Travel Guide to Famous Temples

Jalaram Bapa Mandir is a renowned temple which is located at Virpur in Gujarat. This place has become famous owing to the birth of Sri Jalaram Bapa, a much-revered saint. There have been many events that had happened in this saint’s life at Virpur and people from all over come to visit this holy shrine.

Jalaram Bapa Mandir Temple Facts-

Jalaram Bapa Mandir Temple Darshan Timings

Here are Jalaram Bapa Mandir Temple Darshan timings –

Poojas and Rituals at Jalaram Bapa Mandir

• Aarti and Bhajan are regularly held in this temple airing both morning and evening.
• A pilgrim can contribute Rs 251 and host the arrangement of Sri Satyanarayan Bhagwan’s Katha on every Purnima or full moon day.
• One can hear bhajans that are held after Aarti every month.
• There are many eminent saints and Kathakars who talk about spiritual lectures and preaching’s during festivals that are commemorated by people in this temple.

Jalaram Bapa Mandir Prasadam Timings

• This famous pilgrimage destination is popular for charity and feeding the poor and needy people. Food is offered to people after 12 P.M. and around 8 P.M.
• This temple has seen no visitor returning home without food. Devotees are provided with Prasad twice a day without any cost.
• Every person in this ‘Darbar of God’ irrespective of him being rich or poor is treated as equal. They are also offered the same Prasad when they sit in the same row.
• The Prasad comprises ‘Ganthiya’, ‘Bundi’ and ‘Sabji’ in the morning and ‘Khichadi-Kadi’ and ‘Deshi Ghee’ in the evening.
• The food is served in a traditional dish of leaves.

The symbolism of the deity in Jalaram Bapa Mandir

• The idol of Jalaram Bapa is shown as a smiling man holding a stick.
• His idol adorns a white Paghadi and white dhoti-kurta.
• The idols of his patron deities Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, and Hanuman are also mostly found along with his idol.

Significance of Jalaram Bapa Mandir

• In 1978, the Jalaram Bapa Temple on the Dharmaj-Tarapur highway was built.
• The auspicious Sri Jalaram Bapa shrine comprises of the actual house complex where this great saint lived during his lifetime.
• There are many belongings of Jalaram Bapa, most important being the deities of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman that were worshiped by him.
• The main attraction of this place of worship is the portrait of Jalaram Bapa. Pilgrims can see a black and white picture of Bapa that has been taken one year before his death.
• The idol of Jalaram Bapa is displayed as a smiling man holding a dandaand wearing often a white turban and a white dhoti-kurta.
• One of the most distinguishing factors of this temple refers to the fact that it does not accept any offerings from February 9, 2000. This is the world’s first temple to not accept any money.
• Jalaram Bapa had adopted his daughter i.e. Jamnaben’s grandson, Harirambahi to be his direct descendant. Giridhar Bapa and now his son Jaisukhram Bapa is now in charge of this popular shrine of Gujarat.
• The ‘Samadhi’ of Sri Jalaram Bapa lies at the feet of Lord Sri Ram Chandra. This had entranced just on the left side of the Big Gate of the ‘Dela’.
• The “Jholi-Danda” is duly preserved in a transparent cupboard and Sri Hanumanji’s idol is also kept near the ‘Samadhi’ as well.
• The Temple has two trusts that function on a daily basis. The ‘Jalaram Satsang Seva Mandal’ is responsible for looking out for all aspects relating to the temple like maintenance of the Mandir, Atithi Griha, and Gaushala. The ‘Shree Jalaram Janseva Trust’ on the other hand handles services relating to education, healthcare, rehabilitation, and water plant.
• Shree Dr. Rasikbhai V. Patel is the President for both the trusts.
• This temple has three giant copper pots that were given by the Goddess Ganga duly filled with the holy waters of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers. The water from these pots never dries up and there has been no instance of a person getting sick from drinking this water.
• Additionally, the King of the Dhrangdhra provided a pair of large wheels to Sri Jalaram Bapa for grinding the wheat in the temple.

