Dandi Hanuman Temple (Hanuman Dandi)

On the low, wind-scoured island of Bet Dwarka, a short walk inland from the jetty crossings and the great Krishna temple, stands one of the most singular Hanuman shrines in India: Dandi Hanuman, also called Hanuman Dandi.

• What sets it apart is who shares the sanctum.
• By tradition this is one of the very few temples where Hanuman is worshipped not alone but alongside his son Makardhwaj, the two idols facing the devotee side by side.
• The name "Dandi" is popularly linked to the danda (staff) associated with the deity, and pilgrims completing the Dwarka circuit make a point of adding this quiet, saffron-smeared shrine to their itinerary before or after crossing to Bet Dwarka.
• The legend woven around the temple belongs to the Ramayana's Patal-lok episode.
• It is believed that as Hanuman flew across the ocean, a drop of his sweat fell into the sea and was swallowed by a great fish or makara, from which Makardhwaj was born; the boy grew to become the mighty gatekeeper of the netherworld ruled by Ahiravana.
• When Hanuman descended to rescue Rama and Lakshmana, father and son are said to have met here in combat before recognising one another.
• A charming local belief holds that the two deities, once placed close together, are slowly drifting apart within the shrine over the centuries.
• As with all such lore, these are matters of devotional tradition rather than record, and the temple is best approached in that spirit.
• The setting is unpretentious and deeply atmospheric: a modest structure amid the scrubby, salt-laced flatlands of the Okha-Bet Dwarka coast, alive with the ring of temple bells, the flutter of orange pennants and the murmur of Tuesday and Saturday crowds, the days most auspicious to Hanuman.
• Reaching it means taking the short ferry from Okha jetty to Bet Dwarka island, then a brief auto or walk; combine it easily with the Bet Dwarka Krishna temple and the beaches nearby.
• For food, keep expectations simple and pilgrim-style: Bet Dwarka and the Okha jetty area have basic pure-vegetarian eateries and prasad stalls serving Gujarati fare such as thali, khichdi, kadhi, bhajiya and hot tea, with the fuller sit-down options back across in Dwarka town.
• Since this is a working fishing coast, choose clearly marked pure-veg Gujarati and Kathiyawadi thali kitchens along the Dwarka temple road, or the temple-run bhojanalayas, rather than harbour-side stalls.
• Carry drinking water, and remember Gujarat is a dry state, so no alcohol is served or available anywhere in the region.