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Location-
The famous temple of Ambaji is situated in the city of Gujarat in the town of Banaskantha, which is in the North of Gujarat. It is situated approximately 24∙N and 72∙E. The temple is situated within the Aravali range and the city is surrounded by the Aravali mountain range which is also called Mewat. The city of Ambaji is situated on the border of Gujarat and Rajasthan.
Climate-
The place undergoes extreme weather conditions in summer the temperature varies between 26∙C to 40∙C and sometimes it even reaches up to 46∙C. And in winter the temperature falls up to even 6∙C. The average annual rainfall is 15 to 20 inches in the rainy season.
History-
It is one of the Shakti Peetha of India. It is one of the fifty-one ancient Tirth places in India. There are mainly twelve Shakti Peethas where people from different parts of all over India comes to worship, some of them are Mata Bramaramba, Shri Kumarika, Mata Maha Laxmi Devi, Vindhya Vasini, Mangalavati, Sundari, Devi Lalita, etc., at Srisailam, Kanyakumari, Kolhapur, Vindhya, Gaya, Bengal, Prayag respectively. Read Also: Kapileshwar Temple
The twelve Peethas are said to be formed when Lord Shiva carried the body of Devi Sati after she died, the body parts of Devi fell in different parts. The places where the body parts fell later were converted into sacred places, where people from all over come to visit. The Shakti Peethas are mostly worshipped by the tantra practitioners and are highly respected and admired.
About-
The place has no idol or picture of Mata in the temple but a cave that is gold plated and is connected with the holy shiva shakti visa Shree yantra. The place is not allowed to photograph and it is installed in a way, that it can be only visible for devotion. The place is allowed to enter after putting a bandage in the eyes and not allowed to open until the person comes out of the place.
Read: Shamlaji Temple | Shamlaji No Melo | History | Timings | Accommodations
Places to visit near Ambaji Temple-
There are many places to visit near the temple like the Gabbar Hill, where at the top of the temple there is a small temple of Ambe Mata, and at the time of Diwali a very big fair is set down the hill and the places is very beautifully decorated. To reach the temple up the hill one has to cross 999 steps. Another place named Kailash hill sunset, which is just 1.5 km away from the Ambaji Temple is a very famous place, mainly for the sunset view and it is also a pilgrim place and recently a very innovative stone gate is constructed to the temple.
Another very famous place which is 8km away from the Ambaji temple is the Koteshwar temple, which is considered to be a very sacred place and a holy kund is also attached to the temple. The temple is said to be constructed just beside the place where Valmiki Muni resided.
And there is Man Sarovar, which is situated just behind the temple. It is said that Mata Ambaji’s sister used to take bath in the sacred water. The place is rich in culture and heritage and is a very important part of our History. The temple is very sacred and the places nearby are also very beautiful.
How to reach & timings–
The place is well-connected with bus service from all over Gujarat. One can also take a cab from any part or any major city of Gujarat to reach the temple. The nearest railway station is at Palanpur, where anyone can take a cab or bus to reach the temple. The National Highway no. 8 is connected to the Ambaji temple.
The nearest airport is at Dessa in Gujarat which is 82 km away from the temple so one can take a ride of almost 6-7 hours to reach the place. And there is another airport which is 179 km away from the temple. So, one take also take a cab from Sardar Vallabhbhai International Airport in order to reach the temple.
