The Holy Kunds (Reserviour) at Girnar - Ahmedabad

The Girnar is full of mysteries. There are many kunds (reserviour) at its foothill which are considered to be sacred. This blog would take you through the three kunds of Girnar. The first one is – Damodar Kund. It is considered holy, as per Hindu mythology and many Hindus prefer to bathe and immerse the ashes and the bones left after the cremation of dead bodies, here at Damodar Kund due to a belief that the departed souls would get moksha here. It is worth noting that other such famous places for immersion of ashes and bones (known as Hindu rite of asthi-visarjana) are in Ganga at Haridwar and Triveni Sangam at Prayag. Hence this is one of the most sacred places for Hindus. The water of the lake has properties of dissolving the bones. The lake is 257 ft long and 50 ft broad and only 5 feet deep. It is surrounded by a well-built ghat. The steps for going up the Girnar hills start near Damodar Kund.

Close to Damodara Kund, on the westerly to the Damodarji temple is Revati Kund. The kund is 52 ft long, 52 feet broad and 37 feet deep. Because of the depth dip here is not safe for all. Revati, who was the daughter of King Raiwat, took form from the fires of pruthesthi yagna. It is said that Raivata Kakudmin or simply Kakudmi left Dwarka and moved to Girnar Hill after Revati was married to Lord Balarama. Hence, mount Girnar was also known as Raivatachal, Raivatgiri, Revatak Parvat or simply Raivata.

Another kund at the foothills of Girnar is Bheem Kund. The reservoir is quite large. It is about 70 feet long and 50 feet wide. It appears to have been made in the fifteenth century. Even in the scorching heat of the summer, the water in this reservoir remains cold. Walking along the Western banks of the reservoir, one comes across a series of steps that lead downwards and are north facing. At the end of the steps is a small temple of Nagimata wherein there is a mass of stone. One can also see idols of Lord Neminath in the hollow of the left wall and that of the presiding goddess Ambika devi in the hollow of the right wall of the reservoir. The unfinished dome on the roof of this courtyard indicates that the construction work was left incomplete due to some reason.