Dwarkadhish Temple - Dwarka |
About Dwarkadhish Temple: |
Dwarka the headquarters of Okhamandal taluka is in the extreme west of the Saurashtra peninsula on the Arabian Sea. It is a station on the Ahmedabad-Okha broad gauge railway line, about 137-km from Jamnagar, 217 km from Rajkot and 378 km from Ahmedabad. A state highway with Jamnagar and Okha also connects it. Nearest airport is Jamnagar. Dwarka lies on 20.22' north latitude and 69.05' east longitude and built on the night bank of Gamut creek. Dwarka was known as the city of Gold. Shree Krishna came here from Mathura along with some Yadav families and establishes his own empire Dwarka. That was the legend but science proved it partially. Scientists researched on that and have found some facts. Dwarka is derived from 'Dwar', a door, and in ancient times its flourishing port was considered to be the gateway to the main land. As 'Ka' means 'Brahma' meaning, gateway to Moksha. It is called Dwarkamati and Dwarkavati. Being adopted home and capital of Shri Krishna after he gave up Mathura. It is held in such a high esteem as a place of Hindu pilgrimage that it is considered to be one of the four principle holy places or chardham, it is also known as Mokshapuri. Devotees from all over India, visit the holy place during Janmashtami. The festival is celebrated in a special way; the entire place is very well decorated with rows of lighting everywhere. Special pooja is performed on the day by aboti brahmins; a special caste of brahmins who have been performing pooja for centuries. The pooja is based on a daily routine. Arti is performed at different times during the day, abhishek of lord's idol is done, followed by shringar wherein the idol is adorned with new clothes, jewels and flowers; distribution of sweet meat or prasad to devotees happens in the end. It is said devotees visiting the temple during janmashtami are freed from all sufferings. Also known as the Jagat Mandir, the temple has two shikhars. The Nij shikhar is where the idol of Lord Dwarkadhish is placed. The huge temple consists of 60 exquisitely carved pillars and a number of beautiful sculptures that depict the influence of various dynasties such as the Guptas, Pallavas, Martraks, Chavdas and Chanakyas, that ruled Dwarka over the years. The entrance to the temple is from the north, also known as the Moksha Dwaar while towards the south is the Swarg Dwaar, from where a series of steps leads down to the banks of river Gomti. According to legend, the temple was constructed in a single day by Vishwakarma, the lord of construction. The idol of Lord Dwarkadhish is made of shiny black stone and is about 2.25 ft in height. The four hands of the Lord carries a conch, wheel, a metallic weapon and a lotus each and is popularly known as 'Shankh Chakra Gada Padma Chaturbhuj'. It is said that the idol was hidden for years to protect it from invaders while another idol brought from the Rukmini temple was installed in its absence. The original idol was reinstalled during the 16th century after the construction of the new temple. |
Location info: |
Address:Dwarka Gujrat,India |
District: Jamnagar |
Nearest City: Mithapur |
Best time to visit: October to March |
Climate/Weather: |
Min 14°c Max 48°c |
History of Dwarkadhish Temple: |
Around 5000 years ago, Dwarka is believed to have been built by Lord Krishna himself. As per the 'Harivansh' (an appendix to the Mahabharata), Dwarka was positioned on the bank of Gomati River. This holy city is said to have been the abode of Lord Krishna, for more or less 100 years, during his lifetime. Dwarka is assumed to have been immersed in the sea, when the Lord returned to his divine world. In the early eighties, archeological department revealed that the entire coast of western India sank by nearly 40 feet around 1500 B.C. The present temple is expected not to be older than the Mughal period. The inscriptions on the pillars date back to the 15th century. Necessarily, the ancient temple had been there, but it was possibly destroyed by Mohmud Begada in 1473 AD. The current structure must have been erected during the period of Mughal Emperor, Akbar. |
Interesting things to do Dwarkadhish Temple: |
Worship: There is a legend behind the idol of Lord Dwarkadhish in the temple. Badana, an old devotee, used to come daily from Dakor to Dwarka, in order to have a glimpse of the Lord Dwarkadhish. The Lord was really appeased with her and one day, he went along with Badana to Dakor, in the form of idol. The priests at Dwarka temple got angry at Badana, whotook the idol according to them. The enraged priests chased Badana to get back the idol. Badana convinced the priests to leave the idolinstead of gold. |
