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Ashapura Mata no Madh
Photo: Raman Patel, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Famous temples · Gujarat

Ashapura Mata no Madh

Ashapura Mata's red-painted stone shrine in Kutch, Gujarat

Checked 19 Oct 2026 with matanamadh.org2 min read

DirectionsShare

Getting there

  • By air

    Kandla Airport is the nearest airport.

  • By train

    Naliya Railway Station is the nearest convenient railway station.

  • By road

    The village is about 105 km from Bhuj, and special buses leave platform 1 of the Bhuj bus depot every 10 minutes for Matanamadh.

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Rules to know

  • Animal sacrifice at the temple has been stopped.
  • Pilgrims can leave their footwear at stalls near the temple, which lock it up to avoid loss.

Why devotees come here

Ashapura Mata no Madh is a village temple in Lakhpat Taluka, Kutch district, Gujarat, about 105 km from Bhuj. Ashapura Mata was the household deity of the former Jadeja rulers of Kutch, and is also considered the patron deity of Kutch.

Legend says that in 1762 the army of Ghulam Shah Kalhoro attacked the temple, and his soldiers went blind by the curse of Ashapura. Ghulam Shah vowed to set up a huge bell in the temple once they regained their sight, and that bell still stands there.

Two Karad Vanias, Ajo and Anagor, put up the temple in the 14th century. An earthquake damaged it in 1819, and in 1823 Sundarji Shivji and Mehta Vallabhaji, two Brahmakshatriya, rebuilt it. The earthquake of 2001 damaged it again, and it was repaired once more.

The temple is 58 ft long, 32 ft wide and 52 ft tall. Apart from a passage for walking round the deity, it is much like the Koteshwar temple. Devotees from Gujarat and other states visit during the Navaratri festivals.

Festivals

  • Chaitra NavaratriChaitra Navaratri

    Thousands of devotees from Gujarat and other states visit the temple on these days.

  • Ashvin NavaratriAshvin Navaratri

    The more significant of the two Navaratri festivals at the temple.

Tips for your visit

  • A mega camp run by the shrine trust, about 1.5 km from the temple, can hold about 2,500 pilgrims at a time to rest before darshan.
  • Near the village is the Chachara Mata shrine, partly carved from sandstone rock.
  • During the pilgrimage, camps and relief facilities are set up along the road to the temple.

Darshan at home

Not in the app yet

Ashapura Mata no Madh is not in the Divya Darshan 360 app yet. These Famous temples temples are, with darshan videos you can watch at home:

In the appChamundeshwari Temple, MysuruChamundi Hill, Mysuru, KarnatakaIn the appDakshineswar Kali Temple, KolkataDakshineswar, North 24 Parganas, near Kolkata, West BengalIn the appShirdi Sai Baba Temple, MaharashtraShirdi, Rahata taluka, Ahilyanagar district, Maharashtra
Get the appAndroid

The app is free, Android only. For darshan as if you are standing there, see the VR box (₹899, or ₹949 cash on delivery).

Questions people ask

Is Ashapura Mata no Madh an old temple?

It was built in the 14th century by two Karad Vanias, Ajo and Anagor. Earthquakes damaged it in 1819 and 2001, and it was rebuilt after the first.

Is there another Ashapura shrine nearby?

Yes. A cave shrine of Jagora Ashapura lies on Jagora hill, about two miles north of the village.

Which Navaratri should I plan for?

Ashvin Navaratri holds more significance than Chaitra Navaratri, though devotees visit at both.

Why is there a huge bell in the temple?

Legend says Ghulam Shah Kalhoro kept his vow to set up the bell after his soldiers, blinded at the temple in 1762, regained their sight.

How we checked this page

On 19 Oct 2026 we checked every fact on this page against these sources, official ones first. Anything we could not confirm is left out.

  1. Welcome to Matanamadh, Shri Matana Madh Jagir Trust matanamadh.org
  2. Aarti, Matanamadh, Shri Matana Madh Jagir Trust matanamadh.org
  3. Events & Festivals in India, Ministry of Tourism (Government of India) utsav.gov.in
  4. Mata no Madh, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org

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