Dwarka - The City of Lord Krishna

 Dwarka - The city of Lord Krishna, a seaside abode

The city of Dwarka, located at the western tip of Gujarat, is not just a tourist destination, it is a unique confluence of devotion, history, and spirituality. This city, located on the shores of the sea, is inextricably linked with the life of Lord Krishna. One of the four holy places of Hinduism — “Dwarka Dham”  is this holy city.

Location and Importance of Dwarka

Dwarka is located in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, within Jamnagar district. This city is located directly on the shores of the Arabian Sea. The views of the sea from here are so beautiful that at sunset, it seems as if Lord Krishna himself is riding in a golden chariot on the sea.

Dwarka is one of the four holy places of Hinduism

Badrinath (North)

Jagannath Puri (East)

Rameswaram (South)

And the western holy place is Dwarka

So it is considered sacred for devotees to visit Dwarka once in their lifetime.

History of Dwarka

The history of Dwarka reaches back to the Puranic era. Dwarka is mentioned in both the Mahabharata and the Bhagavata Purana.

When repeated attacks began on the life of Shri Krishna in Mathura after the Kurukshetra War, Lord Krishna, along with his Yadu descendants, founded this new city at the mouth of the Gomti River.

He named this city Dwarka — meaning “gate” and “ka” meaning place — meaning “gate of salvation”.

It is said that Lord Krishna built Dwarka as a magnificent city surrounded by seven gates. The palaces here were glittering with gold, silver and gems.

But after the death of Lord Krishna, it is said that this city gradually disappeared into the sea.

This is also supported by scientific evidence.

Archaeological evidence

At the bottom of the ocean, scientists and archaeologists have discovered that there are ancient underwater remains near Dwarka — structures like walls, houses, roads.

This evidence shows that thousands of years ago there was really a big city here which then sank into the sea.

Therefore, Dwarka is not just a legend, but it is a living proof of history.

Dwarkadhish Temple

The most important identity of Dwarka is the Dwarkadhish Temple, also known as the “Jagat Mandir”.

This temple is believed to be about 2500 years old. The present temple was rebuilt in the 15th century.

Temple Features:

The main spire is about 78 meters high.

The flag flying at the top of the temple changes five times a day.

This flag is about 52 yards long and has the symbols — Sudarshan Chakra, Conch and Tulsi.

The temple is five-storeyed and each floor has statues of different deities.

The main idol of the temple is Shri Krishna in the form of Dwarkadhish — meaning "King of Dwarka".

Gomti Ghat

Gomti Ghat is located just below the Dwarkadhish temple — where the Gomti river meets the sea.

Here devotees bathe and then visit the temple.

It is said that bathing here washes away sins and purifies the mind.

There is a tradition of lighting lamps here in the evening — the entire ghat lights up, and the sound of bells and conch shells along with the waves of the sea deepens the devotion.

Bet Dwarka

About 30 km from Dwarka, there is a small island in the sea — called Bet Dwarka.

It is said that Lord Krishna lived here and from here he administered his kingdom.

To reach here, one goes by boat from Okha port. During the boat trip, the fishermen's boats in the middle of the sea, birds and the cool sea breeze give the devotees a unique experience.

Bet Dwarka also has a beautiful temple of Shri Krishna and small temples around it — such as Radhaji, Lakshmiji, and Sudarshan Chakraji.

Rukmani Mata Temple

The temple of Rukmani Mata is located about 2 km from Dwarka.

According to mythology, once due to a rare curse, Mother Rukmani and Shri Krishna were worshipped at different places.

That is, Dwarkadhish and Mother Rukmani — are in two different temples.

The sculpture of this temple is amazing — despite being small, the beauty of the carvings and sculptures is mesmerizing.

Places to visit around Dwarka

There are many sacred and interesting places near Dwarka:

Nageshwar Jyotirlinga – One of the 12 Jyotirlingas of India, where Lord Shiva is worshipped in the form of a serpent.

Gopi Lake – It is said that the Gopis played with Lord Krishna here, and after his separation they turned into clay – that is why the clay of this lake is still yellow and fragrant.

Okha Port – From here there is an arrangement to go to Bet Dwarka.

Balakrishna Temple – A small but beautiful temple, where Lord Krishna is worshipped in the form of a child.

Festivals and Fairs

Many festivals are celebrated in Dwarka throughout the year, but two occasions in particular are spectacular:

Janmashtami – On the birthday of Lord Krishna, millions of devotees flock to Dwarka. The entire city sparkles with golden lights, and there is an atmosphere of processions and hymns.

Holi and Diwali – The temple is specially decorated, the view of the lamps on the seashore looks amazing.

Local Life and Culture

The people of Dwarka are very devout and simple. The people here are mainly associated with fishing, worship, handicrafts and tourism.

In the market you can find things like conch shells, Sudarshan Chakra, Tulsi seeds, paintings of Radha-Krishna.

The language here is mainly Gujarati, but keeping tourists in mind, communication is also easy in Hindi and English.

Dwarka is not only a spiritual gem of Gujarat, but of the whole of India.

Where history and faith come together, where the sea and peace meet together, that is where Dwarka resides.

As people say

“There are many gates to the world, but there is only one gate to salvation — Dwarka.”