Galteshwar Mahadev Temple
Shiva (as Galteshwar Mahadev) temple · Sarnal (near Dakor), Thasra taluka, Kheda, Gujarat, India
Galteshwar Mahadev Temple is a Shiva temple at Sarnal village in Thasra taluka of Kheda district, Gujarat. It stands on the bank of the Mahi where the smaller Galti (also spelt Galati) river joins it, a short distance from the pilgrimage town of Dakor. Wikipedia records that the temple takes its name from the Galti river.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) dates the temple to the 12th century, in the period of the Chaulukya (Solanki) rulers of Gujarat, and protects it as a Monument of National Importance. Its plan and decoration follow the bhumija manner of temple building associated with Malwa, which makes it unusual in Gujarat. Shiva is still worshipped here, and in 2021 the ASI completed a new spire over a sanctum that had stood without one for more than a century.
Faith & Tradition
Religious Significance of Galteshwar Mahadev Temple
Gujarat Tourism describes Galteshwar as a Solanki-era Shiva temple and notes that, on the rocky bank of the Mahi, water from a spring of the Galti continuously falls on the Shiva linga. DeshGujarat reported the same feature in 2021. Devotees regard the confluence site as sacred, and Wikipedia records that large numbers of pilgrims come on Mahashivaratri.
Local tradition links the place with the sage Galav (Galav Muni), who is said to have lived here, and with Chandrahas, a figure from the Puranas; both Gujarat Tourism and DeshGujarat repeat these associations, which should be read as tradition rather than recorded history. The temple's nearness to Dakor, the town of the Ranchhodrai (Krishna) temple, means that many pilgrims visit both. The Kheda district administration reports that the site receives more than 25 lakh devotees and tourists a year.
Heritage
History of Galteshwar Mahadev Temple
Historians and the ASI place the construction in the 12th century. Wikipedia, citing the architectural historian M. A. Dhaky's study of the chronology of Solanki temples, notes that he connected the temple's mouldings, decoration and sculpture with the reign of the Chaulukya king Kumarapala. Hasmukh Sankalia's 'The Archaeology of Gujarat' (1941) also discusses the temple among medieval monuments of the region.
The temple was among the earliest monuments in the area to receive legal protection: the National Monuments Authority's list of monuments of the ASI's Vadodara Circle gives 27 May 1909 as the date of notification for the 'Temple of Galteshwar' in Kheda district. Wikipedia records that the shikhara (spire) and mandapa collapsed in 1908. A popular belief, reported by DeshGujarat, holds that the original spire was demolished centuries ago; no source consulted confirms this.
For more than a hundred years the temple stood without a spire, and the Kheda district page describes earlier attempts to complete it that were left unfinished. According to DeshGujarat, the ASI began work on a new shikhara around 2018 and finished it in 2021. A 52-gaj religious flag was hoisted on the 75-foot spire on 6 September 2021, the Somvati Amas at the end of Shravan, in the presence of a minister of state, local legislators and saints. The temple's caretaker at that time, Ramdes Maharaj, was quoted in the report.
Architecture and sacred features
Wikipedia describes Galteshwar as a bhumija-style temple in the Malwa tradition, showing Gujarati Chaulukya influence, and notes that such temples are rare in Gujarat. The sanctum (garbhagriha) is square inside but circular outside, about 24 feet across, with niches in its recesses that hold images of the dikpalas, the guardians of the eight directions. The hall (mandapa) is eight-sided and cruciform in plan, carried on eight inner and sixteen outer pillars.
The outer walls are densely carved. Gujarat Tourism lists gods, gandharvas (celestial musicians), sages, human figures, horse and elephant riders, chariots and palanquins, and says the carvings follow human life from birth to death. DeshGujarat reports that the ASI compares the sculptural and decorative style with that of the earlier Somnath temple.
Plan Your Visit
Darshan and Visitor Information
Galteshwar is both a working Shiva shrine and an ASI-protected monument, so respect the rules for protected sites: do not climb on, touch or mark the carved surfaces, and follow any instructions posted by the ASI. The riverbank can be slippery and water levels at a confluence can change quickly, especially in the monsoon. Crowds are heaviest on Mahashivaratri and fair days. Confirm current visiting arrangements with the ASI Vadodara Circle or the Kheda district administration before travelling.
Timings and arrangements change with seasons and festivals. Confirm current details with Protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (Vadodara Circle) before travelling. Last reviewed 1 November 2026.
Sacred Calendar
Festivals at Galteshwar Mahadev Temple
Mahashivaratri
Wikipedia records that large numbers of devotees visit the temple on Mahashivaratri.
Janmashtami fair
One of two fairs held each year at the temple, according to Wikipedia.
Sharad Purnima fair
The second of the temple's two annual fairs, on the full-moon night of Ashvin.
Location
How to Reach Galteshwar Mahadev Temple
Gujarat Tourism places the temple about 16 km from Dakor; the Kheda district page gives 10–12 km from Dakor's Thakorji temple, and about 50 km from Nadiad and 51 km from Anand. Private and state transport (ST) buses run to Dakor from Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Anand.
The nearest major railway stations are Nadiad and Anand, and Umreth, the terminus of a branch line, is about 7 km away according to both pages. The nearest airports are Vadodara (about 78 km) and Ahmedabad (about 90 km).
Location: Sarnal (near Dakor), Thasra taluka, Kheda, Gujarat, India
Nearest airport: Vadodara (about 78 km, per Gujarat Tourism)
Nearest railway station: Nadiad or Anand; Umreth branch-line terminus about 7 km
More in Hindu temples in Gujarat · Shiva (as Galteshwar Mahadev) temples · Temples in Kheda District
Questions
Galteshwar Mahadev Temple: Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Galteshwar Mahadev Temple?
It is at Sarnal village in Thasra taluka, Kheda district, Gujarat, at the meeting point of the Mahi and Galti rivers, about 10–16 km from Dakor.
How old is Galteshwar Temple?
The ASI dates it to the 12th century, in the Chaulukya (Solanki) period. M. A. Dhaky linked its decoration to the reign of King Kumarapala.
Is Galteshwar Temple protected by the ASI?
Yes. It is a Monument of National Importance (N-GJ-144) under the Archaeological Survey of India; its notification as a protected monument dates to 27 May 1909.
Why did the temple have no spire?
Wikipedia records that the shikhara and mandapa collapsed in 1908. The ASI built a new spire, which was completed in 2021, when a flag was hoisted on the 75-foot shikhara.
What is special about Galteshwar's architecture?
It is a bhumija-style temple of the Malwa tradition, rare in Gujarat, with a sanctum that is square inside and circular outside and an eight-sided mandapa on 24 pillars.
When are the fairs at Galteshwar?
Two fairs are held each year, on Janmashtami and Sharad Purnima, and the temple also draws large crowds on Mahashivaratri.
Sources and attribution
- Wikipedia — Galteshwar Temple
- Wikipedia — List of Monuments of National Importance in Gujarat
- National Monuments Authority / Archaeological Survey of India, Vadodara Circle — Monuments of Vadodara Circle
- Gujarat Tourism — Galteshwar Mahadev Temple
- District Administration, Kheda (NIC) — Galteshwar Mahadev Temple
- DeshGujarat — Ancient Galteshwar Mahadev Mandir gets Shikhar through Central govt arm ASI efforts
Further reading: Galteshwar Mahadev Temple on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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