Shamlaji is one of the largest pilgrim temples of the Sabarkantha district in India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. It is more commonly known among locals as "Dhodi Dhwaja Vada" because it always has a white silk flag flittering on top of temple. Its unique designs on the outer part of temple is one of its greatest attractions; the image becomes more interesting with the mountains in the background. The temple has a beautiful sculpture of Lord Krishna as Shamdiya bhagwan, with a piece of real diamond embossed on his chin. Shamlaji is also known for "Shyamalvan", a theme based garden developed by Social Forestry Wing of Gujarat Forest Department. Shyamalvan was inaugurated by Hon'ble Chief Minister of Gujarat, Sh. Narendra Modi on 18th July, 2009 and is now fast picking up as a tourist spot on the strategic Udaipur-Ahmedabad highway.

The Shamlaji is around 20 K.M. away from Bhiloda and 29 K.M. away from Modasa. Located off the National Highway 8, Shamlaji is frequented by state transport buses from Himmatnagar and Ahmedabad.

The Shamlaji Temple stands in honour of Lord Vishnu. The magnificence of the temple is enhanced by exquisite stone carvings, idols of gods, nymphs, musicians and celestial dancers, beautiful domed ceilings and a toweing spire. Scenes from the epic stories "Mahabharata" and "Ramayana" grace the walls of this 11th- century temple.

According to local lore, the temple originaed when surrounding tribes began worshipping an idol in a makeshift space at a riverside field. Soon they referred to the idol as Kaliyo Dev or "Dark Divinity". A local merchant built a more permanent structure to house the deity which was later beautified by the Idar rulers.