Dwarkadhish Temple, Dwarka

Dwarka has special importance as one of the major Hindu pilgrim places, known as the capital of Lord Krishna’s Kingdom. The Dwarkadhish Temple is also known as the Jagat Mandir or Nija Mandir. It is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Krishna, who is worshiped here by the name  Dwarkadhish, or ‘King of Dwarka’. The temple is situated on the banks of river Gomti, The town is described in legend as the capital of Krishna. The spire of this temple is about 170 feet high. The temple is located at Dwarka, Gujarat, India. Dwarka city is known as Devbhumi Dwarka.

The Dwarkadhish Temple follows the guidelines and rituals created by Vallabhacharya and Vitheleshnath Because The Temple is a Pushtimarg temple. It is also one of the Char Dhams of the Hindu Pilgrimage. Dwarka is one of the 7 ancient cities of Sapta-Puris of India. The seven cities are Ayodhya, Mathura, Maya, Kashi, Avantika, Kanchipuram and Dwarka. Another Dwarkadhish Temple is in Bet Dwarka.

Bet Dwarka Dwarkadhish Temple

Bet Dwarka or Shankhodhar is an inhabited island at the mouth of the Gulf of Kutch situated 3 km off the coast of Okha,  Gujarat, India. The island measured northwest to southeast is 13 km long with an average east-west width of 4 km. It is a strip of sand and stone situated 30 km north of the town of Dwarka.

Awards

The Dwarkadhish Jagat Mandir was awarded the certificate of “World Amazing Place” on 22 March 2021 by the World Talent Organization, New Jersey, USA.

History of Dwarkadhish Temple

The story behind Dwarkadhish Temple starts right after the Mahabharata Battle. Shri Krishna is the 8th Avatar of Lord Vishnu. He made use of it to live in Mathura-Vrindavan. The king of Magadha named Jarasandha used to attack the lord’s kingdom repeatedly. When Jarasandha attacked for the 18th time, Lord Krishna made a decision to leave Mathura. He chose to develop his kingdom in other places. He asked Garuda(the legendary bird and also the mount of Lord Vishnu) to pick a site. The Garuda chooses Dwarka Beyt. Shri Krishna asked the Divine architect Vishwakarma Ji to build the kingdom.

Shri Krishna prayed to Samudra Devta, who gave 12 yojanas of land to build the city. Vishwakarma developed the kingdom then. This is where Shri Krishna stayed for the rest of his life on Earth. There are mentions of Dwarka and Beyt Dwarka in many texts. It consists of Mahabharata, Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, Harivamsha, Skanda Purana as well as Vishnu Purana.

Current archeological searchings show that Dwarka was a huge city. The city utilized to have many palaces, lakes, gardens, public buildings, temples, and residential areas. These findings pre-date any other well-known ancient civilizations. The city was submerged with the sea when Sri Krishna left for His eternal abode– ‘Neejdham’ or Vaikunth.

Importance of Dwarkadhish Temple

The greatness of Dwarkadhish Temple, as well as Lord Krishna, is impossible to describe in words. Meerabai, a great saint as well as a devotee of Shri Krishna, has actually merged here with the idol here. Shri Krishna himself has promised to be below till the sun as well as moon exist.

The greatest poet Premanand has in his “Sudama Charit” described its splendid beauty and majesty. Dwarka is mentioned as the Golden City in Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, Skand Purana, and Vishnu Purana and also in Harivansh and Mahabharat.

Legendary Krishna’s kingdom means Dwarka. Since the place has many historical links with Lord Krishna, devotees take a pilgrimage to Dwarka. It is one of the seven ancient cities of India. Dwarka is an important pilgrimage center. Then it is steeped in legends, being associated with the life of Lord Krishna.

The temple became part of the Char Dham pilgrimage considered sacred by Hindus in India. Adi Shankaracharya an 8th-century Hindu theologian and philosopher visited the shrine. Adi Shankaracharya established a Sharda Peeth right here.  The other three are comprised of Rameswaram, Badrinath, and Puri. Dwarakadheesh is the 98th Divya Desam of Vishnu on the subcontinent. it was rebuilt by Raja Jagat Singh Rathore.

Who Built Dwarkadhish Temple and When?

The Temple approximately is 5244 years old. Shri Krishna’s great-grandson Vajranabhji built the original Dwarkadhish Temple, also called Trilok Sundar. Many Hindus fervently believe that the temple was erected in one night by a supernatural agency, under Vajranabhs direction. The present temple has remained in existence for over 2,000 years.

Sultan Mohammed Begada destroyed the temple in 1472. Nevertheless, it was reconstructed as well as enlarged in the early 15th-16th century. CE, providing it the semblance of what we see today. The current temple is in Chaulukya style. The temple covers an area of 27-metre by 21-metre with an east-west length of 29 meters and a north-south width of 23 meters. The tallest peak of the temple is 51.8 m high.

Architecture of Dwarkadhish Temple

The giant or the Bhavya temple stands with 72 pillars of about 78 meters or 256 feet making it as tall as a 25-story modern-day building. The temple has an assembly hall or audience hall. There are two important entrances to the temple: the main entry door which is called the Moksha Dwar, and the exit door which is known as the Swarga Dwar.

On top of it is a 25 ft long flagstaff and it is a very large flag with symbols of the Sun and Moon is hoisted on it. This flag is changed four times a day with a new one and Hindus pay a huge sum of money to hoist it by purchasing a new flag. The towering Shikhara is built in a Nagara Style replicating a mountain peak. The architecture of the old Dwarka of Shri Krishna is majestic and very wonderful.

