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Bhadarvi Poonam at Ambaji: the pilgrims' road to the goddess
A night road of walking pilgrims, fed by strangers all the way to the goddess
Bhadarvi Poonam Mahamela is the seven-day fair at the Ambaji Mata temple in Banaskantha district, north Gujarat, one of the 51 Shakti Peethas, the great shrines of the goddess. It ends on Bhadarvi Poonam, the full moon of Bhadrapada (Bhadarvo in Gujarati). Dates: 9–15 September 2027 (expected), with the full moon on 15 September 2027 (expected). Many pilgrims walk to Ambaji, much of the way by night, carrying flags for the goddess, and the Banaskantha collector, who chairs the temple trust, announces the mela dates in July or August.
The days follow the full moon; the Banaskantha collector, who chairs the temple trust, announces the mela dates in July or August.
The legend
The Amba Mata temple at Ambaji is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas, the great shrines of the goddess; she has been worshipped here since at least the 14th century.
The sanctum holds no idol: the goddess is worshipped at a crevice in the wall, dressed so that a different form of her appears each time.
Ambaji's great week of the year ends on Bhadarvi Poonam, the full moon of Bhadrapada, when millions of pilgrims come to the goddess.
Customs
On foot to the goddess
Pilgrims walk to Ambaji, mostly by night along the Aravalli road, carrying flags as offerings to the goddess.
Roadside kitchens
Volunteer camps line the whole route, giving the walkers free food and water all the way to the temple.
Up Gabbar hill
On the full-moon day, after darshan at the temple, many climb to the goddess's shrine on Gabbar hill above the town.
Where to celebrate
Ambaji
Walk part of the night road to Ambaji with pilgrims carrying flags for the goddess, past roadside camps giving out free food and water, then join the full-moon crowd at a shrine with no idol.
The walk to Ambaji
The heart of the mela is the padyatra, the pilgrimage on foot. Groups walk in from towns and villages across Gujarat along the highways into Ambaji, above all the roads from Danta and from Hadad. For the length of the mela these roads are lined with rest shelters, food centres and volunteer service camps that give walkers free food and water all the way to the temple. When a group reaches the temple courtyard, it offers the flag it has carried.
The full-moon day is the peak, but the walking road on the two nights before it is the more striking sight. Gujarat Tourism counts more than 15 lakh (1.5 million) visitors over the mela, and the temple town itself is beyond capacity on the last two days, when the queues for darshan (seeing the deity) run through the night. Darshan is free, and so are the temple trust's meals.
The temple and Gabbar hill
According to Gujarat Tourism, Ambaji is believed to be the place where the heart of the goddess Sati fell, which makes it one of the Shakti Peethas. The sanctum has no idol. The goddess is represented by a crevice in the wall of the garbhagriha (sanctum), which is dressed with clothes, ornaments and a face mask, and two lamps fed with ghee burn there without going out. Photography inside is not allowed. Above the sanctum rises a 103-foot shikhara (tower) crowned with a marble kalash (finial) quarried at Arasur.
Gabbar hill, about 4 km west of the temple, has the hill shrine tied to the Ambaji legend. The temple trust counts 999 steps to the top (the district's page describes 300 stone steps and then a steep track), and a ropeway has run since 1998. On the summit a footprint of the goddess is worshipped under a pipal tree, and the lamp kept burning there can be seen from the main temple at night. On the full-moon day many pilgrims climb Gabbar after darshan in town; the walk is free, the ropeway is paid.
How to get to Ambaji
Ambaji lies in the Aravalli hills close to the Rajasthan border, in Danta taluka. The nearest railway station is Abu Road, about 23 km away; Palanpur, about 65 km, is the other rail base. Mount Abu is 45 km away, and the nearest international airport is Ahmedabad, about 179 km. Direct buses run from Mount Abu, Palanpur, Ahmedabad and Idar, and GSRTC, the Gujarat state bus company, adds thousands of extra trips during the mela. From Ambaji bus station a roofed walkway of under 1 km leads to the temple.
Where to stay and when to book
This is a mass gathering, and room prices in and around Ambaji rise sharply for the mela.
- Book about three months ahead
Rooms in Ambaji itself go first, then Palanpur and Abu Road. The temple trust also runs dharamshalas (pilgrim lodges).
- Trains on the day sales open
Book trains to Abu Road or Palanpur 60 days ahead, the day sales open.
- Arrive three days early to walk
If you want to walk a section of the pilgrims' road, arrive three days before the full moon. Two nights are the minimum, three are better.
Etiquette and safety
A few things to know before joining the crowd.
- No photos in the sanctum — Photography inside the temple is not allowed. Keep the phone away in the darshan queue.
- Crowds — The UK Foreign Office (FCDO) notes that stampedes have occurred at large religious gatherings in India. Avoid the densest crush on the last two days, go with company and agree a meeting point.
- Gujarat is a dry state — The FCDO notes that producing, carrying or drinking alcohol is illegal in Gujarat, and breaking the rule can lead to arrest.
FAQ
When is Bhadarvi Poonam at Ambaji?
Next mela: 9–15 September 2027 (expected), ending on the full moon, 15 September 2027 (expected). It usually falls between late August and late September; the Banaskantha collector announces the dates in July or August.
In which district is the Bhadarvi Poonam fair held?
In Banaskantha district, north Gujarat, at the Ambaji Mata temple in Danta taluka, near the Rajasthan border.
Why do we celebrate Bhadarvi Poonam?
It is the great annual week of the goddess at Ambaji, a Shakti Peetha believed to mark where Sati's heart fell. Pilgrims walk to the temple and offer flags to the goddess on the full moon of Bhadrapada.
Is darshan at Ambaji free?
Yes. Darshan is free, and so are the temple trust's meals. Only the Gabbar ropeway is paid.
How many steps are there on Gabbar hill?
The temple trust counts 999 steps to the top. A ropeway also runs up the hill.
What is the nearest railway station to Ambaji?
Abu Road, about 23 km away. Palanpur, about 65 km, also works.
Sources (7)
Facts checked: 21 October 2026. Prices and hours are approximate; check locally.