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SHARAD POONAM · RANCHHODRAI · DAKORDakor Mela
On full-moon nights, above all Sharad Poonam, Dakor overflows — pilgrims pour into the Ranchhodrai temple of Krishna, many walking for days on padyatra to reach the town by the Gomti lake.
Krishna's town by the Gomti
Dakor is one of Gujarat’s great Vaishnav pilgrimage towns, centred on the Ranchhodrai temple, where Krishna is worshipped as Ranchhodji. On full-moon days — and above all on Sharad Poonam and Kartik Poonam — the town swells with pilgrims, many of whom walk for days on foot (padyatra) from Ahmedabad and beyond, singing as they go. Around the temple and the sacred Gomti lake, a huge fair takes shape.
The padyatra is the mela’s soul: in the days before each great Poonam, the Ahmedabad–Dakor road becomes a walking river — sanghs of villagers and city societies alike, flags and drum carts leading, tea camps and foot-massage seva stalls set up by volunteers the whole hundred kilometres — and the arrival at the temple, blistered and singing, is the devotional payoff a car ride cannot buy. Fagun Purnima in the Holi month is by tradition the greatest of all, when the crowds run into lakhs and the town suspends every other business.
Visitors who want the spectacle without the walk should reach Dakor the evening before a Poonam, watch the sanghs stream in through the night, and take darshan in the early slots before the queues peak. Ordinary days show the other Dakor — an unhurried temple town of prasad shops and the famous fried gota — and both versions are true. The town lies 90 minutes from Ahmedabad and Vadodara; October to March covers the kindest Poonams.
The Lord who came to Dakor
Tradition holds that Krishna, as Ranchhodrai, came from Dwarka to Dakor at the devotion of Bodana, a farmer who had walked to Dwarka for darshan for decades.
The Ranchhodrai temple was built in 1772 by the Tambekar family of Vadodara and became the focus of one of Gujarat's principal Vaishnav pilgrimages.
Full moons draw the crowds, above all Sharad Poonam in autumn and Kartik Poonam in November, when the town fills beyond capacity.
The padyatra to Dakor remains a living practice — groups walking for days from Ahmedabad and further, carrying flags and singing as they go.
Why come
Full-moon fair
The autumn full moon brings the year's greatest crowds.
Ranchhodrai
Ranchhodrai's 1772 temple anchors the whole town.
Padyatra
Padyatris walk days from Ahmedabad, flags aloft.
Gomti lake
The Gomti lake ghats carry the ritual bathing.
Big mela
The fair fills every lane with stalls and song.
Bhajans
Bhajan parties keep the roads loud for a week.
What to see
THE TEMPLERanchhodrai
The heart of Dakor's pilgrim year.
THE MOONSharad Poonam
Pilgrims pour in.
How it unfolds
Join the padyatra
Walk in with pilgrims.
Bathe in the Gomti
The sacred lake.
Take darshan
At Ranchhodrai.
Wander the fair
Stalls and food.
Sing the bhajans
Full-moon devotion.
Stay for the moon
Sharad Poonam night.
A town shaped by pilgrimage
The padyatra to Dakor is a devotional tradition in its own right: groups walk for days, carrying flags and singing Krishna’s praises, sustained by roadside stalls offering free food and water. On the great full moons the streets, the lakefront and the temple precinct fill shoulder to shoulder — a spectacle of faith that turns Dakor into one of the busiest pilgrim towns in the state.
More places to visit across the district are gathered in our Kheda travel guide.
Timing
The greatest crowd.
Another huge fair.
Poonam pilgrimage.
⏰ Every Poonam (full moon) draws pilgrims; Sharad Poonam (Oct) and Kartik Poonam (Nov) are the biggest melas.
Getting there
By Air
Ahmedabad / Vadodara.
By Rail
Anand / Nadiad.
By Road
Dakor, off NH-48.
More in Kheda
FESTIVAL
Vadtal Utsav
Vadtal is one of Swaminarayan tradition’s holiest seats — a lotus-shaped temple where festivals like Annakut and Patotsav fill the courtyards with colour, song and towering food offerings. Explore →
FAIR
Santram Mela
The Santram Mandir in Nadiad is the beating heart of a devoted following — its annual fair and daily free kitchen draw crowds to honour the saint Santram Maharaj. Explore →
LITERARY
Nadiad Writers
Nadiad earned the name “city of the learned” — birthplace of Govardhanram Tripathi, author of the great Gujarati novel Saraswatichandra, and a cradle of the language’s modern literature. Explore →
HISTORY
Kheda Satyagraha
In 1918, the peasants of Kheda refused to pay a crushing tax after their crops failed — a Gandhi-led satyagraha that forged Sardar Patel as a leader and helped shape India’s freedom struggle. Explore →
What to eat
PRASADGota
The Dakor sweet.
THALIGujarati Thali
Pilgrim fare.
FARSANFarsan
Savoury snacks.
CHAASChaas
Spiced buttermilk.
Dakor Mela FAQ
What is the Dakor Mela?
A great fair at the Ranchhodrai (Krishna) temple in Dakor, peaking on full-moon days like Sharad Poonam.
Who is Ranchhodrai?
A form of Lord Krishna worshipped at Dakor; the temple is a major Vaishnav pilgrimage site.
What is the padyatra?
A walking pilgrimage — devotees travel to Dakor on foot over several days, singing along the way.
When is it biggest?
On Sharad Poonam (October) and Kartik Poonam (November) full moons.
What is the Gomti?
The sacred lake beside the temple where pilgrims bathe.
How do I reach Dakor?
By road off NH-48; Nadiad and Anand are the nearest major rail towns.
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Published 24 June 2026 · Updated 3 July 2026