|
 Revered
as the kingdom of Lord Krishna, Dwarka is one the most sacred
and important pilgrimage centres of Gujarat.
According
to legend, Lord Krishna left Mathura with his Yadava clan
and built a golden city on the northern tip of the Saurasthran
peninsula, at the confluence of Gomti river and the Arabian
sea. Called Dwarka, the city derived its name from the word
‘dwar’, meaning door as it is the entrance to Western
India.
| Fact
File |
Air:
Closest Airport is Keshod.
Rail: Dwarka is on the metre gauge line between
Viramgam and Okha. Jamnagar is 132 kilometers away while
Mumbai via Rajkot (270 kilometers) and Ahemdabad (453
kilometers) is 945 kilometers away.
Road: State Transport buses and luxury coaches
are available from different parts of the state. |
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The
main attraction of this temple town is the grand ‘Dwarkadish’
or Jagat Mandir, the main temple dedicated to Lord Krishna.
Believed to be over 1400 years old, the five-storied temple
supported on 60 columns and crowned by an elaborately carved
spire is an architectural marvel. The temple complex, which
contains many other smaller temples, is built on the northern
bank of the Gomti creek. The shrine belongs to the Mughal
period and was rebuilt by Emperor Akbar after being destroyed
earlier by Mahmmod Begada. A sea of devotees flood the temple
complex on Janmashtami (birthday of Lord Krishna) filling
the atmosphere with pomp and pageantry.
 Archeological
excavations show that present day Dwarka is the 6th city on
this site, the earlier five having been submerged by the sea.
Dwarka also derives its importance as a pilgrimage centre
due to Sharda Peeth, established by Adi Shankracharya, as
one of the four traditional seats in the country for the propagation
of Hindusim. There are a host of other temples and religious
sites around Dwarka like Nageshwar Mahadev (17 kms), Gopi
Talav Tirth (23 kms) and the famous pilgrim centre of the
Vaishnav sect (30 kms) comprising of Rancchodrai Temple, Devki
Temple and temples of the chief queens of Krishna, Mahaprabhuji
Bethak, Bala Hanuman and Shankh Talav.
Besides the temple circuit, Dwarka has little to offer, though
a ferry ride to Bet (island) Dwarka from Okha (a one hour
bus journey) makes for a very good picnic. So does the trip
to the lighthouse (35 kms) which offers a panoramic view of
Dwarka and the sea.
Look
Out For Somnath In The Next Issue ....
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