
Why come
Kashtabhanjan
The King of Salangpur — the 54-foot bronze — presides over it all.
Jayanti
Hanuman Jayanti, in Chaitra, is the birthday peak.
Devotion
The devotion runs fervent and warm at once.
Utsav
The temple's calendar carries festivals through the year.
Annakut & prasad
Prasad and annadan feed every festival crowd.
Giant murti
The statue has become Saurashtra's newest landmark.
What to see
THE SHRINESalangpur
Kashtabhanjan Dev.
NEARBYGadhada
Swaminarayan's home.
How it's celebrated
Take darshan
Of Kashtabhanjan Dev.
Visit on Jayanti
The great peak.
Come on Saturday
A sacred day.
See the annakut
Festive offering.
See the giant murti
The new landmark.
Receive prasad
Festive blessing.
Salangpur. Wikimedia Commons.
A Hanuman festival town
Salangpur’s utsavs centre on the revered Kashtabhanjan Dev Hanuman temple (Swaminarayan/Vadtal tradition), drawing devotees year-round and peaking spectacularly on Hanuman Jayanti with mahapuja, processions, annakut and prasad. The recent colossal Hanuman statue has expanded the scale of the celebrations, which combine fervent devotion with the sampraday’s organising energy. (Festivals at the Salangpur Kashtabhanjan Dev temple; peak on Hanuman Jayanti; great crowds on Saturdays and Tuesdays.)
For everything else the district holds, see our Botad travel guide.
Festivals at the famed Kashtabhanjan Dev temple
Peak celebration on Hanuman Jayanti
Busiest on Saturdays and Tuesdays
Of the Swaminarayan (Vadtal) tradition
Timing
The great peak.
Sacred Hanuman days.
Pleasant season.
⏰ Peaks on Hanuman Jayanti; Saturdays and Tuesdays are busiest — expect crowds.
Getting there
By Air
Bhavnagar (~85 km).
By Rail
Botad Junction.
By Road
From Ahmedabad/Bhavnagar.
More in Botad
FESTIVAL
Swaminarayan Jayanti
The birthday of the saint — Swaminarayan Jayanti is celebrated with deep devotion across Botad, the Swaminarayan heartland, above all at holy Gadhada where Bhagwan Swaminarayan made his home. Explore →
RITUAL
Annakut
A mountain of food for the divine — Annakut, the day after Diwali, sees Botad’s temples pile vast, beautiful arrays of food before the deities in thanksgiving, a feast for the eyes and the soul. Explore →
FOLK
Dayro & Bhajan
Nights of song and soul — the dayro and bhajan gatherings of Botad fill village nights with folk storytelling and devotional song, the living oral culture of saint-land Saurashtra. Explore →
SEP – OCT
Navratri
Nine nights of garba Explore →
What to eat
ROTLABajra Rotla
With ghee & jaggery.
SHAAKSev Tameta
Saurashtra curry.
PRASADTemple Prasad
At the shrines.
CHAASChaas
Spiced buttermilk.
Salangpur Utsav FAQ
What is the Salangpur Utsav?
Festivals at the Kashtabhanjan Dev Hanuman temple at Salangpur.
When does it peak?
On Hanuman Jayanti, the deity's birthday.
Which days are busiest?
Saturdays and Tuesdays, sacred to Hanuman.
Which tradition is it?
The Swaminarayan (Vadtal Gadi) tradition.
What is the giant statue?
A recently raised colossal Hanuman murti at the complex.
What is nearby?
Gadhada, the Swaminarayan town.
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Published 24 June 2026 · Updated 3 July 2026