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SHIVA TEMPLE · FOREST SHRINE · PILGRIMAGEKedareshwar Mahadev
The forest Shiva of Dahod — Kedareshwar Mahadev, set among the wooded hills of the district, is the principal Shaiva pilgrimage shrine of the region, drawing devotees through the Shravan month to worship Shiva in a setting where the sacred and the natural are inseparable.
A Shiva pilgrimage shrine in the hills
Kedareshwar Mahadev is among the most beloved Shiva temples of Dahod district — a forest shrine set in the wooded hill country, where the name ‘Kedareshwar’ links the temple to the great Shaiva tradition of Kedar, shared with the Himalayan shrine of Kedarnath and the many Kedareshwar temples across India. The temple is a centre of Shiva worship for the towns and villages of the district.
Devotion peaks during the holy month of Shravan, when pilgrims walk to the shrine to offer water and bilva leaves to the Shivalinga, and on Mahashivratri, the great night of Shiva, when the temple comes alive with all-night worship. The setting is essential to the temple’s character: the forest, the hills, and often a natural water source nearby, create the atmosphere of a sacred place embedded in nature — the particular quality of the temples of eastern Gujarat, where the line between the devotional and the natural is gently and beautifully drawn.
For the pilgrim and the visitor alike, Kedareshwar offers a peaceful and atmospheric temple experience — most powerful during Shravan, most comfortable in the cooler winter months, and always enhanced by the beauty of its forest setting. (An active temple; modest dress; busiest during Shravan and on Mahashivratri.)
Dahod’s country gives the temple its context: this is Gujarat’s eastern tribal belt, where Bhil villages work the maize-and-gram uplands and the district’s faith runs comfortably across lines — the same families who dance at the Gher fairs walk Shravan’s pilgrimages, and the forest shrines like Kedareshwar belong to everyone’s calendar. The district’s other stops fold in easily: Dahod town’s historic mosque and the Chhab talav, the Ratanmahal sloth-bear sanctuary’s forests to the south, and the weekly haats that are eastern Gujarat’s best free spectacle.
Practical notes stay simple: reach the shrine by local road with directions from Dahod or Limkheda, expect basic facilities and a small prasad stall at most, and time the visit for morning worship or the Shravan season’s full life. October to March is the travelling window; the monsoon greens the hills gloriously but slows the unpaved last stretches.
A Kedar shrine in the forest hills
Kedareshwar Mahadev.
The name joins Dahod's shrine to Kedarnath's great Shaiva lineage.
Forest and hill make the setting half the sanctity.
Shravan brings walking pilgrims with water and bilva leaves.
The district holds it first among its Shiva temples.
Reasons to make the time
Shiva temple
The shrine sits in Dahod's wooded hill country.
Pilgrimage
Shravan Mondays fill the paths with kavadias.
Forest
Birdsong and forest quiet frame the worship.
Water
A stream or kund typically serves the ablutions.
Shivratri
Shivratri keeps the lamps burning until dawn.
Calm
Devotion and quiet share the same clearing.
What to look for inside
Shiva temple
The forest Shiva shrine of Dahod's hills.
Pilgrimage
Water and bilva leaves.
How to spend an hour or two
Offer at the Shivalinga
Water and bilva.
Visit during Shravan
The peak season.
Attend Mahashivratri
All-night worship.
Walk the forest setting
Hills and trees.
Find the water source
Often nearby.
Sit quietly
Devotion and calm.
A forest Shiva shrine
Kedareshwar Mahadev is a forest Shiva temple of the kind characteristic of eastern Gujarat — a Shivalinga shrine embedded in the natural landscape of hills, forest and water, linked by name and dedication to the wider Shaiva tradition of Kedar. The setting is as important as the structure: devotion and nature meet here. Worship peaks during Shravan and on Mahashivratri, when pilgrims come from across the district. (An active temple; modest dress; busiest in Shravan and on Mahashivratri.)
This is one of many places worth seeing here — the full guide to Dahod has the rest.
If this is what you travel for, browse temples across Gujarat.
The principal Shiva temple of Dahod district
Linked by name to the Shaiva Kedar tradition
Pilgrimage during Shravan and on Mahashivratri
A forest shrine where the sacred and natural meet
When to go
Cool and clear — ideal for visits.
The great Shiva month.
Hot; early morning best.
⏰ Shravan and Mahashivratri are the most devotional times across Dahod's temples.
Getting there
By Air
Vadodara (~155 km) or Indore.
By Rail
Dahod Junction — major station.
By Road
NH-47; buses from Godhra.
Know before you go
More to see close by
WATERKali Talavadi
A peaceful rural reservoir
FORESTDevgadh Baria
Old princely forests and a hill palace
2Machan Eco-Camp
Sleep among the teak and bamboo of the highlands
TRIBALJhalod
A lively tribal market town
6Tribal Haats
Colourful weekly markets of the Bhil belt
Tribal Deities
Sacred groves of the Bhil people
Where to eat near Kedareshwar Mahadev
Gujarati Thali
Comfort home cooking.
Tribal food
Forest produce & maize.
Makai
The maize staple.
Dal-bati
A rustic favourite.
What to eat
Hearty regional and tribal cooking — Gujarati thalis, maize staples and rustic dal-bati.
Kedareshwar Mahadev FAQ
What is Kedareshwar Mahadev?
The principal Shiva pilgrimage temple of Dahod district.
When is it busiest?
During Shravan and on Mahashivratri.
What does the name mean?
It links the temple to the Shaiva tradition of Kedar.
What is offered?
Water and bilva leaves to the Shivalinga.
What is the setting?
Forested hill country, often with a water source nearby.
Dress code?
Modest dress; respectful behaviour.
Related places across Gujarat
WATERFALLHathni Mata Falls
A forest cascade near a hill shrine
WATERFALLZarwani Falls
A monsoon cascade inside the sanctuary
Bhadkeshwar Mahadev
Krishna’s five-storey Char Dham shrine
RIVERGhela River
Sacred ghats flowing past Gadhada
4Nagina Masjid
A jewel-like mosque standing alone in the fields
3Jessore Sloth Bears
Track the elusive bear in the border hills
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Published 24 June 2026 · Updated 24 August 2026