Dwarka, Gujarat – The land of Lord Krishna, famous for the Dwarkadish temple

An important Hindu pilgrimage city Dwarka, is also known as the Kingdom of Lord Krishna. Being one of the four major pilgrim places for Hindus, the city is a part of the “Char Dham” Yatra. Many tourists and devotees visit this city throughout the year.

Places to See in Dwarka: The city of Dwarka is famous mainly for its temples as the place is of mythological significance. Some of the popular tourist attractions in Dwarka are:

Somnath Temple

The Somnath Temple represents one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva and refers to the protector of Moon God. The temple is situated in Prabhas Kshetra near Veraval. The temple has been destroyed and reconstructed six times and thus, it is known as ‘The Shrine Eternal’.

Dwarka Light House

Dwarka Lighthouse is located at Rupen Creek. In 1866, the 18 m tall square tower was constructed at this site, along with an installation of an oil wick lamp. The present day tower is around 43 metres high and was built between 1960 and 1962. The lighthouse was inaugurated on July 15, 1962. From the lighthouse, people can see the panoramic views and lovely sunsets. The place is open to tourists in the evening from 4:30 pm to 6 pm and the admission fee is free.

Dwarkadish Temple

The Dwarkadish Temple which is also known as the Jagat Temple was built in the 16th century. The original temple was constructed by King Vajranabha, the great grandson of Lord Krishna. The five storied temple is constructed using sand and limestone with a 70.5 metres high spire and has a platform area of 1800 sq. ft. The temple comprises of a shrine and has a temple dome with a 24 m long multi-colored flag, with symbols of sun and moon.

Nageshwara Jyotirlinga Temple

The Nageshwara Jyotirlinga Temple is also known as the Nagnath temple and is situated in the outskirts of Dwarka. It’s a famous Lord Shiva Shrine in India and one of the 12 Jyotirlingas mentioned in the Shiva Purana. The lingam enshrined in the temple is of Nageshwara Mahadev, who symbolizes protection from all kinds of poison. The main highlight is the giant statue of Nageshwara Mahadev Shiva Lingam. The temple is unique as the Shiva Lingam faces south and the Gomugam faces east. The Shivaratri festival is celebrated at this temple in grand style at this temple and is attended by thousands of devotees.

Rukshamanee Mandir

The Rukshamanee Mandir is dedicated to Devi Rukmani, the wife of Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna had 16,108 wives and Devi Rukmani was his favourite. The temple walls features a variety of paintings from the 12th century. The paintings capture the time spent by Devi Rukmani and Lord Krishna. A marble deity of Devi Rukmani, with four hands or ‘Chaturbhuja’ is placed in the temple. These hands clasp Shanka, Chakra, Gada and Padma, symbolizing her as the reincarnation of Goddess Maha Lakshmi.

Beyt Dwarka

The Beyt Dwarka is an island located around 30 km from the main town of Dwarka. The temple was built by Sri Vallabhacharya and is over 500 years old. The island is enclosed by a few temples, white sand beach and coral reefs. The key temple at the island is of Lord Krishna, which is said to be placed at a site which was once the residence of Lord Krishna and His family. There are addition temples on this island. The street which leads to these temples remain crowded with vendors selling idols, local crafts, etc. The beach is also popular among tourists for its marine life, water sports, sea excursions, camping and picnics.

Gomati Sangam Ghat

The Gomati Sangam Ghat is a sacred place where the river Gomati flows. The ghat can be reached from the Swarga Dwar of the Dwarkadish Temple by climbing down 56 steps. There are more than 12 ghats on the river Gomati and the point where the river meets the ocean is known as the Gomati Sangam. It is considered sacred to take bath at this point. The Ghat has many temples and smaller shrines of Lord Krishna and his friend Sudama. The temples can be reached by hiring a boat.

Gita Mandir

The Gita Mandir temple was built in 1970 by the industrialist family of Birla. The temple is built using marble and protects the values and teachings of ‘Bhagavad Gita’, the religious book of Hindus. The temple walls are carved with hymns from Bhagavad Gita and the temple ceiling is designed in a special way so that every voice in the hall is echoed.

Nearby attractions from Dwarka: Dwarka is a good base to make excursions to a number of places like:

Nageshwar Jyotirlinga

Legend has it that a devotee of Lord Shiva by name Supriya, was attacked by a demon called Daaruka, while in a boat and that the demon imprisoned him along with several others at his capital forest called Daarukaavana, where he resided with his wife Daaruki. Lord Shiva came in the form of a Jyotirlinga and vanquished the demon with the Paasupata   Astra. The Sivalinga is facing south like Mahakaaleshwar Ujjain, with the Gaumukh facing East. There is a legend for this position. Another specialty of this linga is that unlike the other Shivalingas, which are made of black stone and look like a neat circular pillar rounded off at the top, this one is made of a stone known popularly as Dwaraka Shila, which has small chakras on it. The shape of the linga is more or less like a Oval Three mukhi Rudraksha. The place is 20 km from Dwarka.

Okha

Okha is a small port at the head of the Gulf of Kutchand is about 30 kms north of Dwaraka. The island nearby is connected with the legend of Vishnu slaying the demon.

Things to do in Dwarka: Paying homage to the Dwarkadwish temple is the prime activity here.  Besides the Dwarka is the land of Lord Krishna in this serene land just close your eyes and forget about all the problems and think of Lord Krishna.

Best time to visit Dwarka: The best time to visit Dwarka is during the months from October to June.

How to go ?

By Air

The nearest airport is located at Ahmedabad which is about 216 kms from Dwaraka and well connected to all major cities in India.

By Rail

Dwarka railway station in the Ahmedabad – Okha rail route is connected to other major railway stations. Tourists can take trains from Ahmedabad (Gorakhpur Exp), Delhi (Uttaranchal Exp), Mumbai (Saurashtra Mail), Kolkata (Okha Howrah Exp) and Bangalore (Vivek Express).

By Road

Dwaraka is easily connected with various cities of Gujarat. It is about 216 kms from Ahmedabad and 798 kms from Mumbai via Ahmedabad.

Where to stay ?

Dwarka has a wide range of accommodation facility. Some options are:

Toran Tourist Bungalow (TCGL): +91-02892 -234013
Hotel Dwarka Residency:+91- 02892- 235033
Hotel City Palace:  +91-0287-6231451 Website: www.hotelcitypalacedwarka.com
Hotel Nand Nandan: +91-02892 – 235040 Website: www.hotelnandnandan.com

Note : Phone numbers given above are according to the information available with us. If you find any contact number/s given above is/are incorrect or not in use, please let us know.