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According to the epic Mahabharata, the city in
due course was submerged by the sea.
It is held in such a high esteem as a place of Hindu pilgrimage that
it is considered to be one of the four principal holy places or
chardham, it is also known as Mokshapuri.
The Architecture
Also known as Jagat Mandir, the five-storey structure of the
Dwarkadhish Temple is built on seventy-two pillars. The temple spire
is 78.3m high. From the temple dome waves an eighty-four foot long
multicolored flag decorated with the symbols of the sun and moon.
Lord Krishna's grandson, Vajranabha, is said to have built the
original temple of Dwarkadhish over the hari-griha (Lord Krishna's
residential place).
The sanctum of the temple is formed by the Jagat Mandir, or Nija
Mandir, dating back at least 2500 years. The Jagat Mandir has a tall
tower and a hall of audience. There are two entrances to the temple.
The main entrance (north entrance) is called "Moksha Dwara" (Door to
Salvation). This entrance takes one to the main market. The south
entrance is called "Swarga Dwara" (Gate to Heaven). Outside this
doorway are 56 steps that leads to the Gomati River.
The History
The holy town of Dwarka in Gujarat State is believed to be the
legendary city of Dwarka built by Lord Sri Krishna between 3500 and
5000 years ago. The Harivansh, an appendix to the Mahabharata says
that Dwarka was situated on the bank of the river Gomati where it
joins the western sea.
Dwarka was submerged by the sea right after the death of Lord
Krishna. This was regarded as a grandiose metaphor, part of a story
filled with great myths. In the early eighties an important
archaeological site was found in India, at Dwaraka, the site of the
legendary city of Lord Krishna. Now, it is discovered that the whole
coast of western India sank by nearly 40 feet around 1500 B.C. E.
Other Attractions Near The Dwarkadhish
Temple
The other temples in Dwarka are the Trikamji temple, Kalyanrai
temple, the Patrani temple, Durvas temple, etc. Sharda Pith set up
by Adi Shankaracharya imparts instruction in Sanskrit. Darukvan in
the region is one of the Jyotirlingas.
Getting There
Air : Nearest Airport is Jamnagar (146 Kms.)
Rail : Connects Dwarka and Jamnagar, 132 kms. away. Connecting
Mumbai (945 kms.) via Rajkot (270 kms.) and Ahmedabad (453 kms.).
Dwarka lies on the metre gauge link between Viramgam and Okha.
Road : State transport buses and luxury coaches are available from
different parts of Gujarat.
Accommodation
Reasonable type of accommodations are available in and around this
temple. There are numerous government offices and dharamshalas,
which are good enough to cater to your accommodation needs.
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