Dwarka, Somnath-Gujarat

Dwarka, Somnath-Gujarat

Dwarka (pronunciationi) is a town and municipality of Devbhumi Dwarka district in the state of Gujarat. It is located on the western shore of the Okhamandal Peninsula on the right bank of the Gomti river at the mouth of the Gulf of Kutch facing the Arabian Sea.

Dwarka has the Dwarkadhish Temple dedicated to Lord Krishna, which is one of four sacred Hindu pilgrimage sites called the Chardham, which were founded by Adi Shankaracharya (686–717 CE) at the four corners of the country, was established as a monastic center and it forms part of the Dwarka temple complex. Dwarka is also one of the seven-most-ancient religious cities (Sapta Puri) in India.

Dwarka is part of the “Krishna pilgrimage circuit” which includes Vrindavan, Mathura, Barsana, Gokul, Govardhan, Kurukshetra and Puri. It’s one of 12 heritage cities across the country selected under the Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) scheme of the Government of India to develop civic infrastructure.

The city has a hot, arid climate with a 16-day rainy season. It had a population of 38,873 in 2011. The main festival of [Janmashtami] is celebrated in Bhadrapada (August–September).

History
Puranic traditions
Main article: Dvārakā

Dwarika Jagat Mandir (or Dwarkadhish Temple), view from entrance of the city.

A painting depicting Krishna’s Dwarka, made during Akbar’s reign, from the Smithsonian Institution.
Dwarka is considered as the first capital of Gujarat. The city’s name literally means gateway. Dwarka has also been referred to throughout its history as “Mokshapuri”, “Dwarkamati”, and “Dwarkavati”. It is mentioned in the ancient epic period of the Mahabharata. According to legend, Krishna settled here after he defeated and killed his uncle Kamsa at Mathura. This mythological account of Krishna’s migration to Dwarka from Mathura is closely associated with the culture of Gujarat. Krishna is also said to have reclaimed 12 yojanas or 96 square kilometres (37 sq mi) of land from the sea to create Dwarka.

Archaeological findings suggest the original temple Dwarkadhish Temple dedicated to Krishna was built in 200 BCE at the earliest. The temple was rebuilt and enlarged in the 15th–16th century. The temple is also the location of Dwaraka maţha, also called Sharada Matha/Peeth and “western peeth”,one of the four peeths (Sanskrit: “religious center”) established by Adi Shankaracharya. As an important pilgrimage centre for Hindus, Dwarka has several notable temples, including Rukmini Devi Temple, Gomti Ghat, and Bet Dwarka. There is also a lighthouse at the land end point of Dwarka.