Dwarka is one of the four shaktipiths (also referred as Shardapiths) established by Adi Shankaracharya. Others are Jyotishpith in the North, Shringeri pith in the South and Govardhan pith in the East. The first Shardapith was established in the West, in Dwarka next to Dwarkadheesh temple. The Shardapith manages the Dwarkadheesh Temple and runs the famous Pathshala and oversees various institutes.
Activities include the running of Shri Dwarkadheesh Sanskrit Academy and Indological Research Institute, Shri Shardapith Arts-Commerce and college of Education, Shri Shankaracharya Abhinav Sachchidanad Tirtha Sanskrita Mahavidyalaya and ved Vidyalaya at Dwarka and Gaushala in Barvala near Bhavnagar district. The devotees coming to Dwarkadheesh temple are also benefited with free meals provided by Shardapith as prasad.
Chandaramaulishwar Shivalinga in Shardapith
A devotee who comes to Shardapith also has a chance to see Chandramaulishwar Shivalinga which is daily worshipped by present Shankaracharya. It is said that Lord Shiva had gifted four forms of shivalinga (known as Chandramaulishwar) to Adi Shankaracharya. Over the years they were established in four piths and are worshipped by Shankaracharya. The Shivalinga is made from sapphire. Near the Shardapith is the temple of Bhadrakali Mataji, which is aradhyadevi of Shankaracharya.
Dwarkadheesh temple premises
Sri Krishna's Dwarkadheesh temple premises are considerably huge and house more than 24 temples apart from the main Dwarkadheesh temple. The various temples in the premises are: Shri Radha Krishna, Shri Purushottam, Shri Radhika, Shri Baldev, Shri Satyabhama, Shri Laxmi Narayan, Shri Trivikram, Shri Shakti Mataji, Shri Kusheshwar Mahadev, Shri Kashi Vishwanath, Shri Kolva Bhagat, Shri Datatreya, Shri Aniruddha, Shri Pradyuman, Shri Ambaji, Shri Devki Mataji, Shri Madhavray, Sage Durvasa, Shri Jambuvati, Shri Gyanmandir Nardapith, etc.
Gomti Ghat
Gomti Ghat
Behind the temple flows the river Gomti. At present, Gomti Ghat is under renovation. Devotees can be seen feeding fishes small balls of wheat flour, which is considered a way to get wealth and prosperity. On the other side of Gomti River is a place called Panchanand tirtha. There are five wells here. It is believed that the Pandavas built the wells on the bank of Gomti River. A temple of Sangamnarayan or Samudranarayan is also there. Next to this place is Chakratirtha, where one can find rocks with chakras. According to Vishnupuran, Lord Vishnu cleaned his Sudarshan Chakra here after destroying demons, hence the place is known as Chakratirtha.
Places around Dwarka
Dwarka is a beautiful place to visit with several attractions around it. However, four holy shrines are particularly popular. They are Nageshwar Jyotirlinga temple, Gopi Talav, Bet Dwarka and Rukmini temple.
Gopi Talav
Talav means Pond. It is 21 km from Dwarka and 5 km from Nageshwar Jyotirlinga temple. Lord Krishna killed the demon Bhaumasura here, freeing 16,000 princesses from His palace. These gopi princesses fell in love with Lord Krishna and wanted to marry him, thus the name Gopi Talav.
Another story is related with Arjuna. After the battle at Kurukshetra, Arjuna thought himself to be the best warrior of the world. To show him his place, Lord Krishna asked him to escort his queens to Bet Dwarka. On the way, just near this pond, Arjuna was attacked by people of Kaba community, and Arjuna was defeated. The queens were shocked at this and died in this pond. So it is called Gopi Talav. The famous phrase ‘Kabe Arjun luntiyo,vohi dhanush vohi ban' reflects this incident.
Gopi Talav is a small pond and the sandal like yellow sand is known as Gopi Chandan. The devotees take Gopi Chandan, believing it to be very good for skin diseases.
Rukmini Temple
Rukmini Temple
This temple is 3 km from Dwarka. It is related to the story of the 12-year separation of Rukmini. When Krishna and Rukmini invited the sage Durvasa to Dwarka, he agreed to come on the condition that his chariot would not be pulled by any animal. Krishna and Rukmini decided to pull the chariot themselves.