Interesting things to Visit Dwarkadhish Temple: |
Rukmini Devi Temple: Gomati Ghat Temples: Bet Dwarka: |
Mobile range info: |
How to reach Dwarkadhish Temple? |
Nearest Railway Station:Dwarka is on the Western Railway line. |
Nearest Airport:Jamnagar,airport. |
Road Transport:State Transport buses, private buses and taxis and conducted tours run to Dwarka. |
Nearest Visiting places from Dwarkadhish Temple: |
Lakhota Museum: Museum of Antiquities: Rangmati River: Bala Hanuman Temple: Rozi and Bedi Ports: Nageshwar Temple: |
Nearest Petrol Pump nearby Dwarkadhish Temple: |
Available in a Nearest City |
Hotels/Lodge/Accommodation nearby Dwarkadhish Temple: |
Dwarka Temple :Dharamshalas |
Things to carry: |
Tips & Suggestions for Dwarkadhish Temple: |
Help Line/Phone Number: |
Police Station:100 |
Nearest Hospital:Mithapur Hospital:Jamnagar, Gujarat |
Society/Community Phone Number |
Links |
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Nageshwara Mahadeva Temple |
This place has got its name from the word 'dwar' which denotes door. Amongst the Holy Places in Dwarka, an admired place that draws tourists in huge numbers is the Nageshwar Mandir, Dwarka. This temple is devoted to Lord Shiva and remains abuzz with tourists and pilgrims round the year.At Nageshwar Mandir in Dwarka, the Nageshwar Mahadev Sivalingam faces south while the Gomugam faces east. There is a popular story for this position. One day, Naamdev, an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva, was singing bhajans facing the Lord. Other devotees told him to stand aside and not block the front view of the Lord. To this, Naamdev asked these people to propose one direction in which the Lord is not present, so that he can stand there. The angry devotees carried him out of the temple and left him on the south side....more |
Bet Dwarka Beach |
A visit to Beyt Dwarka Beach along with an attendant visit to Tourism of Gujarat, offers information at the disposal of the visiting tourist that the Beyt Dwarka Beach is one of the lesser known beaches in the annual calendar of the travelers. Beyt Dwarka Beach in Gujarat, India, is located in the deeply historical and religiously popular town of Dwarka, in Gujarat, India, which is known to be of immense importance for the tourists visiting the site from various parts of the country. Beyt Dwarka Beach, in Gujarat, India, comprises of an isolated island called Beyt Dwarka, in Dwarka, Gujarat, India, with the people coming to visit from the seafront of Okha. A ferry or a small boat takes around half an hour to reach the Beyt Dwarka seafront with the separation between the Okha land portion and the Beyt Dwarka Island being that of around four kilometers....more |
Lighthouse Dwarka |
Dwarka in Gujarat happens to be an important pilgrimage centre and is famed for the Lord Krishna Temple. The Lighthouse in Dwarka is yet another important landmark in the city and is amongst the treasured historical monuments in Gujarat. A port was built in the 19th century and a flag mast was built at the port to put up a lamp which served the purpose of a lighthouse. Since then the Lighthouse, Dwarka has been figuring in the list of most Gujarat tourist attractions.A square tower was erected at the same site in the year 1866 which was 18 m high. An oil wick lamp was installed on the tower. On November 29th, 1877, Sir Richard Temple, the Governor of Bombay, came to Dwarka by sea route. He visited the lighthouse and ordered modifications.....more |
Sabha Mandapa |
The Sabha Mandapa in Dwarka Gujarat is a multi pillared structure in the ancient temple of Dwarkadish. During your tour to the forts and monuments in Gujarat, this is one attraction which you cannot afford to miss. The temple has been renovated quite a number of times. The intricate work of architecture that is found on the exteriors of the temple dates back to the 16th and 12th century. The Sabha Mandapa, Dwarka leads to a sanctum sanctorum which consists of 60 pillars and has scriptures that are 2500 years old. The entire temple is adorned with fine sculptures and is among the major tourist attractions in Gujarat. The middle part of the stunning Sabha Mandapa houses a small temple of Balramji, which is positioned at a lower level. This temple also houses the idol of Shri Mahaprabhuji. The people behind the construction of the Dwarkadish temple have shown their knowledge and proficiency by placing the deity of elder brother Balramji in the Sabha Mandapa and deity of Mother Devaki facing the Lord Dwarkadhish temple.....more
