Location & Overview
The Temple is located in the small town of chotila, in the surendranagar district of gujarat, india.
The Shrine sits atop chotila hill (also called chotila dungar / chotila mountain), which rises roughly 1,173 feet (≈357 m) above the surrounding terrain.
The Deity worshipped Is Maa Chamunda (Maa Chamunda Mataji), A Fierce Manifestation Of The Divine Mother Associated With The Slaying of the demons chand & mund.
The climb up the hill and the pilgrimage nature of The Temple make it a spiritually significant hill‐shrine in gujarat.
2. History & Mythology
Mythological legend:
- According to traditional lore, the demons chand and mund approached The Goddess (As A Form Of Mahakali) to conquer Her. She Slew them, Cut off their heads and Offered them To The Goddess Maa Ambika. Then The Goddess In That Form Became Known As Maa Chamunda.
- The legend also says that The Idol Of Maa Chamunda Mataji here Is Self-Manifested (Swayambhu) or found following a devotee’s dream where The Goddess Instructed him To dig into the earth at a specific spot on the hill and reveal Her Image.
How To Reach
Here’s how a visitor can reach The Maa Chamunda Mataji Temple at chotila:
By road
- From ahmedabad: approx 170 km, travel time 3.5-4 hours via nh (ahmedabad–rajkot highway) passing bagodara → limbdi → chotila.
- From rajkot: the nearest major airport and rail hub is rajkot, around ~60 km away. From rajkot you can hire taxi or take bus/road transport to chotila.
- The bus stand in chotila is very near (~650-750 m) from the base of the hill leading up to The Temple.
By rail
- Nearest major railway station: rajkot railway station (~47–60 km).
- There is also than junction (~21 km from chotila) mentioned in some sources.
By air
- Nearest airport: rajkot airport (~48-60 km). From there, taxi or road transport to chotila.
On foot / hill climb
- From the base of the hill to The Shrine: ~620 to ~700 steps (various sources differ — some say 620, some ~700, some ~920) to reach the top.
- The climb is steep in parts, but the steps have been improved with shade, railings, water taps etc.