Khimeshwar Mahadev Temple, Barda Hills

Deep in the wooded folds of the Barda Dungar — the low, green range that rises between Bhanvad, Ranavav and Porbandar in Gujarat's Saurashtra — sits Khimeshwar Mahadev, an old hill shrine to Lord Shiva that rewards the effort of reaching it.

• Along with the better-known Kileshwar Mahadev on the range's southern flank, Khimeshwar is one of the two ancient Shiva sanctuaries traditionally associated with these hills, and it draws a steady trickle of pilgrims and walkers rather than the dense crowds of the coastal Char Dham circuit.
• The setting is the appeal: a modest stone temple, a Shivalinga worshipped for generations, and a sweep of dry deciduous forest that turns emerald after the monsoon.
• The Barda hills are protected as a wildlife sanctuary, home to nilgai, wild boar, peafowl and, by local record, a small relocated population of Asiatic lions in past decades.
• The approach to Khimeshwar is part of the experience — a gentle forest trek along cart tracks and footpaths, often shared with Maldhari herders who graze cattle in the range.
• It is best treated as a half-day outing: an early start, a walk in cool air, unhurried darshan, and time to sit by the shrine before the sun climbs.
• Because the temple lies inside sanctuary land, visitors should check current forest-department access rules and, where required, arrange permission or a local guide at Bhanvad or Ranavav before setting out.
• The temple is most alive on Mahashivratri and through the monsoon-fed months, when streams run and the hills are at their greenest; it is quiet, unticketed and simple year-round.
• There are no commercial facilities on the hill, so carry your own drinking water, and go with a companion who knows the paths.
• For food, plan to eat down in the towns rather than on the hill.
• Bhanvad, Ranavav and Porbandar all have pure-vegetarian Gujarati and Kathiyawadi thali restaurants and simple bhojanalayas serving unlimited rotli, shaak, dal-bhaat, kadhi, khichdi and farsan such as dhokla and khaman.
• Many pilgrim-belt eateries here are strictly vegetarian; ask for a pure-veg Gujarati thali house near the bus stand or main bazaar.
• Pack fruit, thepla and water for the trek itself, since nothing is sold at the shrine.