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Lakhota Palace |
The Lakhota Palace in Jamnagar is one of the major tourist attractions in Gujarat, which you cannot afford to miss while on your tour to the state monuments. It is a small palace located on an island in the midst of the Lakhota Lake. The beautiful Lakhota Palace was once home to the Maharaja of Nawanagar. It was built in the form of a fort with semi-circular bastions, turrets and a pavilion that has guardrooms displaying swords, musket loops and powder flasks.One of the most striking relics of the rich past of regal India, a Tour To Jamnagar is considered to be a definite must have if you are planning a tour itinerary to Gujarat. Almost the entirety of the erstwhile princely state of Jamnagar is still alive, resplendent in the rich glory of the times gone ....more |
Museum Of Antiguities |
One of the most interesting aspects of planning a Tour to Jamnagar is the rich history and heritage of the land, a history, which can be said to be one of the olde3st histories of all the princely states of Saurasthra. Almost the entirety of the city of Jamnagar is dotted with some of the finest Forts and Monuments Of Jamnagar, which are led by, perhaps, the vast storehouse of antiquities as preserved in the Museum of Antiquities, Jamnagar. The Museum of Antiquities in Jamnagar is considered to a definite must include in your tour itinerary if you are planning a visit to the city of Jamnagar. Definitely noticeable as one of the most attractive tourist attractions in Jamnagar, almost the entirety of the complex of the Museum of Antiquities, Jamnagar has some secret or the other to share with the tourists to her land....more |
Marine National Park |
Gujarat has the distinction of creating the country first Marine National Park spread over an area of nearly 458 sq.kms. in the Gulf of Kutch, 30 km. from Jamnagar. Here corals create fantasies in stone and are the master builders of the Park. Their limestone fortresses those found near the Pirotan Islands and the rich moist deciduous forests like those found in the dense forests of the Danes. One of the most threatened birds, the great Indian bustard finds a refuge in certain pockets of protected areas. Each one the work of a colony of countless tiny animals come in an amazing variety of shapes and sizes from the convolutedbrain coral corals that look like horns. Here you will find plants that look like animals and animals that look like plants. Turtles, shrimp, sponge eels, sea urchin lurk among the corals and huge schools of fish create a brilliance of colors that are unknown, unseen and unimaginable to us....more |
Khijadia Bird Sanctuary |
Khijadia Bird Sanctuary is around 10 km north east of Jamnagar Gujarat. It represents the combination of seasonal freshwater shallow lake, inter tidal mudflats creeks saltpans saline land and mangrove scrub.It is the known breeding ground of the Great Crested Grebe. Apart from it Little Grebe Purple Moorhen, Coot Black winged Stilt and Pheasant tailed Jacana are also recorded breeding here. Raptors, including harriers eagles hawks and falcons are also spotted here. The sanctuary also shelters migratory birds such as swallows martins wagtails and various waterfowls. It is considered an important site for ecological research and education....more |
Gaga Wildlife Sanctuary |
Gaga Wildlife Sanctuary is located along the coast of Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat. It covers an area of around 332.87hectare and has two plots of terrain, which are divided by wastelands and agricultural lands that falls in between them. The natural vegetation of the sanctuary comprises mostly of grassland along with saline shrubs. There are various rare species of plants that can be found here. Some of the common plants seen here are capparis, salvadora, prosopis juliflora, dichantheum, cyperus, suaeda etc.On the coastal areas of Gulf of Kutch enclosed by high tidal zone in the north and pastoral fields and wastelands on the other verge the Gaga Wildlife Sanctuary in Jamnagar is a secure abode for varied vertebrates and invertebrates....more |
Gomati River |
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