Godawari Dham

Godawari Dham, also spelled Godavari Dham, is a Hanuman temple on the bank of the Chambal River in Kota. Worshippers believe its image of Hanuman grants wishes and gives strength and protection, and the quiet riverside setting makes it a popular place for prayer.

The temple runs a langar, or community kitchen, where volunteers serve free meals every day to hundreds of people, pilgrims, travellers and the poor alike, and no one is refused. Tuesdays and Saturdays, the days sacred to Hanuman, bring recitations of the Hanuman Chalisa, while devotees tie sacred threads, light clay lamps and walk around the sanctum. The largest gathering is at Hanuman Jayanti, when thousands attend and lamps are set floating on the Chambal after dark.