Jai Shri Krishna! This is how most of the Gujaratis greet one another. Aptly enough, for the land of Krishna will have his name echoing everywhere. Char Dham - The four main pilgrimages in Hinduism and out of the four, one is the Divine city of Dwarka.
Dwarka - God's own preferred divine land
Calmly perched on the shore of the Okhamandal Peninsula and lovably cupped in the caressing palms of the Gomti river is this small and peaceful holy city. Filled with tranquility, peace, and serenity and dotted with hundreds of temples the city was built around 2500 years ago.
Many a legends are woven around the city and the most interesting one explains why there isn’t any source of fresh water available here, why the municipality of Dwarka city has to call for water trains and tankers from other places to fulfil the daily requirement of drinking water for the city. The legend says that the city was cursed by an angry Sage. Here goes the story, in brief - Lord Krishna and his wife Rukmini were pulling the chariot for Rishi Durvasa, the saint known for his short temper, to bring him to Dwarka for a feast on occasion of their marriage. Rukmini being a dainty princess got tired and thirsty on the way and Krishna brought Ganges to quench her thirst by prodding his toe in the ground. Rukmini drank the water but the Rishi sitting in the chariot took it as an insult as she did not offer the water to him first. He cursed Krishna and Rukmini that despite being married, they would not have the bliss of togetherness, and hence the temples of Krishna and Rukmini are also at quite a distance from each other. Another curse by Rishi Durvasa was that Krishna’s capital city will not have any source of fresh water and hence no vegetation too. Surprisingly enough, there isn't much that grows here, nor are there any coconut trees also despite Dwarka being a coastal town. The reason for Dwarka having low or no vegetation is the high salinity of the soil here.
The visitors usually arrive during evening hours after a drive from the nearest airport (Jamnagar) / railway station (Dwarka) and straightaway check in to their hotels. After a quick bite and a little rest, they leave for the temple visits. Let's begin at the main temple of Dwarkadhish himself (Lord of Dwarka, Shri Krishna). One of the many pandits inside the complex would offer to be your guide for a fee “as per your wish” and that too, not compulsory. Our guide was a tall, fair skinned, doe eyed pandit ji all dressed in bright yellow and white. He regaled us with the stories associated with the temple with much drama, slowly closing and opening his almond shaped eyes while narrating. There was something about the way he dramatised his story-telling that it left an everlasting impression on all of us listeners. A visit to the temple is incomplete if you do not engage a guide to tell you interesting anecdotes and history of the temple.
It is believed that the temple was built by Vajranabh, great grand son of Lord Krishna. The temple is beautifully carved out of limestone and is still in pristine condition with very little signs of erosion. The tallest Shikhara of the temple is 78.3 m high and is right above the Garbha Griha where the deity is housed. The temple complex is spread over a large area, with many smaller temples built within the complex. The shikhara is adorned by a flag which has the Sun and the Moon on it. The flag is changed five times a day, a different colour each time.
A short walk around the complex and one sees many smaller temples, a kirtan hall and a display of a collection of Shivalingas made out of precious stones. From here, there is a descent down to the Gomti Ghat - another divine experience! We reached the ghat at dusk and were spellbound by the sight of lit diyas floating in the river. Beautifully lit clean water of the river, confluences here with the salty greenish water of the ocean. Such a demarcation of colour and temperature of water, that this definitely needs to be experienced by all those who visit Dwarka. As we ascended the steps again and were on our way out, our guide took us to Maa Devaki’s temple which is located right in front of the main temple and the idols of Dwarkadhish and Maa Devki are facing each other with a direct line-of-sight. The Lord in Dwarkadhish temple is depicted in his child avatar and it is believed that Maa Devaki is constantly watching over her little child from her own temple. After this holy experience, we thanked our well informed guide and left for a little walk by the sea. Dwarka is home to many cows and you will meet them at every nook and corner of the town, by the sea shore too. The many temples that we visited the next morning included, Mata Rukmini Temple, Gayatri Temple and Nageshwar Temple, the last being one among the twelve Jyotirlingas.
A visit to Dwarka is incomplete without visiting the island temple of Bet Dwarka. We unfortunately were running on a very tight itinerary and could not spare half a day for the island visit. This gives me a reason to return to Dwarka and experience the tranquility of the holy town once again.
Dwarka and Somnath are normally visited as a twin-pilgrimage by pilgrims. After Dwarka, we were headed for another divine experience at the indomitable Somnath Temple - a true example of "It does not matter how many times you are knocked down, what matters is how many times you get up!". The coastal road from Dwarka to Somnath offers one of the most scenic drives in the state, with wind mills and occasional glimpses of the ocean along the way. Porbandar, Gandhiji’s birth place is on the way and is always recommended for a brief stopover. A quick visit to the Mahatma’s home, Sudama Mandir and Bharat mandir and you are on your way to Somnath via Veraval. Veraval, other than being a boat repair centre is also of religious importance to Hindus as the place where Lord Krishna is believed to have renounced his mortal form. There is a temple that is built at the spot. The legend has it that Lord Krishna was divinely shielded from any physical harm except on the soles of his feet. As he was resting under a tree here during an afternoon, a Bhil mistook his foot for a deer and shot an arrow which fatally struck him in the sole of his foot. There are other temples also on the way to Somnath, including the Triveni Sangam - the point of confluence of Hiran, Kapila and Saraswati rivers.
Somnath - The mightier than the Mighty!
Standing majestically tall by the seashore is the Somnath temple. It takes a while to soak in this stunning view. Beautifully built temple against the backdrop of the soaring roaring ocean! The symbol of indomitable spirit, rising from the ashes again and again, yes, eight times! The temple has been attacked and destroyed seven times and built and re-built eight times. The temple that now stands was constructed under the guidance of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Believed to be the first of the twelve Jyotirlingas, it is a major pilgrimage site for Hindus. Jyotirlingas are considered as the places or sites where Lord Shiva appeared in a divine form, as a column of fire in Somnath as is believed. The shape of a lingam represents an infinite stambh or a pillar symbolising the omnipotent and omnipresent divinity.
The beautiful temple complex is definitely a must visit for everyone. Immaculately manicured gardens surround the main temple. The cool sea-breeze, the chants of mantras, the sound of the bells and oceanic waves and the spotlessly clean surroundings of the temple, make for a heady and divine experience. Pay your obeisance at the “holy Darbar” and go around the temple for a slow and leisurely parikrama. Walk along the neatly laid out walkway along the mighty Indian Ocean and let your breath get in sync with the waves lapping against the temple foundation. Feel one with the universe while you gaze at the horizon far away. Stay for the light and sound show at the amphitheatre behind the temple and do not forget to buy the chikki and laddoo prasad from the temple shop. On your way out, visit the small Ganpati temple on the left, have a drink of fresh cool water and leave with a feeling of eternal bliss.
Image source : Wikipedia, somnath.org, Tripadvisor and Gujarat Tourism as photography is prohibited in these temples.
