Dwarka Dham

The Ancient Story of Dwarka

According to “Harivansh Purana”, Sri Krishna left Mathura and went to Dwarka at the age of 28. In Dwarka he married 16,108 wives, he just married only to protect their honor and nothing else. He became the charioteer of Arjuna in the battle of Kurukshetra. It is also said that Krishna reclaimed 12 yojanas or 96 square kilometers of land from the sea to build Dwaraka.

Legend has it that after Lord Krishna left Mathura to escape the wrath and vengeance of King Jarasandha, Kansa's father-in-law, the divine Garuda took him to Dwaraka where Lord Krishna settled for the rest of his life until he left this world. In 3102 BC It is said that Dwaraka was the kingdom of Lord Krishna and his grandson “Vajranabha” built the Dwarkadhish temple at the 'Hari Griha' or the residential place of Lord Krishna.

Guru Sankaracharya Established Dwarka as a Dham

The Dwarka Dham (द्वारका धाम) is dedicated to Krishna was first built in 200 BC. The temple was rebuilt and expanded in the 15th-16th centuries. The temple is also the site of the Dwaraka Matha, also known as the Sharda Matha or Peetha and the "Western Peetha", one of the four Peethas established by Adi Guru Sankaracharya.

Around 200 AD, King Vasudev II, who was the king of Dwarka at that time, lost his kingdom to the Mahakshatriya Rudradama. After the demise of Rudradama, Queen Dhiradevi invited Pulumavi with a desire to seek his guidance regarding the governance of the kingdom.

Rudradama was a follower of Vaishnavism and a worshiper of Lord Krishna. Later his successor Vajranabha constructed a chhatri and installed the idol of Lord Krishna in it. When religion started rising in India, then Adi Guru Shankaracharya established Chardham to revive Hinduism. A Hindu monastic center was established at the place where the Dwarka temple is today to view the Chardham. Around 885 AD, Shri Nrisimhashram, the head of ShriJagadguru Shankaracharya Peeth, renovated the temple of Dwarka.

According to legends, this now submerged city was once the abode of Lord Krishna. He was not the king of Dwaraka, but he was the one who created it. It is believed that Krishna had asked the sea god Samudra to lend 12 yojanas of land for the city.

The sea god agreed and gave Krishna the land which was earlier known as Kushasthali. Later Krishna changed its name to Dwaravati or Dwarka.

Dwaraka is one of the pilgrimage shrines of Lord Vishnu (द्वारका भगवान विष्णु के तीर्थस्थलों में से एक है ) . The ancient city of Dwarka is believed to be built with the help of divine architects and is often referred to as the Golden City. The prosperity of the city was increased by the presence of Krishna. In olden times, Krishna's presence in the city brought pilgrims from far and wide. The interesting thing is that this trend continues even today. For the followers of Krishna, the present day city of Dwarka is one of the most important pilgrimage places.

The Real Dwarka was Drowned in the Ocean after Shri Krishna

It is also believed that the city of Dwaraka was submerged soon after Krishna left his earthly abode. His departure from the world marked the end of Dwapara Yuga and the beginning of Kaliyuga or Kaliyuga. With the onset of Kaliyuga, the city of Dwarka also got submerged and took all the inhabitants with it. Dwarka Temple is an iconic pilgrimage site for all Hindu pilgrims as it is one of the Chardhams(चारधाम) or monasteries of Hinduism established by Adi Shankaracharya. Dwarka is also one of the Sapta Puris (सप्त पुरियाँ) or seven sacred pilgrimage sites of Hinduism. It is said that the darshan of Dwarkadhish in the temple leads a person to the path of moksha or liberation. Besides, the mythological importance of the temple is also considerable. It is believed that this temple stands at the place where Lord Krishna lived many centuries ago.

Dwarka Temple is dedicated to Lord Shri Krishna, the eighth incarnation of Lord Shri Vishnu(द्वारका मंदिर भगवान श्री विष्णु के आठवें अवतार भगवान श्री कृष्ण को समर्पित है।). This temple is located in Dwarkadeesh Temple(द्वारकाधीश मंदिर) is the main temple of the 5 storey building supported by 72 pillars, known as Jagat Mandir or Nij Mandir, archaeological findings suggest that it is 2,200 to 2,500 years old.

How to Reach Dwarka Dham

By Air to Dwarka Dham

By Road to Dwarka Dham

By Train to Dwarka Dham

Dwarka is also a major railway station in Gujarat and also connected to neighbouring cities of Gujarat around Dwarka like Rajkot, Ahmedabad, Jamnagar and other metro cities of India.

Dwaraka Dham in Google Map