Deity/ Idol

The main deity deified in the sanctum is Dwarkadeesh which is known as the Trivikrama form of Vishnu and is depicted with four arms. On the chamber to the left of the main altar is the deity of Balarama (elder brother of Krishna). The chamber to the right houses the images of  Pradyumna and Aniruddha, son and grandson of Krishna. In several shrines surrounding the central shrine, there are images of goddess Radha,  Rukmini, Jambavati, Satyabhama,  Lakshmi, Devaki (Krishna’s mother), Madhav Raoji, Rukmini, Jugal Swaroop (the name for Krishna), Lakshmi Narayana.

Festivals

Janmashtami – the day Krishna was born on the Krishna Ashtami 8th day of the 8th month of the Indian calendar as the 8th Avatar is the biggest festival celebrated here.

An interesting festival celebrated here is the Rukmini Vivah or the wedding of Krishna and Rukmini on (Tulsi Vivah)Ekadashi of Chaitra month which typically falls in March.

Other festivals – Holi, Basant Panchami, Ram Navami, Rath Yatra, Akshay Tritiya, Deepawali, Sharad Purnima, Dhanteras, and the New Year.

Other Temple in Dwarkadish Temple Campus:

Kusheshwar Mahadev Temple

On the premises of the Dwarkadhish Temple, a small temple called Kusheshwar Mahadev Temple exists. According to a legend, Kush was a demon who lived in Kushasthali. People prayed to Lord Krishna to save them. So, Lord Krishna fought and also crushed the demon. Krishna buried him completely into the ground. Thus, he set up a temple of Lord Mahadev there. The Shiva Linga exists almost 20 feet below the ground.

Dwarka Mutt

The Dwarka Mutt is one of the four mutts established by Sri Adi Shankaracharya. The others are Sringeri, Jagannath Puri, and Jyotirmath. An additional name for Dwarka Mutt is Shanti Peeth. It is sacred to take a dip at the Gomati Ghat opposite the Dwarkadhish Temple. Genuine praise at this temple washes away one’s sins.

Temples near Dwarkadhish Temple

Shri Nageshwar Temple: The Nageshwar Temple (Nagnath Temple) is 12 km away from the Dwarkadhish Temple. It is an essential Shaivite pilgrimage site. This is because it is among the 12 Jyotirlingas, the temples of Lord Shiva spread all across India. The temple is unique as the Shiva Lingam faces south and also the Nandi faces east. 5 of the 12 divine Jyotirlingas remain in Maharashtra.

Rukmini Mandir: It is 2 km away from The Dwarkadhish Temple. The Temple is for Devi Rukmini, wife of Lord Krishna. The idol of Devi Rukmini has “Chaturbhuj” or four hands. Even more, each hand holds a Shanka, Chakra, Gada, and the Padma. This is so because Devi Rukmini was a reincarnation of Goddess Mahalakshmi.

Beyt Dwarka: The island is 30 km far from Dwarka. Likewise, it houses a 500-year-old temple constructed by Sri Vallabhacharya. The white pristine beaches on the Island are incredibly popular for water sports and picnics.

Gomati Sangam Ghat: One can reach the Sangam Ghat by descending 56 steps opposite Swarga Dwar. Additionally, this place indicates the junction of River Gomati with the sea. Additionally, one can visit several smaller shrines dedicated to Lord Krishna and his buddy Sudama.

Gita Mandir: The Birla family developed the temple in 1970 as well as committed it to the training of The Bhagavad Gita. The wall surfaces of the temple contain hymns from the Bhagwad Gita.

How to Reach

• By Air: The nearest airport is Jamnagar which is 137 km away from the temple.
• By Rail: Regular trains are available from major cities such as Jamnagar, Rajkot, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Mumbai, Goa, Bangalore, and Kochi.
• By Road: Direct State Buses are available from Jamnagar, Gandhinagar, Porbandar, Rajkot, and Ahmedabad.

Dwarkadhish temple timings

Dwarkadhish Temple Dwarka Darshan Timing

Morning Timing

Darshan Timing	Darshan
06:30 am to 08:00 am	Mangla Darshan
09:00 am to 09:30 am	Shringar Darshan
09:45 am to 10:15 am	Shringar Darshan
10:30 am to 10:45 am	Shringar Arti
11:20 am to 12:00 pm	Darshan
12:20 pm to 01:00 pm	Darshan

Evening Timing

Darshan Timing	Darshan
5:00 pm	First Darshan Uthappan
05:45 pm to 07:15 pm	Darshan
07:30 pm to 07:45 pm	Sandhya Arti
08:10 pm to 08:30 pm	Darshan
08:35 pm to 09:00 pm	Darshan
09:20 pm to 09:30 pm	Darshan

Dwarkadhish Temple Dwarka Arti, Bhog and Pooja Timing(Darshan Closed)

Morning Timing

Arti, Bhog, and Pooja Timing	Arti, Bhog and Pooja
06:30 am	Mangla Arti
08:00 am to 09:00 am	Abhishek Pooja [Snan Vidhi]
09:30 am to 09:45 am	Snanbhog
10:15 am to 10:30 am	Shringarbhog
11:05 am to 11:20 am	Gwal Bhog
12:00 pm to 12:20 pm	Rajbhog

Evening Timing

Arti, Bhog and Pooja Timing	Arti, Bhog and Pooja
05:30 pm to 05:45 pm	Uthappan Bhog
07:15 pm to 07:30 pm	Sandhya Bhog
08:00 pm to 08:10 pm	Shayanbhog
08:30 pm to 08:35 pm	Shayan Arti
09:00 pm to 09:20 pm	Bantabhog and Shayan

The temple is open every day.

Dwarkadhish Temple Video and Images