However, on the way, Rukmini felt thirsty. Lord Krishna got water for her. She was so thirsty that she gulped all the water without offering it to anyone. This enraged the sage Durvasa who is known for his bad temper, and the sage cursed her. He said that for 12 years she will remain separate from Lord Krishna, and so the temple is three kilometers away from the main temple of Lord Krishna. Visitors can also see the ancient chori mandap in the temple.
Bet Dwarka
Bet means island. One can reach here from Okha, 30 kms from Dwarka. From Okha, the ferry boats bring tourists to Bet Dwarka. It takes around 20 minutes to reach the place, which is known for its variety of Shanks (conches). For Vaishnavs, shankhs bought from here have special significance. For this reason, the place also called Shankhoddhar, the place of Dhwani (sound) shakti.
The Bet is spread around a 12 km area from West South to East. The site also has archeological importance. A team of archeologists have carried out onshore and inter-tidal zone explorations and a few trial trenches were laid to trace a proper cultural sequence. The findings of Bet Dwarka may be divided into two broad periods: Proto-historic period, which includes a small seal of conch shell engraved with a three-headed animal motif, two inscriptions, a copper fishhook and late Harappan pottery (circa 1700-1400 BC); and the Historical period, consisting of coins and pottery. Onshore and inter-tidal zone explorations have indicated some kind of shoreline shifting around the Bet Dwarka Island as a few sites get submerged during high tide.
Bet Dwarka Main Temple
Lord Dwarkadheesh is the presiding Deity in the main Bet Shankhoddhar Temple in Bet Dwarka. Vaisanavas call the presiding Deity Lord Shankho-narayan. Evidence showS that the idol of Dwarkadheesh was carried out from Dwarka and the new temple was established in Bet Dwarka in vikram samvat 1616-17. After some years, new temples of Shri Laxmiji, Satyabhama and Jambavati were also built here. During monsoon season, Lord Dwarkadheesh yatra is taken out in Bet Dwarka on every ekadashi.
The daily puja of Laxmiji and Satyabhamaji, the two main queens (pattaranis) of Lord Krishna is taken care of by a brahmachari priest who also wears woman like jewellery on his body.
Like many other Hindu temples, this temple was also looted, in this case by the British. In the first attempt in 1851, people of the Vagher community defeated the attempt, but the second time the British succeeded. They damaged the structures of the temple and looted the jewelry worth Rs.14 crore. The devotees, however, managed to shift the idols of Dwarkadheesh and the goddesses to a nearby place. The present temple was constructed in 1860, and artisans of the area offered their labour free to build the temple.
Temple Timings: The main temple at Bet Dwarka opens at 6 in the morning and closes at 9 in the night. Total of 13 bhogs are offered and 9 artis are performed during the day. There are 16 temples in all. Even today, the bhog is prepared using wood as fuel, maintaining all traditional style. The 21.5 meter cloth is used for Dhwajarohan in the main temple and it costs around Rs. 3500.
Hanuman Dandi Temple
Nearby is the Hanuman Dandi Temple, where Hanuman and his son Makardhwaj had met. People have great faith in the temple and many come here for the fulfillment of their desires. The temple priest gives a sopari (beetle nut) to the devotee, and when his wish is fulfilled, the devotee comes here with the same sopari given by the priest, now with golden platting on it, and offers it to Hanumanji. Hanuman Dandi temple is 5 km away from the main temple, and local vehicles are available.
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Traditionally, Dwadash Jyotirlinga pilgrimage begins with the Somnath temple. The present Somnath temple is an elegant reflection of the past glory of Somnath. Built in Kailsah Mahameruprasad style, it was constructed under the guidance of Prabhashankar Sompura. The temple has Garbhagriha, Sabhamandap and Nrityamandap with a 150 feet high Shikhar. The Kalash at the top of the Shikhar weighs 10 tons and the Dhwajdand is 27 feet tall and a foot in circumference.
