Dwarkadhish Temple in Dwarka, Gujarat

The holy land of Dwarka has always been a centre for pilgrimage for devout Hindu pilgrims since centuries. One of the main reasons as to why devotees and Krishna bhakts flock to this pious land is the famous, seven story temple of Dwarkadhish which is dedicated to Lord Krishna. Along with being one of the prime centres of pilgrimage in the famous char dham yatra, along with Badrinath in the North, Rameshwaram in the South and Puri in the east, this temple is also the 98th divya desam of Lord Vishnu that is dotted all along the Indian sub continent. People visit this place when they take up the auspicious journey to wash away their sins.

History of the Temple

Before getting into the history of this magnificently sacred temple which is also a part of the panch dwarka yatra, one needs to take a deeper look into the history of establishment of the city of Dwarka. It is said that Lord Krishna had built this city, by the River Gomti, around 5000 years back. Having built it, this place then served as the abode of Lord Krishna for almost 100 years. It is assumed that this place have been immersed in the sea, which, as per archeological findings occurred around 1500BC, dating the construction of Dwarkadhish temple to the Mughal era. The inscriptions found on the pillar walls are of 15th century and the current structure is said to have been erected by the Mughal emperor, Akbar. However, Hindus believe that this temple was constructed by Vajranabh who was the great grandson of Lord Krishna, making this place highly acclaimed among devout pilgrims.

Dwarkadhish Temple

Significance

The flag that adorns the top of the temple has the image of sun and the moon on it, which is said to indicate that Lord Krishna will be present there till the sun and moon exists on Earth. Although the flag changes 5 times every day, the sun and the room remains the same. The interesting history behind the idol that presides in the main temple shrine involves Lord Krishna and Badana who was one of his devotes and had travelled from faraway to the temple to get a glimpse of the lord. The story ends with the priests’ attempts to capture the idol that Badana was carrying and how Lord Krishna himself solved the issue by enshrining a replica of her version of the idol inside the main shrine of the temple. This temple is extremely relevant and significant for followers of Lord Krishna and his devotees since it is also believed that this temple rests on top of ‘Hari-Griha’ which was Lord Krishna’s residential place.

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Temple Architecture

The majestic temple is 5 stories high and stands on the confluence of Gomati River and Arabian Sea. The entire temple structure is supported by 72 pillars presenting an impressive sight to behold. Dominating the Dwarka skyline this temple is located at a height of 78.3 metres and waving form the temple dome is an 84 foot long, multicolored flag, which is decorated neatly with symbols of moon and sun. Built in Chalukya style, and constructed in 15^th and 16^th century, the tallest temple peak is 52 metres tall. There are 56 steps that leads up to the temple’s main entrance known as ‘moksha dwara’ or the door to salvation. The tall towering shikhara on top of Garbha Griha is designed in Nagara Style and replicates mountain peak. Each story in this temple represents a puri where the bottom story represents Dwarka which is one of the 7 ancient city of sapta-puris present in India.

Temple Timing

• The entire schedule of the temple for a day goes as following:
• Temple opens - 6:00 am
• Mangala arti - 6:30 am
• Abhishek - 8:00 am to 9:15 am
• Snan bhog - 9:45 am to 10:00 am
• Shringar darshan - 10:00 am to 10:30 am
• Aarti bhog - 10:30 am to 10:45 am
• Aarti darshan - 10:45 am
• Gwala darshan - 10:55 am
• Madhyanh Bhog - 11:05 am to 11:25 am
• Raj Bhog - 12:00 pm to 12:25 pm
• Temple closes - 1:00 pm
• Temple reopens - 5:00 pm
• Utthapan bhog - 5:30 pm to 5:45 pm
• Sandhya  bhog - 7:30 pm to 7:45 pm
• Aarti darshan - 7:45 pm
• Shayan bhog - 8:05 pm to 8:25 pm
• Shayan aarti - 8:30 pm
• Darshan - 8:35 pm to 9:00 pm
• Shringar darshan - 9:00 pm to 9:20 pm
• Stuti darshan - 9:20 pm to 9:40 pm
• Temple closes - 9:40 pm

How to Reach the Temple

By Air - the nearest airport to Dwarka is Jamnagar, which is located at a distance of 146 km.

By Rail - located at a distance of 132 km the railway line connects Dwarka and Jamnagar. Devotees and pilgrims from all over India opt for the railway service to reach Dwarka.

By Road - the state of Gujarat offers a number of options for pilgrims and devotees to reach the temple conveniently. Numerous buses and luxury coaches are available from different parts of Gujarat to reach this holy temple.

Best Time to Visit:

With the summer weather remaining extremely uncomfortable, and the monsoon season resulting in an increase in humidity, winter time is the most preferred time to visit Dwarkadhish temple. With the weather being mostly cool and extremely pleasant and temperatures ranging between 9 degrees Celsius to 34 degree Celsius the winter time pans among the months of november to February. The comfortable weather enables the visitors and devotees to easily move around without any hassle.