Shiva amid the woods
Hatkeshwar Mahadev is one of the Shiva temples that dot the forested hills of the Dangs — a place of quiet devotion amid the green Sahyadri. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, it draws local devotees and pilgrims, especially during the holy month of Shravan and at Mahashivratri, when the temple comes alive with worship.
Shravan’s Mondays bring the temple its fullest life, when devotees walk up through the forest with water and bilva leaves for the linga, and Mahashivratri keeps the lamps burning through the night. The rest of the year the shrine belongs to its village regulars and the birdsong of the Dangs’ teak; October to March gives the easiest travelling on the hill roads.
Set in the natural beauty of the Dangs’ woodlands, often near streams or hills, such shrines weave the worship of Shiva into the deeply forested, tribal landscape of the district, where nature and faith are closely entwined. Forest and Shiva, side by side.
A Shiva temple; modest dress is appreciated.
A Dangs shrine that fills in Shravan
The shrine.
One of the many Shiva temples scattered through the forested hills of the Dangs.
Worship intensifies through Shravan, when devotees gather for prayer and offerings.
Mahashivratri brings the shrine fully alive with night-long devotion.
Set amid streams and wooded hills, the temple sits deep in the green Sahyadri.
Reasons to make the time
Forest Shiva shrine
A small forest shrine rather than a major temple — quiet for most of the year and used mainly by nearby villages.
Green Sahyadri
The setting is wooded Sahyadri hill country with streams running through, greenest just after the monsoon.
Shravan worship
Shravan, the monsoon month sacred to Shiva, brings the heaviest worship, especially on Mondays.
Shivratri
Mahashivratri is the temple's biggest night, kept with an all-night vigil and continuous worship.
Nature & faith
Forest and shrine are bound together here — the water and the trees are part of what makes the site sacred.
Local devotion
It sits deep in the Dangs, so getting there means driving through teak forest and Adivasi villages.
What to look for inside
Hatkeshwar
A Shiva shrine set among the wooded hills of the Dangs.
Sahyadri
The green Sahyadri country that surrounds it.
How to spend an hour or two
Seek darshan
Take darshan at the shivling, the focus of worship at any Shiva shrine.
Come in Shravan
Come on a Monday in Shravan for the temple at its busiest and most alive.
Sense the forest
Give the setting time — the forest and streams around the shrine are as much the reason to come.
Attend Shivratri
Visit at Mahashivratri if your timing allows, when worship runs through the night.
Enjoy the calm
Outside those periods expect to have the place almost to yourself.
Pair with the hills
Combine it with Saputara, Waghai and the Dangs' waterfalls, all within the same forest district.
A forest Shiva temple
Hatkeshwar Mahadev is one of the Shiva temples set in the forested hills of the Dangs — a place of quiet devotion amid the green Sahyadri, busy in Shravan and at Mahashivratri, weaving the worship of Shiva into a deeply forested, tribal landscape. Forest and faith, side by side.
Our the Dangs travel guide maps out the other places worth your time here.
If this is what you travel for, browse temples across Gujarat.
A forest Shiva temple
Amid the green Sahyadri
Busy in Shravan & Shivratri
Nature & faith entwined
When to go
The weeks after the monsoon, roughly September to February, are the best — green hills and comfortable weather.
Shravan in the monsoon brings the heaviest worship, though the forest roads are rough then.
April to June is hot, but the Dangs stay cooler than the plains below.
⏰ Visit at aarti time in the cooler months; combine the shrines with Saputara and Pampa Sarovar.
Timings & entry
- Open at worship hours
- Morning & evening aarti
- Best in the cool season
- Amid the forest
- Free entry
- Modest dress; remove footwear
- Respect worshippers
- Photography may vary
Getting there
By Air
Surat airport (~120 km).
By Rail
Bilimora / Waghai line.
By Road
Saputara / Ahwa.
At Hatkeshwar Mahadev
FAITH & FOREST
A Shiva shrine in the hills
What to shoot
The shrine.
Setting
Forest hills.
Moment
Aarti.
Best light
Morning.
Know before you go
More to see close by
WATERFALLGirmal Falls
The tallest waterfall in Gujarat
WATERFALLGira & Girmal
Gujarat’s mightiest cascades, in full monsoon roar
WATERFALLGira Falls
A wide curtain of water near Waghai
4Anjan & Padmadungari
Hidden waterfalls and forest eco-trails
Forest Deities
Tribal shrines among the teak woods
5Artist Village
Watch Warli artists paint tribal folklore
Where to eat near Hatkeshwar Mahadev
Gujarati Thali
Meals on the plains route.
Dhokla & farsan
Steamed snacks.
Saputara stalls
Corn, snacks & chai.
Tribal Dangi fare
Nagli rotla, bamboo shoots & forest produce.
Hatkeshwar Mahadev FAQ
What is Hatkeshwar Mahadev?
Hatkeshwar Mahadev is one of the Shiva temples that dot the forested hills of the Dangs — a place of quiet devotion amid the green Sahyadri. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, it draws local devotees and pilgrims, especially during the holy month of Shravan and at Mahashivratri, when the temple comes alive with worship.
Where is it?
The Dangs.
Is there an entry fee?
Free.
When should I visit?
October to March; at aarti time.
What's nearby?
Saputara, Pampa Sarovar and the Dangs' forests.
How long does it take?
About 30 minutes.
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Published 24 June 2026 · Updated 24 August 2026