Kheda, September 2: Dakor, located in Gujarat’s Kheda district, is renowned as the sacred site of Lord Krishna in his Ranchhodray form. Devotees from across the country flock here for blessings. Dakor’s significance extends beyond its magnificent temple; it is intertwined with a unique tale. This story narrates how Lord Krishna was so pleased with the devotion of his follower that he journeyed from Dwarka to Dakor—not in a royal chariot, but in a humble bullock cart.
This tale is linked to Bodhana, a devoted follower of Lord Krishna. In his previous life, Bodhana was a cowherd named Vijay Anand in Gokul, deeply devoted to Krishna. Time passed, and in the current age, he was reborn in Gujarat as Bodhana, with his wife named Gangabai. Over time, Bodhana became a fervent devotee of Krishna.
His devotion was evident as he would carry a Tulsi plant and travel to Dwarka every six months to offer it to Lord Krishna. As he aged, the long journey became increasingly challenging. By the age of 72, his body began to fail him, yet his desire to see the Lord remained undiminished.
Seeing Bodhana’s plight, it is believed that Lord Krishna appeared to him and instructed him to bring a bullock cart on his next visit to Dwarka. The Lord promised to accompany him to Dakor.
Following the divine command, Bodhana arrived in Dwarka with a bullock cart. When the priests saw him with the cart, they questioned its necessity. Bodhana calmly explained that he intended to take Lord Krishna to Dakor. The priests were skeptical. That night, the doors of the temple were locked. At midnight, Lord Krishna himself opened the temple doors, awakened Bodhana, and set off for Dakor with him. Bodhana carried the idol in the bullock cart.
On their way, they paused near the Bileshwar Mahadev temple close to Dakor. According to the legend, Lord Krishna touched a branch of a neem tree there, causing one branch to become sweet while the others remained bitter. This story of the sweet neem tree is still cherished in Dakor’s local traditions.
Meanwhile, the priests of Dwarka, realizing the idol was missing, followed Bodhana to Dakor. Alarmed, Bodhana was instructed by Lord Krishna to hide the idol in the Gomti Lake. Bodhana attempted to explain the situation to the priests, but during the dispute, he tragically passed away.
The story continues with the priests insisting on taking the idol back to Dwarka. In a dream, Lord Krishna instructed Bodhana’s wife, Gangabai, to appease the priests with gold equal to the idol’s weight. However, being poor, she only possessed a small gold nose ring. Miraculously, the idol became so light that it matched the weight of her nose ring.
Lord Krishna also assured the priests that a replica of the idol would be found in a well in Dwarka six months later. Thus, Lord Ranchhodray’s presence in Dakor was established.
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