Dwarka Sri Dwarkadhish Temple, Gujarat

Address

Dwarka Sri Dwarkadhish Temple, Dwarka, Jamnagar ,Gujarat- 361 335, India. Phone:+91- 2892,Office : 234080 Res: 234090

Diety

Krishna, Amman: Rukmani

Introduction

The Dwarkadhish temple, also known as the Jagat Mandir and occasionally spelled Dwarakadheesh, is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Krishna, who is worshiped here by the name Dwarkadhish, or ‘King of Dwarka’. The temple is located at Dwarka city of Gujarat, India, which is one of the destinations of Char Dham, a Hindu pilgrimage circuit. The main shrine of the five-storied building, supported by 72 pillars, is known as Jagat Mandir or Nija Mandir. Archaeological findings suggest it to be 2,000 – 2,200 years old.The temple was enlarged in the 15th- 16th century. The Dwarkadhish Temple is a Pushtimarg temple, hence it follows the guidelines and rituals created by Vallabhacharya and Vitheleshnath

Puranic Significance

The town of Dwarka in Gujarat has a history that dates back centuries, and mentioned in the Mahabharat epic as the Dwaraka Kingdom. Situated on the banks of river Gomti, the town is described in legend as the capital of Krishna. Evidence such as a stone block with script, the way the stones were dressed showing that dowels had been used, and an examination of anchors found on the site suggest that the harbour site dates only to historical times, with some of the underwater structure being late Medieval. Coastal erosion was probably the cause of the destruction of what was an ancient port As per Hindu legend, Dwarka was built on a piece of land by Krishna that was reclaimed from the sea. Sage Durvasa once visited Krishna and his wife Rukmini. The sage wished that the pair took him to their palace. The pair readily agreed and started walking with the sage to their palace. After some distance, Rukmini got tired and she requested some water from Krishna. Krishna dug a mythical hole that brought in river Ganga to the place. Sage Durvasa was furious and cursed Rukmini to remain in the place. The temple where Rukmini’s shrine is found, is believed to the place where she stood

Special Features

The current temple in Chaulukya style was constructed in 15-16th century. The temple covers area of 27-metre by 21-metre with east–west length of 29-metre and north–south width of 23 metres. The tallest peak of the temple is 51.8 m high. It is a five storied edifice built over 72 pillars (sandstone temple with 60 pillars is also mentioned. There are two important entrances to the temple, one is the main entry door which is called the Moksha Dwar (meaning “Door to Salvation”) and the exit door which is known as the Swarga Dwar (meaning: “Gate to Heaven”). The temple spire rises to a height of 78 metres (256 ft) and a very large flag with symbols of Sun and Moon is hoisted on it.[16] The flag, triangular in shape, is of 50 feet (15 m) length. This flag is changed four times a day with a new one and Hindus pay a huge sum of money to hoist it by purchasing a new flag. The money received on this account is credited to the trust fund of the temple to meet the operation and maintenance expenses of the temple