Shree Takhteshwar Temple Panwadi, Bhavnagar, Gujarat

Perched atop a small hillock, this all-marble temple in Bhavnagar is high enough to provide splendid views of the city and out onto the Gulf of Cambay. It is constructed in a Gujarati style with 18 ornate pillars, and a main hall before the sanctum which houses an idol of Lord Shiva. Marble stairs offer access to devotees from the bottom of the hillock to the main courtyard of the temple.  The temple doubles up as a ‘catch-up’ point for youngsters and regulars in the evenings. The breezy hill-stop offers a quiet oasis from the city’s din below.

History: It is believed that the temple was commissioned by Maharaja Takhtsinhji in the 1893 AD. He was anointed as the Maharaja of Bhavnagar, after the death of his father, Jaswantsinhji in 1870. Maharaja Takhtsinhji was a Rajput chief of the Gohil clan before rising to the ranks to be king.