Since, I set up my home base in Ahmedabad (outskirts), road trips to Surat have become routine. While my parents prefer the train, I am more particular about the COVID situation. And so during the past year or so, I always preferred to hire a car. And thus, on the car trips from Ahmedabad to Surat and back – we usually look out for one halt in the journey. On one such trip, we explored Dada Bhagwan Samadhi at Kelanpur – a few kms detour from Vadodara.

Who is Dada Bhagwan?

You might be wondering.

Dada Bhagwan was a self-realised yogi that happened in Gujarat from 1908 – 1988. You can know more on him on the official website of Dada Bhawan Foundation here: more about Dada Bhagwan. My home in outskirts of Ahmedabad is in the ashram of this foundation. And I love their culture and teachings. It’s a beautiful spiritual path. Special for me because it has a Jain base and so I can connect with it very easily due to my Jain upbringing and values.

My mother had found out that his samadhi was in Kelanpur. And so, it was a great halt that we had that day returning back to Ahmedabad from my grandmothers house in Surat.

Photos of Dada Bhagwan Samadhi, Kelanpur

Blissful Experience

Usually, I love these places that are in middle of nowhere. Many tirtha sthalas (pilgrim spots) which haven’t become too popular or huge, are often in some small villages or even by themselves. All around them there is barely any human establishments or structures. And I have found that in these places,

One can actually feel the Earth all around us. We can just relax and become silent. And the Earth speaks – maybe in terms of birds or wind. Or simply, just the silence is the silent Earth. Maybe it is just me, maybe I become much more aware of the land in such places.

Either case, this samadhi spot is a little like that. It’s many kilo metres away from the Surat – Ahmedabad highway. Kind of like, in the middle of nowhere. Though in reality there are a few small villages around. But it was still quite secluded, so I already loved it because of this factor.

Then I entered the actual samadhi which had the ongoing Tri-mantra chant of the Jain navkar mantra followed by Vasudevay Namaha and Om Namah Shivaya. I sat by the samadhi for a while and I found myself very, very happy. Blissful I thought.

Thus, was my experience of this place.

This samadhi is maintained by a JSS Foundation. There was a split between the original followers of Dada, and thus, two organizations came up. They maintain a dharamshala here at this samadhi. So, if you want to spend a few days here, you can.

Let me know if you have visited this place. Or need any more details to plan your visit. 🙂