Dwarka
Dwarka is situated in the extreme west of the Indian state of Gujarat in the Saurashtra peninsula on the Arabian Sea. It lies on 20°22′ north latitude and 69°05′ east longitude. The city is built on the right bank of Gamut creek. Dwarka is an important pilgrimage center. It is steeped in legends, being associated with the life of Lord Krishna. In Puranic times, present-day Dwarka was known as Kushasthali or Dwaravati and enjoyed pride of place as the most important spot on the Saurashtra coast. It is said that Lord Krishna, after slaying Kansa, left his abode at Mathura and traveled with the entire Yadava community to the coast of Saurashtra where he founded a town and named it Swarnadwarika.
Connectivity:
Air: Nearest airport is Jamnagar, from where flights for Mumbai can be taken.
Rail:Dwarka is a station on the Ahmedabad-Okha broad-gauge railway line, about 137 km from Jamnagar, 217 km from Rajkot and 378 km from Ahmedabad
Road:A state highway with Jamnagar and Okha also connects it.
Janmashtami (birthday of Lord Krishna), celebrated in the month of August/September, is a major festival of Dwarka.
Dwarkadheesh Temple: The temple of Dwarkadheesh, also known as Jagat Mandir, is built on the north bank of the Gomti Creek. The temple dates back to 2,500 years. Architecturally the temple is constructed on the same plan and system as most of the Hindu sacred edifices of antiquity. Sixty columns support the roof of the audience hall of the Jagat Mandir. The main temple is five-story high with the lavishly carved conical spire rising to a height of 157 feet.
Somnath Temple: Somnath Temple in Dwarka represents one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. The word Somnath refers to the protector of Moon God. This temple is situated in Prabhas Kshetra near Veraval, which is located along the western coast of Gujarat. The Somnath temple have been destroyed six times and rebuilt six times. Thus, the temple is also known as ‘The Shrine Eternal’. It is believed that Soma or the Moon God built this temple in gold, the demon king Ravana built it in silver and Lord Krishna built it in wood.
Beyt Dwarka: Beyt Dwarka is the place where it is believed that Lord Krishna had established his kingdom. This Island, situated in the Gulf of Kutch, is a small island and was the main port in this region before Okha developed it as a port. In order to get here from Dwarka, one needs to go to Okha port jetty and then take a ferry to this place.
Gopi Talav: This popular site in Dwarka has a small pond and it is believed that here Lord Krishna played raas leela with the Gopika Strees. Located at a distance of 20 km north of Dwarka city, the sand around the talav is extremely smooth and yellow in colour and is called gopi chandan that is used by the devotees to apply tilak.
Nageshwar Jyothirlinga Temple : Located en route to Dwarka and Beyt Dwarka Island on the Sourashtra shore. The temple houses one of the twelve jyothirlingas. While the place has an underground sanctum, the temple premises has a life size idol of Lord Shiva, surrounding which is a beautiful greenish garden.
