Hanuman Dandi Temple, Bet Dwarka: The Father and Son Shrine

Of all the shrines scattered across the holy island of Bet Dwarka, none is quite as surprising as the Hanuman Dandi Temple. Lord Hanuman is revered across Hinduism as a lifelong celibate, yet here and only here, he is worshipped together with his son, Makardhwaj, in a joyful temple that celebrates their reunion. It is one of the most distinctive stops in the Bet Dwarka pilgrimage and a short journey from the temple city of Dwarka itself. This guide, from the team behind Somnath Dwarka Tour Package, a unit of Experience My India, covers the legend behind the shrine, its unusual idols, how to reach it and everything you need to plan your visit.

Quick facts

The legend of Hanuman and Makardhwaj

The temple commemorates one of the most remarkable episodes in the Ramayana, the meeting of Lord Hanuman and his son, Makardhwaj. The story begins with the burning of Lanka. After setting the kingdom ablaze during Lanka Dahan, a heavily sweating Hanuman dipped into the ocean to cool himself. A single drop of his sweat fell into the sea and was swallowed by a giant sea creature, a Makara and from that divine droplet Makardhwaj was born, a being with the upper body of a Vanara, a monkey, like his father and the lower body of a reptile, like the creature that bore him.

The demon king Ahiravana, ruler of the netherworld, found and raised Makardhwaj, appointing him the powerful guardian of the gates of his fortress in Patala, the underworld. Later, during the great war, Ahiravana abducted Lord Rama and Lakshmana and carried them down to Patala. Hanuman descended into the underworld to rescue them and at the fortress gates he was challenged by a mighty warrior. A fierce duel ensued between them until, amazed by the warrior's strength, Hanuman asked his identity and Makardhwaj declared himself to be Hanuman's own son.

Hanuman, astonished, confirmed the truth of it through deep meditation. Even so, Makardhwaj insisted on fulfilling his sworn duty to fight any intruder at the gates and so father and son fought, with Hanuman at last defeating and binding his son in order to pass. Hanuman went on to rescue Rama and Lakshmana and defeat Ahiravana and before leaving he crowned the loyal and valiant Makardhwaj as the new ruler of Patala. The Hanuman Dandi Temple marks the sacred site where this father and son were reunited.

What makes the temple unique

The Hanuman Dandi Temple is extraordinary on several counts. It is widely held to be the only temple in the world where Lord Hanuman is worshipped together with his son, which is why it draws pilgrims from across India. Because Hanuman is revered everywhere as a Brahmachari, a lifelong celibate ascetic, this is the exceptionally rare place where his direct lineage and progeny are actively worshipped alongside him, a beautiful paradox at the heart of the shrine. It stands among the most memorable of the island's sacred sites, alongside those covered in our places to visit in Bet Dwarka guide.

Several distinctive features set the temple apart:

• The unarmed idols: unlike traditional Hanuman idols that hold a mace and face enemies, the deities here are entirely weaponless, smiling and shown in a joyous, relaxed posture, the Dandi form, to celebrate their peaceful reunion.

• The shifting idols: a much-loved local legend holds that the two separate stone idols are slowly moving closer together, by a fraction of an inch over the passing of each age or Yuga.

• The betel nut tradition: pilgrims commonly offer a whole betel nut, supari, to the deities when making a wish or a vow, seeking protection, strength and family harmony.

• The chanting: as you walk the compound you will continuously hear the melodic Thryodhashari chant of Jai Shree Ram, a tradition popularised by the saint Sri Samarth Ramadas.

How to reach the Hanuman Dandi Temple

The temple sits on the eastern tip of Bet Dwarka island, so reaching it is a two-stage journey. First travel to Okha Port, roughly 30 to 32 km from Dwarka city and reachable by road or rail; our Okha Port guide covers the gateway in detail. From Okha you cross to Bet Dwarka island either by driving across the Sudarshan Setu, India's longest cable-stayed bridge spanning about 2.3 km or by taking one of the traditional public ferry boats, a crossing of around 15 minutes; the schedule is in our Bet Dwarka ferry timing guide. Once on the island, local auto-rickshaws are readily available to carry you the roughly 5 km from the main jetty to the temple near the eastern seashore.

Timings and visiting guidance

The temple is open for darshan from 6:00 AM to 1:00 PM in the morning and 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM in the evening, every day and entry is completely free. The best time to visit is between October and March, when the coastal weather is pleasant; expect special celebrations and large crowds during Hanuman Jayanti and around Kartik Purnima, the latter a major festival across the Dwarka region, as covered in our Kartik Purnima guide. Devotees are expected to follow a modest dress code and photography is strictly prohibited inside the inner sanctum, so plan to put cameras and phones away before entering the main shrine.

Spiritual significance

Beyond its singular legend, the Hanuman Dandi Temple holds deep devotional meaning. Makardhwaj is honoured as a figure of unwavering duty, a son who was prepared to fight even his own revered father rather than abandon the post he had sworn to guard and the shrine is therefore a place to pray for strength, protection and harmony within one's own family. The joyous, weaponless idols turn the usual image of Hanuman the warrior into one of Hanuman the father at peace, which gives the temple an unusually warm and tender atmosphere. Visiting it adds a distinctive chapter to the wider Dwarka pilgrimage, which is itself one of the four Char Dham of Gujarat and complements the Krishna shrines that the region is famous for.

Pairing your visit

Because it lies on Bet Dwarka, the Hanuman Dandi Temple pairs naturally with the island's main Dwarkadhish shrine and its other sacred spots and with a stop at the Sudama Setu footbridge back in Dwarka city. Many visitors also fold in the Nageshwar Jyotirlinga, which lies on the road between Dwarka and Okha, making a single smooth circuit. For a compact plan of the mainland city's sights, see our places to visit in Dwarka in one day guide and build the island temples around it. Experience My India can tie all of these into a single, well-sequenced day so you move smoothly between the mainland shrines and the island.

Plan your Bet Dwarka pilgrimage

Experience My India can plan a Dwarka pilgrimage that includes the Hanuman Dandi Temple and the sacred sites of Bet Dwarka alongside the great temple city on the mainland. Our Somnath Dwarka tour packages and wider Gujarat tour packages handle the Okha crossing, island transport and a well-paced itinerary, with a stay at well-placed hotels and comfortable local transport throughout.

Related guides

To plan the island and the wider region, these related guides help:

Plan your visit

Experience My India can arrange your Bet Dwarka and Dwarka pilgrimage and wider Saurashtra journey. Browse more travel guides, message us on WhatsApp or call +91 73006 20809.