The lake is 257 ft long and 50 ft broad and only 5 feet deep. It is surrounded by a well built ghat. The steps for going up the Girnar hills start near Damodar Kund. People believe that one should reach once in a lifetime to take a holy bath here. Bathing in Damodar Kunda takes away all the sins (previous & current lifetime).
Spiritual Importance Of Damodar Kund
Damodar Kund is one of the sacred lakes according to Hindu beliefs. It is located on the foothills of Junagadh. It is considered to be extremely holy according to Hindu mythology. Many Hindus prefer to bathe and immerse the ashes and the bones left after cremation of dead bodies here at Damodar Kund. This is due to a belief that the departed souls would get moksha here. The water of the lake has properties of dissolving the bones.
According to Barah Puran, the Damodar Kund has its own history. Lord Krishna has said that people who pay a visit to this Kunda and take a deep-bath will be free from all their sins (previous & current life). The story behind this is that the two sons of Lord Kuber were suffering from the wrongdoings & sins of their previous birth. That is when Lord Krishna suggested them to take bath in this kund. Immediately after taking a bath in this Kund both of them were released from all their sin and wrongdoing.
On the lakeside, you can see the temple of Damodarji dedicated to Lord Krishna. Built out of pink sandstone, the temple consists of an inner Nij Mandir and an outer Solaha Mandapa. Each of them are topped with a Shikar, supported by an array of around 84 exquisitely carved pillars. The statue of Damodarji is found in the form of Chaturbhuj, each arm holding a conch, discus, mace and lotus, along with Sri Radha Rani. It is believed that the idols here are supposed to have been installed by Vajranabha, the grandson of Lord Krishna. Lord Damodar here is considered as Adhipati of Girnar Kshetra by Vaishnavaits. Historically, these temples are supposed to have been renovated by a Suryavanshi ruler named Chandraketpur, who is also accredited to have built the temple of Bhavnath. There are other sub shrines dedicated to Lord Balarama, Sri Revati and Lord Ganesha.
The Damodar Kund is closely attached to the life of Narsinh Mehta, the famous 15th century Gujarati poet and devotee of Krishna. He used to come to bathe at Damodar Kund and is said to have written many of his prabhatiya (morning prayers) here. At present, there is also a temple of Narsinh Mehta, which was built in 1890 during reign of Nawab Sir Muhammad Bahadur Khan III on behest of his Diwan Haridas Viharidas Desai, who used to public money by organizing lottery to build the temple and foot steps leading up the Mount Girnar.
So if you visit Junagadh, definitely go and visit this kund, probably take a bath in too.
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