Dwarkadish Temple is one of the four major pilgrimage sites of Hindus. It is located at Dwarka in Gujarat. The city of Dwarka is regarded as the Gateway to Moksha (salvation). Dwarkadish refers to Lord Krishna, who is regarded as the Lord of Dwarka.
Dwarkadish Temple is made of limestone and sand. The exterior of this magnificent temple is supported by 60 columns. The structure is quite complicated, the temple has two gateways namely Swarga Dwar (the door to heaven) and Moksha Dwar (the door to salvation). Through the former, pilgrims enter while the later serves as the exit door.
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Getting There
The temple is located at a distance of 450 km from Ahmedabad, 142 km from Jamnagar, 950 km from Mumbai.
The nearest railway station is Dwarka which is well-connected to all the major railway stations across India.
The nearest Airport is Porbandar airport which is located at a distance of 95 km away from Dwarka.
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More About Dwarkadish Temple
The temple is also known as Jagat Mandir, which means the universal temple. The temple is believed to have been constructed in 400 BC by Vajranabha, the great grandson of Lord Krishna as an umbrella monument in memory of his forefather which remains merged into the sea.
The main shrine is a 5 storey building, supported by 72 pillars, archaeological findings suggest the temple is around 2000 - 2500 years old. The current temple is built in the Chalukya style in the 15th - 16th century.
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In the main shrine, the central altar houses the idol of Lord Dwarkadish. The idol is in the form of four-armed Vishnu known as Trivikrama. Apart from Dwarkadish, the temple houses idols of Balarama, Pradyumna and Aniruddha. There is also a small shrine dedicated to Kuseswara Mahadeva (Shiva).
Besides these there other shrines dedicated to Devaki (Krishna's mother), Veni Madhava, Radhika, Jambuvati, Satyabhama, Lakshmi, Saraswati and Lakshmi Narayan in the temple complex.
Legend Behind The Idol
Badana, an elderly devotee, would come every day from Dakor to Dwarka in order to have a glimpse of the Lord. The Lord was really appeased with her devotion and one day he went along with Badana to Dakor in the form of an idol. The priests at the temple fumed at Badana and chased her to get back the idol. Badana convinced the priests to leave the idol instead of gold.
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The priest is said to have agreed upon the conditions and to their surprise, the idol happened to be as light as a nose ring. It is believed to be done by the Lord himself, as he knew Badana had only a nose ring to offer.
The Lord didn't disappoint the priests and said that they would find a replica on a particular day. The priests could not resist their inquisitiveness and excavated the recommended site quite early. They found an idol which wasn't completed, which is presently enshrined at Dwaraka.
Interesting Facts
The flag atop the temple is changed five times in a day, but the symbols remain the same.
There are 56 steps which take you down to the river of Gomati.
The temple spire measures to the height of 78.3 meters.
Timings
Morning: 6:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Evening: 5:00 PM to 9:30 PM
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