The temple has large central hall with entrances on three sides, each protected by a lofty porch. The temple carvings and sculptures speak about the great artistic endeavor of the craftsmen who built it. The main gate faces east, and the sense of space and light is glorious.
The sanctum of the temple is spacious. The shivalinga is huge, and one can see the priests performing different pujas. The doors are silver framed with golden ceilings. The entrance is from Shri Digvijay Dwar, and there is a small temple of Ganesh and Hanuman after the entrance, followed by Nandi. Then comes the garbhagriha, where one can have darshan of the jyotirlinga. A Tripurasundari idol on the right side of the sanctum and Ambika Mataji idol on the left side are offered prayers after the jyotirlinga.
Dwadash Jyotirlinga
Only the temple trust appointed pujaris are allowed in the garbhagriha and they only can perform puja. Even the trustees or VIPs cannot visit this area. Being the first revered Jyotirlinga, Somnath also has an importance for various yagna related rituals. There are different pujas performed in temple. While no devotee can perform puja here, this is not the case in all Jyotirlingas. Here the task is performed by priests on behalf of devotees. The trust employs more than 1,000 brahmans for the task.
Somnath Temple opens daily at 6 am for the devotees for darshan, and closes at 9 pm. Aratis are performed three times at 7 am, 12 noon and 7 pm. Aarti is a 20 minute spiritual symphony of music, a star attraction of Somnath Jyotirlinga.
For the security reasons, nothing is allowed inside the temple, not even coconuts for puja. However, there are adequate locker arrangements to keep personal valuables.
Somnath Temple
Dhwajarohan at Somnath Temple
Reshmi Dhwajarohan at Somnath Temple is a great event for the devotee, and anyone can perform it. A devotee has to contribute money for Dhwajarohan. The temple authorities provide saffron colored Dhwaja, which has embossed symbols of Nandi and Trishul on it. The devotee performs puja of the Dhwaja near garbhagriha. After that ritual, a temple employee takes dhwaja to the top of the temple and unfurls it.
Somnath Trust Managament
Somnath Trust Management is among the best of the Dwadash Jyotirlinga circuit temples. The Trust at present has undertaken several development activities, which include the plan to develop various places and expand facilities.
Somnath is located in a village called Prabhas Patan, having a population of about 12,000. Somnath Museum is just 100 meters away from the Somnath Temple. Here one can see the ruins of the ancient Somnath temple, and waters brought from around the world for pranpratishtha ritual. The authorities have preserved this site very nicely.
Prabhs Khestra - Land of Lord Sri Krishna's Dehtyag
Somnath, or Prabhas Kshetra, is an important place for Vaisnavas. Lord Sri Krishna established His capital in Dwarka, which was known for its richness. It was the golden era during Lord Krishna's regime in Dwarka. The Yadavas became arrogant and allowed Dwarka's glory to wane.
Lord Krishna ended his earthy journey in Prabhash Kshetra (Somnath) along with his elder brother Balarama. This is also the place where Sri Krishna was hit by an arrow of the poacher named Jara, thus the place is known as Bhalka Tirth. After being hit by the arrow, Lord Sri Krishna arrived at the holy confluence of the Hiran, Kapila and Saraswati Rivers, where they join the ocean. He performed His divine Dehtyag leela on the sacred and peaceful banks of River Hiran.
The City of Dwaraka is best known as the home of Lord Dwarkadisa, who resides in His Jagad Mandir. The Dwarkadish Temple describes how Sri Krsna became Dwarkadish in this way: "Jarasandha, father-in-law of Kansa, attacked Matura on seventeen different occasions and on each occasion under the leadership of Shri Krishna, the people of Mathura bravely repulsed the attack. Krishna realized that the real strength of Jarasandha was his reliance on Hans and Dhimak, who were on Jarasandha's side. So with a great deal of foresight, Shri Krishna cleverly got Hansa and Dhimak killed. This was the policy of war.
Shri Krishna had to fight the large majority of people who were materialistic and evil-minded. Jarasandha was frightened after the death of Hansa and Dhimak, and his army lost confidence.
