15 Best Pilgrimage Sites near Surat

Earlier known as Padliptapur, Palitana is one of the holiest places of pilgrimage in Gujarat, and among the best places to visit near Ahmedabad. It is about 171 km from Rajkot, and 214 km from Ahmedabad.

Palitana is a famous destination in Gujarat for being the base to the holy Shatrunjaya hill which is home to 863 exquisitely carved Jain temples built by devotees during a period spanning 900 years from the 11th century onwards. Along with Mount Abu, Girnar, and Chandragiri, Shatrunjaya hill is one of the most sacred places for the Jains, and among the most significant places to visit as part of Palitana packages.

Meticulously carved in marble, the temples in Palitana are famous for their architectural beauty. Out of all the temples here, the temple dedicated to the first Tirthankara, Sri Adishwar, is the most famous one. The architectural motifs of this temple are notable. Kumarpal temple, Chaumukh temple, Vimalshah temple, and Sampriti Raja temple are the other Palitana places to visit.

Distance from Surat: 369 Kms

At a distance of 29 km from Ahmedabad Junction, Swaminarayan Akshardham is a Hindu temple located in Gandhinagar city of Gujarat State. It is one of the most magnificent temples in India, and among the top attractions in Ahmedabad.

Dedicated to Swaminarayan, Akshardham Temple was commissioned by Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) after initiation by its promoter, Pramukh Swami Maharaj in 1979. It took 13 years to complete and was inaugurated in 1992. It is a Hindu house of worship and a spiritual and cultural campus dedicated to devotion, education, and unification. A specimen of fine craftsmanship, the Akshardham Temple in Gandhinagar is one of the largest and most prominent temples in Gujarat state.

Sprawling across an area of 23 acres, the temple complex consists of a splendid shrine, large prayer halls, exhibition halls, verdant garden, and research center. Built by using tons of pink stones, this gigantic temple is 108 feet in height, 240 feet long, and 131 feet wide. The Akshardham mandir consists of 97 intricately carved pillars, 17 ornate domes, 220 stone beams, 57 stone screens, 3 porticos, and 256 statues of spiritual personalities. The temple is found amid the spacious garden called Sahajanand Van. It is one of the must-visit places during Ahmedabad trip.

The ...

Distance from Surat: 283 Kms

At a distance of 16 km from Bhavnagar, Khodiyar Mata Temple is a famous Hindu temple located at Rajpara village near Bhavnagar of Gujarat. Situated on the banks of the Tataniya Wali Lake, it is one of the important places of pilgrimage in Saurashtra and among the best places to visit in Bhavnagar.

Shree Khodiyar Mata Mandir was constructed in 1911 CE by the then Maharaja of Bhavnagar. The temple is dedicated Khodiyar Maa, a warrior Hindu goddess born in Charan caste around 700 AD. She was the main deity of the royal family of Bhavnagar and also the ancestral goddess of Bhavnagar people. The Khodiyar Mata Temple at Rajpara is one of the oldest and largest temples in Gujarat.

According to history, Maharaja Wakhatsinghji Gohil ruled the state of Bhavnagar from 1748 to 1816. He was a devout follower of Khodiyar Ma and often visited the shrine at Mandel. There he prayed to the goddess to bring her holy presence to Sihor, the then capital of Bhavnagar state. Khodiyar Ma agreed and told him to lead the way, only on the condition that he doesn't turn around and check if she is following. Wakhatsinghji walked on until he reached a place right before Sihor. There he turned around to check for Khodiyar Ma, who said she would walk no further for he had looked. Mataji and her sisters decided to set base there. This place was Rajpara, which became the shrine of Khodiyar Ma.

There is a huge mandap inside the temple where one can see the beautiful idol of Khodiyar Mata. ...

At a distance of 28 km from Bhavnagar, Malnath Shiva Temple is a Hindu Temple located near Bhavnagar, Gujarat. Situated on Bhavnagar - Talaja Road, it is one of popular Shiva temples in Bhavnagar and among the best places to visit as part of Bhavnagar Tour Packages.

Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this temple is beautifully positioned in the middle of green slopes and streaming waterways. The temple is built in the traditional Gujarati architecture and houses a rock-carved Shivalinga in the sanctum. The tranquility inside the temple along with the lush green environment is bound to take a visitor away from the routine life. A walk around the temple after paying respect to the Lord is quite refreshing. One can also find the idols of Goddess Durga, Lord Ganesh, Lord Krishna, and Lord Hanuman inside the temple.

