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Dwarakadhish(Sri Krishna) Temple in Dev bhumi Dwaraka Gujarat India

Here is Some information about Dwarkadhish Temple in Dwarka Gujarat India.

Location : Dwarka (Jamnagar District),Gujarat
Address: Dwarka, Gujarat
Pin Code : 361335
Phone: 02892 234 080
Built in : 15th century
Dedicated to : Lord Krishna
Significance : One of the four pilgrimages of the Hindus
Entry : Free
Photography : Don't Allow
Best time to Visit :October to March
Temple Height : 235 Feet
Attractions Around : Rukmini Devi Temple, Gomati Ghat Temples,Bet Dwarka,Nageshwar Temple
Festival : Janmastmi ,Holy,Diwali
Nearest Airport : The Nearest Airport is Jamnagar Airport.
Nearest Railway station : Dwarka has its own Raiway station, so nearest raiway station is dwarka.

More Information about Dwarakadhish(Sri Krishna) Temple

Main Dwarkadhish Temple
Dwarka is one of four most holy pilgrimage sites (Chardham) of Hindu faith and is associated with Lord Krishna's life. The holy town of Dwarka in Gujarat has a history that dates back centuries. Situated on the banks of river Gomti, the city is famed for being the capital of Lord Krishna. The ancient Dwarka city is believed to have been submerged by raging sea waters to the bottom of the sea, where the remains are still believed to exist. A temple was built at the site around 400 BC by Vajranabhji, the great grandson of Lord Krishna, however the present structure was built during the 16th century in a typical Chalukyan style of architecture. The beautiful temple rises up to a height of 51.8 mts.

Also known as the Jagat Mandir, the temple has two shikhars. The Nij shikhar is where the idol of Lord Dwarkadhish is placed. The huge temple consists of 60 exquisitely carved pillars and a number of beautiful sculptures that depict the influence of various dynasties such as the Guptas, Pallavas, Martraks, Chavdas and Chanakyas, that ruled Dwarka over the years. The entrance to the temple is from the north, also known as the Moksha Dwaar while towards the south is the Swarg Dwaar, from where a series of steps leads down to the banks of river Gomti. According to legend, the temple was constructed in a single day by Vishwakarma, the lord of construction. 

The idol of Lord Dwarkadhish is made of shiny black stone and is about 2.25 ft in height. The four hands of the Lord carries a conch, wheel, a metallic weapon and a lotus each and is popularly known as 'Shankh Chakra Gada Padma Chaturbhuj'. It is said that the idol was hidden for years to protect it from invaders while another idol brought from the Rukmini temple was installed in its absence. The original idol was reinstalled during the 16th century after the construction of the new temple.

Dwarkadhish Temple History

Around 5000 years ago, Dwarka is believed to have been built by Lord Krishna himself. As per the 'Harivansh' (an appendix to the Mahabharata), Dwarka was positioned on the bank of Gomati River. This holy city is said to have been the abode of Lord Krishna, for more or less 100 years, during his lifetime. Dwarka is assumed to have been immersed in the sea, when the Lord returned to his divine world.

In the early eighties, archeological department revealed that the entire coast of western India sank by nearly 40 feet around 1500 B.C. The present temple is expected not to be older than the Mughal period. The inscriptions on the pillars date back to the 15th century. Necessarily, the ancient temple had been there, but it was possibly destroyed by Mohmud Begada in 1473 AD. The current structure must have been erected during the period of Mughal Emperor, Akbar.

Dwarkadhish Temple Architecture

The majestic five-storied structure of Dwarkadhish Temple stands high on the confluence of Gomati River and Arabian Sea. Built with the support of 72 pillars, Dwarkadhish Mandir presents a sight to behold. Elevated to the height of 78.3 meters, the spire of temple dominates the skyline of Dwarka. An eighty-four foot long multicolored flag, adorned with the symbols of the sun and moon, waves from the dome of temple. It is said that originally the temple was built over the 'Hari-Griha' (Lord Krishna's residential place) by Vajranabha, the grandson of Lord Krishna.

Dating back to 2500 years, Jagat Mandir (Nija Mandir) makes the sanctum sanctorum of Dwarkadheesh Temple. It comprises a soaring tower and a hall of audience. The audience hall is comprised of both, ancient and existing sculptures. The temple can be entered by two doorways. The main doorway (north entrance) is known as "Moksha Dwara" (Door to Salvation), whereas the southern doorway is called as "Swarga Dwara" (Gate to Heaven). The outer side of this doorway has 56 steps that take to the Gomati River.

