kavi kamboi
“Certain things capture the eye but pursue only those that capture the heart”. Kavi Kamboi is one such touristy and spiritual place which captures the heart and soothes the eyes. It is a place with one of the famous temples named Stambheshwar Mahadev temple. Kavi Kamboi is at a distance of 78 kilometres from Vadodara with almost 1 hour 30 mins drive, it is located in the Bharuch district of Gujarat.
Kavi Kamboi is well known for its renowned Mahadev temple. This temple is 150 years old and was built by Lord Shiva’s son Kartikeya. It is one of the most unusual Shiva shrines in India. Before I get into a brief story as to why the temple was made let me briefly describe the geography of this temple. It is a 4 feet high Shiva Lingam. It is a very simple temple in terms of its architecture which is located at Kavi Kamboi between the shores of the Bay of Cambay and the Arabian Sea. This temple is also known as the submerging temple because it submerges during the high tide and emerges out portraying the 4 feet high Shivling beautifully when the tide is low. This natural phenomenon takes place daily twice a day morning and evening to do the Jal Abhishek of the deity.
Coming back to where I had mentioned reciting the story in brief, we have a small interesting tale behind the existence of this temple. Lord Shiva has two sons named Kartikeya is the eldest and Lord Ganesh is the youngest. Kartikeya killed a demon named Tarakasur (He was a worshipper of Lord Shiva) as he was a trouble for the local people and the sages. The act made him feel guilty. He resorted to lord Vishnu stating his act and expressing his guilt. Lord Vishnu advised him saying “Killing a wicked person, who nourishes himself on the blood of the innocent people, is not a sinful deed. But, still, if you are feeling the same then I advise you to atone for your sin by worshipping Lord Shiva. Install Shiva Lings and worship them with devotion”. That is exactly what Kartikeya did. He instructed Vishnukarma to make the Shivling. He honoured the Shivling daily by offering his pooja in the form of sesame seeds and prayed “May my offering in the form of sesame seeds reach Tarak – the descendant of sage Kashyap” and this way he was absolved of his sins. So this is how the Shivling emerged 150 years ago.
The visit to this place can be planned for a day’s trip and one should plan it in such a manner that you get to witness the submerging and emerging process of the Shivling. During the Shravan month, Amavasya, Purnima, public holidays and weekends the place is flocking with people. You may also face problems with parking space which is free of cost. On other regular days, it’s not crowded. The beach is very clean except that the water is muddy and so you cannot enjoy the water by bathing in it. There is also an ashram where you can give donations to help them run it. The people who live there and take care of the ashram serve free meals from 11:30 am to 2:00 pm called an act of Seva. There are stalls near the temple which serve tea and light snacks but also advisable to carry snacks from home.
Below is the timetable referring to which will help you plan your day trip to this serene and beautiful place.
| SHREE STAMBESHWAR MAHADEV TIRTH | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date | Darshan Time | Darshan Time |
| Ekam | 09:15 To 15:45 | 21:15 To 03:45 |
| Bij | 10:30 To 16:30 | 22:30 To 04:30 |
| Trij | 11:15 To 17:15 | 23:15 To 05:15 |
| Chouth | 12:00 To 18:00 | Midnight To 06:00 |
| Pancham | Sunrise To 07:00 | 13:00 To 16:00 |
| Chath | Sunrise To 07:45 | 13:15 To 19:15 |
| Satam | Sunrise To 8:00 | 14:30 To 20:30 |
| Aatham | Sunrise To 09:45 | 15:15 To 21:15 |
| Naum | Sunrise To 10:00 | 16:00 To 22:00 |
| Dasham | Sunrise To 10:45 | 16:45 To 22:45 |
| Agiyaras | 05:30 To 11:30 | 17:30 To 23:30 |
| Baras | 06:30 To 12:30 | 18:30 To Midnight 00:30 |
| Teras | 07:15 To 13:15 | 19:15 To Midnight 01:15 |
| Choudash | 08:00 To 14:00 | 20:00 To Midnight 02:00 |
| Poonam – Amavastha | 09:00 To 15:00 | 21:00 |