History of Jalaram Bapa Mandir

• ‘Jalaram Pradhan Thakar’ or Jalaram Bapa was born in Virpur, near Rajkot in Gujarat on 14^th November 1799 to his father Pradhan Thakkar and mother Rajbai Thakkar. His mother was very fond of saints and sadhus and no saint could go from Virpur without receiving the hospitality of Rajbai.
• Saint Raghuvirdasji had told Bapa’s mother, Rajbai Thakkar that her son would become a famous person preaching the importance of duty, devotion and good actions. Being a very religious lady herself, Bapa learned to respect, patience, self-sacrifice, duty, and grace from his mother.
• When Bapa was young, a visit from a saint was recognized as from his previous life and little Jalaram was spiritually inspired and started to chant ‘Sita Ram’ rhymes and devoted his life to God.
• Jalaram married Virbhai, daughter of Thakkar Pragji Somaija at the age of sixteen. Although he was reluctant, his wife extended her support in his work for the poor. At the age of eighteen, he set out for a holy pilgrimage with his wife and had accepted Bhojalaram. Bapa’s guru had started ‘Sadavrat’ which is a place where every poor will be provided with free food. Both of them worked hard on the field to grow grains and one day when they were run out of stock for grains, Virbhai was happy to sell her wedding jewelry in order to provide food for the pilgrims.
• Haraji was a tailor who was suffering from acute stomach pain and eventually came to Bapa for a cure. The great saint prayed and cured his disease. The tailor was surprised and fell at Bapa’s feet addressing him as ‘Bapa’. It is then that people started calling him as Jalaram Bapa. Devotees irrespective of their religion became his disciples.
• Lord Rama disguised himself as an old man and appeared before Jalaram Bapa. He complained of his age and wanted someone to look after him. Bapa sent for his wife who gladly accompanied the old man on his journey. The two travelers came to a river and the old man gave a stick and a bag to Virbhai to hold. Soon, Lord Rama disappeared and Jalaram could hear a voice back home saying to him that he can fetch his wife as it was Lord Rama who wanted to test his goodness. This stick and the bag are still on display in the Jalarambapa Ashram in Virpur.
• Devotee’s belief that the food given by Bapa to the pilgrims reaches the doors of heaven. In fact, until today, there are thousands of visitors who are provided free food in this temple and it never runs out of stock.

Festivals celebrated at the Jalaram Bapa Mandir

1. Jalaram Jayanti: is the most important festival that is observed in this temple. On the 7^th day Shukla Paksha of the Hindu month of Kartika, this celebration is enjoyed by the pilgrims. This festival is celebrated here on the 7^th day after Diwali. A huge fair is organized to mark this occasion.
2. Makar Sankranti: is another huge festival that is celebrated in this temple on 14^th January every year.
3. Pilgrims also gather to pray in this temple on a yearly basis to mark the death anniversary of Sri Jalaram Bapa who died on 23^rd February 1881.
4. Some other festivals that are observed here with much pomp and enthusiasm consist of Ram Navami, Hanuman Jayanti, Janmashtami, Diwali, and Maha Shivaratri.

How to Reach Jalaram Bapa Mandir: Road, Rail, and Air

• By Air– Rajkot is the nearest airport that connects Virpur with all the leading cities in India. There are many direct flights available and pilgrims can take an auto-rickshaw from the airport to reach the famous shrine.
• By Train– The Rajkot Junction is well connected with different towns of Gujarat and cities in India. It is almost 6 km away from the Teen Batti triple gateway and is a junction on the Western Railway Ahmedabad-Hapa broad gauge line. There are many express trains that are available from this station.
• By Road– It has good transportation system with all the neighboring states. There are many State buses from Rajkot to different parts of Gujarat. The ST bus stand is 2 km, west of Bedi Gate on the other side of Ranmal Lake.

Where to stay near Jalaram Bapa Mandir in Virpur

• Temple trust provides a nice arrangement for devotees to get free food and free accommodation called ‘Dharamshala’ without any cost.
• Hotel Madhav is basically located in Virpur close to the temple and is the best choice for rooms that are cheap and at affordable prices.

Where to eat near Jalaram Bapa Mandir in Virpur

• Virpur offers a lot of options to explore when it comes to fulfilling your appetite. The traditional food is vegetarian in nature and is rich in nutrition. Mostly, the Gujarati Thali comprises rice, roti, dal, sabzi, and sweets.
• There are many famous restaurants in the city that offer fine dining options at a competitive price range. The local eating joints also offer fantastic delicacies at lesser costs.
• Some of the must-have dishes that a traveler needs to taste refer to Khaman, Dhokla, Puran Poli, Shrikhand, Farsi Falafel, Khakra, Muthia, and Meethi Kadhi. However, alcohol is banned here and is not served at restaurants.
• Also, the Morning Tea, Lunch & Dinner are provided free for the Yatris in the Dharmshala run by the temple trust where free food is provided for the devotees staying there.

Nearby Temples in Jalaram Bapa Mandir Virpur

Apart from the famous Jalaram Bapa Mandir, there are some religious places in Virpur that tourists can pay a visit to. These consist of:

• Virpara Nath Mandir– Every tourist who visits Jalaram Bapa definitely pays a visit to this shrine too. Sadhus sing Hymes during the evening in this temple premises.
• Samadhi of Jalaram Bapa– It is a sacred place of worship as devotees come to pay their respect to Jalaram Bapa here. After Bapa passed away, he was laid to rest here.
• Samadhi of Jetha Bapa– This is another famous shrine that stands close to the Jalaram Bapa Mandir. There are many pilgrims who visit the samadhi and seek blessings from Jetha Bapa.
• Virbhai Maa Mandir at Triveni Sangam– It is a temple that is dedicated to Virbhai and celebrates the commitment and sacrifice provided by Virbhai.
• Khodiyar Mandir at Mavatar Vridhdharshram-  Being located in Mavatar Vridhdharshram, this mandir is highly popular and considered sacred among the natives.
• Gala vada Hanuman– It is dedicated to Lord Hanuman and worships his strength and commitment to Lord Ram.

Frequently Asked Questions about Jalaram Bapa Mandir –