India's Treasures: Rich Culture of Dwaraka
In India, Gujarat lies an amazing land submerged deep in the ocean's mysterious secrets of the past. Welcome to Dwaraka, Dwaravathi the capital city of Krishna.
Located:
Dwarka or Dwaraka is a town located in the municipality of Devbhumi Dwarka district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is located on the western shore of Okhamandal Peninsula on the right bank of Gomti river which rises at Bavda village to the east at the mouth of the Gulf of Kutch facing the Arabian Sea.
As per legend, it is said to have been the capital city of Lord Shri Krishna after he killed his uncle, Kamsa. Krishna is also said to have reclaimed 12 yojanas or 96 square kilometers (37 sq mi) of land from the sea to create Dwarka.
History:
Dwaraka has been considered the first capital of Gujarat. It literally means "way" or "gateway"(derived from Sanskrit word "Dwaram" meaning gate or door). In the scriptures it has been referred to as "Moksha Puri", "Dwarkamati" and "Dwaravathi". It is one of the holy Char Dham Yatra which also includes Puri in Odisha, Badrinath in Uttarakhand, and Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu. In Mahabharata it has been mentioned that Krishna migrated to Dwaraka to escape his rival Jarasandha after killing Kamsa. It is believed to have been constructed by Vishwakarma, the architect of gods in gold
The temple in Dwaraka is said to have been built as early as 200 BC by Krishna's great- grandson Vajranabha. The city had flourished as a port during the middle kingdoms of India. According to a legend in Mahabharata, Gandhari had cursed Krishna that his kinsmen and kingdom would die with him. As a result, a coastal erosion swept off the city and caused its destruction. Shri Adi Shankaracharya also established Dwaraka Sharada Matth, one of the four cardinal pithas here to preserve and propagate Sanatana Dharma and Advaita Vedanta.
Climate:
According to the Koppen Geiger classification, Dwarka has a hot semi-arid climate (BSh), bordering upon the hot arid climate (BWh) typical of Gujarat. The Holdridge life zones system of bio climatic classification identifies Dwarka in or near the subtropical thorn woodland biome. The “average” annual rainfall is 404 millimeters, or 15.9 inches spread over a rainy period of 16 days with rainfall limited to the months of June to September.
In January and February, the average temperature is 21 degrees C. In March and April, the average temperature is 27.6 degrees C. In May and June, it rises to 29 degrees. In July and August, the temperature can be about 27- 28 degrees and in September, October, November and December the temperatures decrease to 23 degrees. In summer the temperature can go as high as 32 degrees while in winters, as low as 18 degrees. Rainfall can be as high as 148mm, and humidity can be as high as 84% in August.
Tourism and temples:
Dwarkadhish temple:
The Mandir was initially said to be built by Vajranābha, the great-grandson of Sri Krisna, around 400BC.Sultān Mahamud Bēgaḍa destroyed it in the14th century. The current Mandir was constructed around the15th or16th century. Built in the Chalukya style architecture, the temple has mesmerizing details. The main Shrine, also known as Jagat Mandir or Nija Mandir, is a five-storied edifice that is170 feet high. Two main entrances of the Mandir are called "Moksha Dvār' (Gateway to Salvation) and 'Swarga Dvār'(Gateway to Heaven).
A massive flag, called 'Dhwaja', sits on the brilliantly carved dome of the Mandir. It is made of 52 yards and can be seen even from 10km. The Mandir follows Puṣṭimārg Sampradaya (a sub-tradition of Vaishnavism) hence practices the guidelines and rituals created by Vallabh Acarya, a Telugu philosopher. Mandir also has the Shrines of Subhadra, Balarama and Revati, Devaki and Vasudeva, Rukmini, Satyabhama, and Jambavati, etc.
Rukmini Mandir:
This wonderfully carved temple is believed to be built in the 12th century. It is dedicated to Lord Sri Krishna's wife, Sri Rukmini Devi. Though the structure is not huge, it features splendid architectural work. Beautiful paintings illustrating Lord Krishna with Rukmini Devi can be found on the walls inside.
According to a tale in Mahabharata, Durvasa Muni is said to have visited Krishna and his wife Rukmini. The sage wished that the pair took him to their palace, demanding that they pull his chariot like horses. The pair agreed and started to carry the sage, even as the latter struck Rukmini when she fell. After some distance, according to local tradition, Rukmini got tired, and she requested some water from Krishna. Krishna dug a hole with his powers that brought in river Ganga to the place. Durvasa was furious and cursed Rukmini to remain in the place. The temple where Rukmini's shrine is found, is believed to be the place where she stood.
Nageshwar Jyotirlinga:
This is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Śiva. This Śiva Lingam is called 'Nageswara Jyotirlinga' and Divine Mother is called 'Nageswari'. The tale here is about a demon named Daruk. He and his wife Daruka used to torment all the Shiva bhaktas and sages. Unable to take the torture the sages requested Maharshi Aurva to help them out then Maharshi Aurva cursed Daruk that he will be destroyed if he disturbs the Shiva bhaktas then however did not heed to the warning. He continued to disturb the sages, but the gods came and helped them out by waging war with dark then Daruk escaped the war field and thanks to his wife's boon that they could not be defeated in a forest named Darukavan, they took shelter at Darukavan after that they kidnapped a brahman named Supriya who was a great devotee of Shiva. They tormented him but however Supriya was devoutly worshipping Shiva. Then Dharuk tried to destroy his linga but then Shiva manifested right there as Nageswar Jyothir Linga and defeated Daruk right there.
Badhkeshwar Mahadev Mandir:
The ancient temple is more than 5000 years old. It is also a Swayambhu Linga or a self-manifest Linga. Every year, during the rainy season the temple gets submerged in the sea. Devotees consider this as an abhisheka by nature to the lord.
Samudra Narayana Mandir:
It is located at the confluence of the river Gomati and the Arabian Sea. It is dedicated to Goddess Gomati, who is said to have been brought from heaven by Maharshi Vasistha to sanctify Rāma after killing Ravana. Chakra Narayan a Shrine in the vicinity features Sudarsana chakra. The mandir has breathtaking intrinsic architecture.
Swaminarayan Mandir:
Boasting a splendid Architecture, the Mandir is dedicated to Sri Swaminarayan, believed to be an Avatar of Lord Vishnu by the followers. He is a Yogi and ascetic whose life and teachings brought a revival of central Hindu philosophy.
Gomati River:
Gomti Ghat consists of steps leading to the Gomti River, which is also a holy place for pilgrims to take a dip in the river, before visiting Dwarkadhish temple. The ghat has a number of small shrines dedicated to the Samudra (God of the sea) the Saraswati and Lakshmi. Other notable temples in the ghat area include the Samudra Narayana (Sangam Narayana) temple, which is at the confluence of the Gomti River with the sea, the Chakra Narayana temple where there is a stone with an imprint of a Chakra as a manifestation of Vishnu, and the Gomati temple, which has an idol of the river goddess Gomati that is said to have been brought to earth by the sage Vashishta.
Bibliography:
For more information, here are the sites you can google up:
16 Places to visit in Dwarka 2025 | Sightseeing & Tourist places
Dwarka: India's submerged ancient city
Well, that's all I have about India's submerged city, the mystery of India's past. Follow for more like these!!!!