Jarasandha, with great effort, once again built up his army and invaded Mathura for the 18th time. On this occasion Vikadru, a member of the Yadav assembly spoke the bitter truth, saying 'Krishna, we have limitless love for you. We cannot compensate for your obligations on us. Yet these invasions are because of you. The civic life of Mathura is completely disrupted. Commerce and trade have been ruined. The people are not able to attend to agricultural duties and as a result the progress is hindered. And on the top of all, the danger of one more invasion of Jarasandha is hanging over Mathura. Hence in these circumstances, for the good of the people I request you to leave us. It is bitter but it is the truth. Please consider, Shri Krishna your followers are not sentimental. They cannot remain sentimental because of your teaching. Therefore, I as your devotee tell you the truth without fear.'
The entire assembly was stunned and silent. Shri Krishna's father, Vasudev, supported Vikrendu in assembly. Shri Krishna realized that the republic had to face many dangers because of him, and He decided to leave Mathura. Thus He proved that He not only advised, but also lived accordingly.
He advised the Yadavas,' I have taught you true culture. Live according to the ideals and impart these teachings to others. I will leave Matura and go to Dwarka, in Saurashtra.'
Thereafter Shri Krishna crossed Gomantak (Girnar Mountain) went to Saurashtra, where he built Dwarka City (the City of Gold) at a distance of 20 miles from Prabhas Patan (today's Veraval Somanath). Shri Krishna appeared to have settled in Dwarka, though his mind was engaged in re-establishing a kingdom based on the principal of true religion. And he made Dwarka, the empire which is based on the principal of true religion, called Dharma Rajya in true sense. Here he become known as the ruler of Dwarka, Shri Dwarkadhish."
We return now to excerpts from the final segment of the series on Dwaraka by Vipul K. Shukla:
Dwarka is a city of temples, ghats and seashore. Apart from main Jagadmandir, there are many temples in the city to visit. The small city sometimes reminds of the charm of Varanasi. There are small narrow streets (also known as 'pole') with cows sitting on the road. The city is amazing clean, being cleansed thrice daily.
The main sites are Shamalshah Temple, where Lord Krishna in the form of Shamalshah accepted the hoondi (remittance) of his devotee Narsimhn Mehta of Junagadh, Kukalash Kunda, Swaminarayan Temple, Gayatri Shaktipitha, etc. It is said that a devotee who visits Dwarka has to visit Siddheshwar Mahadev and Rukmini Temple. Without having darshan of these temples the pilgrimage is believed to be incomplete.
Near Jagadmandir temple, about 200 meters out there is a small but beautiful temple of Bhadakeshwar Mahadev in the sea. The devotees can experience peace by having darshan, sitting on the benches in the temple.
About 4 km from Dwarka, Siddhi Vinayak temple also catches the attraction of devotees, and it's known for providing tatkal fal (immediate results) to the devotees. On the same road, a temple of Indreshwar also has religious importance. The scriptures state that Arjuna, son of King Indra, performed penance here in the form of monk, and abducted Subhadra, sister of Lord Krishna.
Dwarka and Gugali Brahmins
The Gugali Brahmins are a dominant community in Dwarka. The daily rituals in the main Mandir and other importance temples of Dwarka are performed by Gugali Brahmins. When Lord Krishna formed Dwarka as His new capital, in order to purify the land of Dwarka, He invited the Brahmins to perform a yagna of Gugal (a fragmented gum). This group of then became known as the Gugali Brahmins.
Dwarka-Porbandar-Somnath
Many devotees travel the Dwarka-Porbandar-Somnath circuit. Porbandar is 75 km from Dwarka. The devotees first visit Harsiddhi Mataji Temple on the seashore before Porbandar. The distance between Porbandar and Somnath is about 150 km. The entire journey by road is memorable, as the most of the ride travels along the coastal belt.
Local private buses depart daily from Dwarka at 8 in the morning and reach Somnath at 2 afternoon, with stops at Mool Dwarka and Harsiddhi Mataji temple.
When traveling to Nageshwar, Dwarka and surrounding places, three full days are recommended to get a real feel for the entire land of Okhamandal. Some devotees also complete Dwarka travel in a day with Nageshwar Jyotirlinga and Bet Dwarka, but that allows too little time to visit the holy sites.