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Location : West Coast of Gujrat
Population : 52,000
Languages : Gujarati, English, and Urdu
Best Time to Visit : October to March
Related Links : Dwarkadhish Temple
Dwarka, on the west coast of Gujarat on the shore of the
Arabian Sea, features in most of the legends surrounding Lord
Krishna. It is from here that the grown Lord Krishna is
supposed to have ruled his kingdom. Dwarka is a significant
pilgrimage site for the Hindus.
Dwarka is sanctified as the place where Lord Vishnu slew the
demon Shankhasura. The Puranas mention the 12 Jyotirlingas or
columns of light representing Lord Shiva which manifested in
different parts of the country. One of these is located in
Dwarka and is known as the Nageshwar Mahadev. The Jagat Mandir
or Nij Mandir forms the sanctum of the Dwarkadish temple and
dates back to 2500 years. Jagat Mandir has its own hall of
audience and a conical spire. The roof of the hall is
supported by 60 columns and the main temple rises five storeys
high. The spire rises to a height of 157 feet and is richly
carved. One of the most popular temples in Dwarka is that of
Rukmini, Krishna's wife, considered an incarnation of Goddess
Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and beauty. The Sharad Peetha,
one of the four Maths established by Jagatguru Shankaracharya,
is also situated here.
Location
Dwarka is situated in the extreme west of the Indian state of
Gujarat in the Saurashtra peninsula on the Arabian Sea. It
lies on 20°22' north latitude and 69°05' east longitude. The
city is built on the right bank of Gamut creek.
History
Dwarka is an important pilgrimage center. It is steeped in
legends, being associated with the life of Lord Krishna. In
Puranic times, present-day Dwarka was known as Kushasthali or
Dwaravati and enjoyed pride of place as the most important
spot on the Saurashtra coast. It is said that Lord Krishna,
after slaying Kansa, left his abode at Mathura and traveled
with the entire Yadava community to the coast of Saurashtra
where he founded a town and named it Swarnadwarika.
Vajranabh, Lord Krishna's successor and great grandson, is
believed to have built the present temple Dwarkanath, also
called Trilok Sundar. Many Hindus fervently believe that the
temple was erected in one night by a supernatural agency,
under Vajranabh's direction. Legend has it that when dying,
Lord Krishna asked his devotees to leave Swarnadwarika so that
the sea could engulf it. Until this day, Lord Krishna's city
lies buried under the sea. Excavations have revealed that the
sea swallowed five settlements, the present-day Dwarka being
the sixth in line.
Pilgrimage Attractions
Dwarkadheesh Temple
The temple of Dwarkadheesh, also known as Jagat Mandir, is
built on the north bank of the Gomti Creek. The temple dates
back to 2,500 years. Architecturally the temple is constructed
on the same plan and system as most of the Hindu sacred
edifices of antiquity. Sixty columns support the roof of the
audience hall of the Jagat Mandir. The main temple is
five-story high with the lavishly carved conical spire rising
to a height of 157 feet. There is the one-meter tall, four
handed black idol of Ranchhodrai, the ruler of Dwarika.
Amongst the large number of temples belonging to different
periods in the history of Dwarka, the most popular with
pilgrims is the temple of Rukmini, Lord Krishna's wife, who is
considered an incarnation of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth
and beauty.
In addition to its temples and legends, Dwarka is also
sanctified as the seat of Adi Shankaracharya, who established
four seats (maths) in four different directions in the
country. Research work in Sanskrit is carried on at the
Shankaracharya's seat known as Sharad Peetha.
Rukmini Devi Temple
This small temple, 1.5km north of town, is an architectural
masterpiece. Rukmini is the most important of Krishna's 16,108
wives. The temple walls are decorated with beautiful paintings
depicting her pastimes with Krishna. This temple is said to
date back to the 12th century.
The story behind this temple is that one day, Durvasa Muni,
who is easily angered, was invited by Lord Krishna and his
wife, Rukmini, to dinner. When a person is invited to dinner,
etiquette dictates that the host should not eat until the
guest has been satisfied. On the way to dinner, Rukmini became
thirsty and asked Krishna for help. Krishna then put his foot
in the ground and the Ganges waters flowed forth from the
earth while Durvasa was not looking. As Rukmini was drinking
the water, however, Durvasa turned and saw her drinking
without his permission. He became angry and cursed her to live
apart from Lord Krishna. That is why Krishna's temple is in
the town and hers is located outside the town.
Gomati Ghat Temples
Gomati, the descended Ganges, meets the sea at Chakra-tirtha
Ghat. To take bath where the Gomati meets the ocean is said to
offer liberation. If you go out the back entrance of the
Dwarkadish Temple, you can see the Gomati River. The temple is
located almost at the spot where the Gomati meets the ocean.
The Samudra Narayana Temple (Sangam Narayana) is an
imposing temple at the confluence of the Gomati and the sea.
Panchanada Tirtha consists of five sweet-water wells
surrounded by seawater. At Chakra Narayana, Lord Vishnu was
manifested as a stone marked with a chakra on the seashore.
The Gomatiji Temple has an image of the Gomati River in it,
said to have been brought down from heaven by Vasistha Muni.
Other Pilgriamge Attractions
Nageswara Mahadeva Temple contains one of the twelve Siva
Jyotirlingas in an underground sanctum. It is located 10km
from Dwarka.
Gopi-tallava is the kund (pond) where Lord Krishna met the
gopis when they came to see him at Dwarka. The sacred clay
from Gopi-tallava is known as gopi-candana and is used by
devotees of Krishna to make the tilak marks on their bodies.
It is 20km north of Dwarka on the way to Bet Dwarka.
Bhalka Tirth
The spot where Lord Krishna was mistaken for a deer and struck
by a arrow hile sleeping in a deerskin. It is said Lord
Krishna was cremated at Dehotsarga at Triveni Ghat.
Closeby lies Somnath with its shrine built by Soma, the Moon
God. The Majestic monument as it stands today is a recent
replication of the earlier construction. It is said that the
original temple built by the Moon God was of gold. After it
was razed to the ground it was rebuilt by Ravana in silver.
When the silver temple was knocked down it was reconstructed
in wood by Krishna and when this was pulled down an edifice of
stone was erected by Bhimdev. Relics of the old Somnath shrine
have been preserved in a museum housed in a temple. An
interesting Sun Temple is also located in Somnath. Somnath is
also one of the 12 Jyotirlingas or Shiva shrines in India.
Fairs and Festivals at Dwarka
Janmashtami (birthday of Lord Krishna), celebrated in the
month of August/September, is a major festival of Dwarka.
How to Reach
By Air Jamnagar, 145 kilometres away, is the nearest
airport.
By Rail Dwarka is on the Western Railway line.
By Road State Transport buses, private buses and
taxis and conducted tours run to Dwarka
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