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Ambaji Arasur, Amba Bhavani | |
|---|---|
Census Town | |
  Ambaji Location in Gujarat, India Show map of Gujarat Ambaji Ambaji (India) Show map of India | |
| Coordinates:24°20′N72°51′E / 24.33°N 72.85°E /24.33; 72.85 | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Gujarat |
| District | Banaskantha |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 17,753 |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Gujarati,Hindi |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN code | 385110 |
| Telephone code | 91-02749 |
| Vehicle registration | GJ-8 |
| Website | Ambaji[1]Gujarat |
Ambaji (Ambājī) is acensus town inBanaskantha district in the state ofGujarat, India.
Ambaji[1] is a town withintaluka districtBanaskantha, NorthGujarat,India. It is located at24°20′N72°51′E / 24.33°N 72.85°E /24.33; 72.85.[2] It is at an altitude of 480 metres (1,570 ft). It is surrounded by theAraveli Hill range. Ambaji is within theAravali Range[3]'line of peaks',[4] is a range of mountains in westernIndia running approximately 800 km in a northeastern direction across Indian states ofGujarat,Rajasthan,Haryana andDelhi.[5][6] It is also calledMewat hills locally. Ambajitown also in between the borders of NorthGujarat andAbu Road ofRajasthan.
As of 2011[update] Indiacensus,[7] Ambaji had a population of 17,753. Males constitute 9,132 of the population and females 8,621. Ambaji has an average literacy rate of 78.39%, higher than the state average of 78.03%, with 85.76% of the males and 70.78% of females literate; 14.12% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Summers are typically hot and humid with hot winds and temperatures between 26 and 46 degrees Celsius. In winter the temperature ranges between 6 and 36 degrees Celsius and rainfall is about 15 to 30 inches; in themonsoon season, average rainfall is about the same as in winter. Ambaji is at an altitude of 480 m.
Ambaji Mata Temple is a pilgrimage site visited by millions of devotees during the week of the Bhadarvi Poonam fair.[8] It is one of the 51Shakti Peethas. It is situated at a distance of approximately 65 kilometres fromPalanpur, 45 kilometres fromMount Abu, 120 kilometres from Bhinmal sub-district and 20 kilometres fromAbu Road, and 185 kilometres fromAhmedabad, 50 kilometers from Kadiyadra which is near theGujarat andRajasthan border.
The temple of Aṁbājī is of no special archeological interest. In thegarbhagr̥ha there is a crevice in the wall of the mother goddess. There is no idol, but clothing, accessories, and facial masks are arranged periodically such that differentdarśanas can be seen, e.g. the mother goddess riding on a tiger. Nearby are two eternal lamps burning withghī.Āratī is performed twice a day, and the temple priests are Brahmins. In the town, onlyghī is used (never oil) and the chastity of women is strictly maintained. According to Durgāśaṁkara Kevaḷarāma Śāstrī the worship of Aṁbājī at this location dates at least to the 14th century.[9]
There is a bus-station ofGujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) connecting to all major cities ofIndia, and a railway station is atPalanpur ofBanaskantha district, NorthGujarat, India.
Ambaji can be reached throughHimatnagar road which is connected withNational Highway 48 (Mumbai toDelhi). The other road which Passes throughPalanpur andDanta and connects with State Highway SH 56 to reach Ambaji.
The nearest Railway station is atAbu Road which comes under the administrative control ofNorth Western Railway zone of theIndian Railways. It has direct rail links on the broad gauge to the cities ofAjmerChennai,Thiruvananthapuram,Mysore,Bangalore,Pune,Mumbai,Jaipur,Jodhpur,Delhi,Dehradun,Muzaffarpur,Bareilly andJammu. It is connected to most of the cities and towns inGujarat such asAhmedabad,Surat,Vadodara,Bhuj,Rajkot,Jamnagar andPorbandar. Indian Railways’ proposal to double the broad-gauge line between Palanpur and Samakhiali has received government backing. The doubling will benefit the districts of Kutch, Patan and Banaskantha in the state of Gujarat.
The nearest international airport isSardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport,Ahmedabad which is 179 km far from Ambaji Temple Town.
