Kabirvad

Kabirvad is a banyan tree located on a small river island in Narmada river.[1] It is Bharuch district, Gujarat, India. The tree and place is associated with 15th century mystic-poet Kabir. There is a temple dedicated to Kabir. It is believed that the banyan tree was sprouted from Datoon (twig used as a toothbrush). The place is religious site as well as popular tourist spot.

Expansion :

Nearchus, an admiral of Alexander the Great, described a large specimen on the banks of the Narmada River, possibly Kabirvad. The tree’s canopy was so extensive it sheltered 7000 men. It was later described by James Forbes (1749–1819) in his Oriental Memoirs (1813–1815) as nearly 610 m (2,000 ft) in circumference with over 3000 trunks. Currently the area of its canopy is 17,520 m2 (4.33 acres) with a perimeter of 641 m (2,103 ft).

Legend :

There were two Brahmin brothers Jeeva and Tatva in the village named Shuklatirth near the Mangleshwar village in Bharuch district, Gujarat. Once, they were inspired to find a True Saint. So, to identify the true Saint, they planted a dried shoot of a banyan tree in their courtyard and thought that the Foot-nectar of whichever Saint would turn the dried shoot green, that would be the true Saint. That shoot turned green only by the Foot-nectar of Kabir Sahib Ji. That shoot has developed into Kabirvad today.

• Location: Kabirvad
• Distance from Vadodara city: 75 km (approx.)

How to get there

By Road: Vadodara, 112 km from Ahmedabad and 420 km from Mumbai, is located on National Highway 8. There are various state transport (ST) buses and private luxury coaches from all over Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, and Rajasthan. Ahmedabad-Vadodara intercity buses take 2 hours and run every 15 minutes. There are also several private bus companies on or near Station Road. Tickets vary according to the type of bus, but the average rate is Rs 100/- to Ahmedabad and Rs 200/- to Mumbai. You can also rent a car with a driver to explore the city and its surroundings at the Express Hotel. Rates range from Rs. 650/- without air-conditioning to Rs. 2200/- for luxury vehicles, for 8 hrs or 80 km per day.

By Rail: Vadodara, a major railway junction is located on the Western Railway, which connects Mumbai, Delhi, and Ahmedabad.

By Air: Vadodara is connected by various domestic airlines to Ahmedabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Daman, and Pune.