Malnath Shiv Temple is surrounded by Nature. Lush verdant greenery, a waterfall, several windmills and wind farm make it an ideal place for a picnic with friends and family alike. The landscape is breathtaking and energizing to the mind. Dhavdi Mata Mandir is another temple in the neighborhood. Nag-dhaniba, a picnic point on a riverbank, is a favorite spot for the families. The adventurous lot can go on trekking over the hill slopes nearby.

The best time to visit Malnath Shiv Temple is between October and March when the weather is fairly cool and the surroundings are come alive with lush greenery and meandering streams. One can reach Malnath Temple by local buses ...

At a distance of 28 km from Bhavnagar Railway Station, Nishkalank Mahadev Temple is a Hindu temple located at Koliyak near Bhavnagar, Gujarat. Situated in Koliyak Beach, it is one of the rarest sea temples in India you must include in your Gujarat trip and among the most visited places of pilgrimage in Bhavnagar.

Located about a kilometer into the sea, the temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple has 5 distinct swayambhu Shiva lingams on a square platform and each is having a Nandi statue facing it. This temple is submerged during high tides in the sea and emerges during low tides to reveal itself majestically, promising its devotees to wash away all sins. During the high tide, the idol of the lord is submerged and all that can be seen are the flag and a pillar. The temple was built with special care to withstand high tides and is truly remains an unsolved mystery to modern engineers and technology experts.

The temple is believed to be built by the Pandavas after the Kurukshetra War. Legend says that after killing all the Kauravas, Pandavas began to feel guilty for their sins. To discover reclamation for their sins, Pandavas consulted Krishna who handed them a black flag and a black cow and asked them to trail and said when both the flag and the cow turn white, they will all be forgiven. Lord Krishna also asked them to apologize to Lord Shiva after that. They followed the cow everywhere it took them and acknowledged ...

At a distance of 40 km from Porbandar and 65 km from Dwarka, Harsiddhi Mata Temple is an ancient Hindu temple located atop Koylo Dungar hill at Gandhvi village near Porbandar, Gujarat. En route to Dwarka from Porbandar, it is one of the oldest temples in Gujarat, and among the popular places of sightseeing in Porbandar.

Also known as Harshal Mata Temple, the temple is dedicated to Goddess Harsiddhi, the Happy Mother. The goddess is considered one of the aspects of Amba and Kalika, the Hindu Devi. She is also known by the names like Harshal, Harshad, Harshat Shikotar, Sikotar Momai, and Vahanvati Mata. The original temple atop the hill is said to have been built by Krishna himself. Krishna wanted to defeat the demon Jarasandha, so he prayed to Amba Mata for more powers. With the blessings of the goddess, Krishna was able to defeat the Asuras. After his success in war Lord Krishna built this temple and celebrated the victory with his Yadav community, since then Yadav community worship Harsiddhi Mata as their Kuldevi. Also, she is worshiped as Kuldevi by many Kshatriya, Brahmin, Rajput, and Vaishya communities.

At present no puja is performed in the original temple while the puja is performed in a temple built in the market by a Jain merchant Jagdu Shah around 1300 AD. According to the legend, the temple of the goddess was on the hill overlooking ...

At a distance of 30 km from Porbandar, Bileshwar Mahadev Temple is a Hindu temple located at Bileshwar village near Porbandar in the state of Gujarat. Situated on the banks of Bileshwar River, it is one of the oldest temples in the region and among the prominent temples to visit near Porbandar.

Also known as Bilnath Mahadev Temple, Bileshwar temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The Rabaris of the neighboring states and villages have much faith in this Mahadev and many vows are made to the shrine, several lamps of ghee are constantly burning here; one of these was kept up at the cost of the Rana of Porbandar. According to folklore, once the army of Aurangzeb captured the village and attempted to break the shivling, but Nandi, the celestial vehicle of Lord Shiva stopped them from demolishing it.

As per mythology, the first pooja was done here by Lord Krishna. The lingam inside the sanctum sanctorum is known as 'swayambhu'. Represents the Gujarati style of architecture, this multi-storeyed temple is built in pyramid shape rather than a spire. Apart from the Shivling, the temple also has idols of goddess Parvati, Devi Ganga, and Nandi. This temple is protected place under the Gujarat ancient monuments & archeological sites & remains act 1965.

The place gets a heavy footfall on the night of Shivratri and during the fair held on Amavasya of Shravana month.