Legend behind the Idol 

There is a legend behind the idol of Lord Dwarkadhish in the temple. Badana, an old devotee, used to
come daily from Dakor to Dwarka, in order to have a glimpse of the Lord Dwarkadhish. The Lord was really appeased with her and one day, he went along with Badana to Dakor, in the form of idol. The priests at Dwarka temple got angry at Badana, who took the idol according to them. The enraged priests chased Badana to get back the idol. Badana convinced the priests to leave the idol instead of gold.

The priests agreed upon the condition and to their surprise, the idol happened to be as light as one nose-ring. This miracle was done by the Lord himself, as he knew Badana had only a nose-ring to offer. However, 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 one yet to grow idol that is presently enshrined at Dwarka.

Dwarkadhish Temple and Aarti Timing

Morning 6.30 Mangla Arti
7.00 to 8.00 Mangla Darshan
8.00 to 9.00 Abhishek Pooja (Snan vidhi) : Darshan closed
9.00 to 9.30 Shringar Darshan
9.30 to 9.45 Snanbhog : Darshan closed
9.45 to 10.15 Shringar Darshan
10.15 to 10.30 Shringarbhog : Darshan closed
10.30 to 10.45 Shringar Arti
11.05 to 11.20 Gwal Bhog Darshan closed
11.20 to 12.00 Darshan
12.00 to 12.20 Rajbhog : Darshan closed
12.20 to 01.00 Darshan
01.00 Anosar : Darshan closed
5.00 Uthappan First Darshan
5.30 to 5.45 Uthappan Bhog Darshan closed
5.45 to 7.15 Darshan
7.15 to 7.30 Sandhya Bhog Darshan closed
7.30 to 7.45 Sandhya Arti
8.00 to 8.10 Shayanbhog Darshan closed
8.10 to 8.30 Darshan
8.30 to 8.35 Shayan Arti
8.35 to 9.00 Darshan
9.00 to 9.20 Bantabhog and Shayan : Darshan closed
9.20 to 9.30 Darshan
Restaurants and Hotels Near Dwarkadhish Temple Dwarka

Restaurants serve traditional vegetarian Gujarati, South and North Indian cuisines. Alcohol is prohibited in Dwarka. Here is the list of some famous and popular Restaurants very closed from Dwarkadhish Temple.

Amrut Ras
Blue Coriander
Chappan Bhog Multi Cuisine Restaurant
The Taste Makers
Indus Express at Vivanta by Taj
Charmi Restaurant
The Grand Thakar
Hotel Tirth
Godavari Restrobar 
Hotel Nand Nandan
Jodha Manej Road, Near Dwarkadhish Temple

Hotel Bansi
Nr. Dwarkadhish Temple, Jodha Manek Road

Hotel Rajadhiraj
Way to Dwarkadhish Temple

Hotel Shree Darshan
Near Dwarkadhish Temple, Jawahar Road

Hotel Damji
Shivrajsinh Road, Nr. Dwarkadhish Temple

Hotel Uttam
Near Dwarkdhish Temple, Jawahar Road

Hotel Dwarkesh
Opp. Swaminarayan Mandir

Tourist Attractions Near Dwarkadhish Temple Dwarka

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. Nageshwar Jyotirlinga Temple is on of twelve Jyotirlingas of Hindu Lord Shiva is major tourist destination of Hindu pilgrimages. Rukuni Mata Mandir, Nageswar temple, Gopi - Talav, Bet-Dwaraka are also most famous tourist destination in dwarka.

How to Reach Dwarkadhish Temple

By Air : Jamnagar is the nearest airport from Dwarka while Rajkot is another option to access the place by air. Government run Indian Airlines and other private airlines such as Jet Airways and Air Deccan operate regular services to both these locations. Ahmaedabad is another major airport which is connected by regular flights from all the major Indian cities.

By Rail : Dwarka has its own railway station which connects it to other major cities in India. Regular trains are available from nearby cities such as Jamnagar, Rajkot and Ahmedabad. The best way to reach the place is to board a train to any of the major cities around and take a train to Dwarka from there.

By Road : An excellent network of state and national highways runs through the entire state of Gujarat connecting it with other Indian cities. Interstate and local buses connect Dwarka with other cities within and outside the state.

Distance from Major Cities
Jamnagar : 116 Km
Rajkot : 225 Km
Ahmedabad : 384 Km
Udaipur : 550 Km
Ajmer : 742 Km
Delhi : 1118 Km
Mumbai : 534 Km

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