Jambuvan Cave, Porbandar - Timings, History, Best Time to Visit

At a distance of 17 km from Porbandar Railway Station, Jambavan Cave is an ancient cave located at Ranavav near Porbandar city of Gujarat. Situated near Saurashtra Cement Factory, it is one of the historical places in Gujarat and among the most visited tourist places in Porbandar.

Also known as Jambavant Cave or Jambuvant ki Gufa, this cave was the resting place of the warrior Jambuvan, who had his own special role in both the Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. It is believed that this is the place where Lord Krishna and Jambuvan fought for the Syamantaka jewel for 28 days. Legend says that Satrajit was the proud possessor of a precious gem named Syamantaka which had mystic powers. Once his brother Prasena went out in the forests for hunting wearing the jewel and was attacked by a lion to obtain Syamantaka. Later, the lion gets killed by Jambuvan who takes the precious stone from him and gives it to her daughter. On the other side, Satrajit accuses Lord Krishna for killing his brother just to gain the gem. On hearing this, Lord Krishna goes on the lookout of the actual killer and finally finds Jambuvan with whom he battles for 28 days. Recognizing Lord Krishna and his powers, Jambuvan withdraws from the fight and gives the gem and his daughter to the Lord.

Jambuvan Cave has over 50 Shivalingas which are formed naturally. The main shivalinga is inside a natural cave. Water drops from the ceiling of the cave trickle down over the linga in a continuous downpour, making for an interesting spectacle. Inside the cave, there is an exact spot where Jambuvan gave Syamantaka jewel and gifted his daughter Jambavati for marriage to Lord Krishna. Also, there are two tunnels inside the cave where one leads to Dwarka and other leads to Junagadh. One can also see the temple of Lord Rama and samadhi of Guru Ramdas Ji just outside the cave. Every year a big fair is celebrated at this place.

Timings: 7 AM - 5 PM