Timings: 6 AM - 7 PM

At a distance of 46 km from Junagadh and 60 km from Rajkot, Jalaram Bapa Mandir is a Hindu temple located in Virpur near Rajkot, Gujarat. Situated near Kodhaldham Temple, it is one of the popular places of pilgrimage in Gujarat and among the best places to visit in Rajkot.

Jalaram Bapa popularly known as Bapa was a Hindu saint born in 1799 to Pradhan Thakkar and Rajbai Thakkar in the village of Virpur, Gujarat. His mother Rajbai Thakkar was very fond of saints and sadhus and no saint could go from Virpur without receiving the hospitality of Rajbai. He was a devotee of the Hindu god Rama. At the age of 18, Jalaram Bapa became a disciple of Shri Bhojalram of Fatehpur. With blessings of his guru, he started 'Sadavrat', a feeding center for sadhus and saints as well as the needy. This tradition of feeding people continues to this day in Virpur.

The temple is an actual resident house of Jalaram Bapa where he lived till his last breath. The main attraction in the temple is the portrait picture of Jalaram Bapa and original photo of Bapa which has been taken before one year of his death. The idol of Bapa is in standing posture wearing a white turban and a dhoti- kurta and holding a stick in the left hand.

Jalaram Bapa's birthday is celebrated at the temple with great pomp every year on 7th day Shukla paksha of the Hindu month of Kartika. A huge fair is conducted at Virpur on the occasion and millions of devotees visit Virpur to pay their respect to the saint and have ...

Distance from Surat: 495 Kms

At a distance of 62 km from Vadodara, Nilkanthdham Swaminarayan Temple is a beautiful Hindu temple located at Poicha Village in Gujarat. Situated on the banks of the Narmada River, it is one of the amazing temples in Gujarat and among the popular places to visit near Vadodara.

Dedicated to Lord Swaminarayan, the temple was built in 2013 by Shri Vadtal Swaminarayan Temple. Built mainly out of sandstone, the main temple is encircled by an artificial pond with a Shivling and a beautiful fountain. The shivling in the artificial pond can be accessed via a peacock shaped boat. The temple walls are exquisitely carved with figures from Hindu mythological scriptures. Every mandap has its own flag that waves in the breeze and the stark blue water juxtaposed with the sand coloured stone come together in perfect harmony to offer a visual treat.

Also known as Poicha Temple, the area is so clean and well maintained. In the main temple there are idols of God Vishnu with Sheshnag, Lord Ganesha, Hanumanji, 108 gaumukh, Saptarishi and 12 Vishnu Avatars. One can also visit Sahjanand Universe situated just opposite to the main temple of Swaminarayan. Spread over an area of 24 acres, the place consists of a big Idol of Lord Swaminarayan with height of 151 feet, more than 1100 idols related to Indian culture and Hindu pilgrimage, science city, amusement park, Water Park, boat riding, bhul bhulaiya, horror house, yampuri darshan, lights and sound shows in 3D and theaters.

The evening ...

Distance from Surat: 133 Kms

At a distance of 75 km from Vadodara and 160 km from Ahmedabad, Stambeshwar Mahadev Temple is a 150 years old Hindu temple located in the town of Kavi Kamboi near Vadodara in Gujarat. Situated between Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Cambay, it is one of the incredible places to visit in Gujarat and among the prime tourist places near Vadodara.

Stambeshwar Mahadev Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The architecture of the temple is very simple and is built on pillars, but it is still a very unusual must visit religious sites of India. The temple is mainly supported on pillars, hence called 'Stambeshwar Mahadev.' Popularly known as the Disappearing Shiva Temple, the temple is unique because the temple submerges every day during high tide and as the tide starts to get low it again starts emerging out of the sea, unveiling the 4 feet high Shiva Linga.

According to the mythology, this Shiva Linga was installed by Lord Kartikeya himself. Legend says that, Lord Kartikeya feels guilty after killing the demon Tarakasura. On the advice of Lord Vishnu, Kartikeya installed Shiva Lingas at three places and offered his prayers in order to absolve his sin of killing a great devotee of Lord Shiva. And, Stambeshwar Shiva Linga is one among them.

Sea traverses through the area twice a day every morning and evening to do the jalabhishek of Lord Shiva. Due to this unique phenomenon, the place attracts millions of tourists from throughout the year to see this extravaganza of nature. ...

Distance from Surat: 162 Kms