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DWARKA ATTRACTIONS |
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| CITY ATTRACTIONS |
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| DWARKA EXCURSIONS |
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| RELIGIOUS PLACES |
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DWARKA CITY ATTRACTIONS |
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| Rukmini Hrid |
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The seven ponds which are collectively known as 'Rukmini Hrid' is considered to be the bestower of salvation and the destroyer of all the sins of a man. It is also known as 'Bhrigu-teertha' due to the sage Bhrigu's long association with this place. Taking a bath at Rukmini Hrid makes a man powerful and he does not become a beggar. He is also freed from the cycle of birth and death.
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| Brahma Kund |
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When Lord Krishna unburdened the earth from all the sinners and brought the virtuous people to the path of virtuosity, he came to Dwarka. At Dwarka Indra, Varun, Yama, Kuber, Sun and Moon came to meet him for the accomplishment of their respective works. After that Lord Brahma created a pilgrimage site in his own name which became famous as 'Brahma teertha'. This pilgrimage is the destroyer of all sins. |
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| Dwarka Peeth |
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Dwarka is also the site of Dwaraka Pitha (also known as Sharada Pitha), one of the four cardinal mathas established by Sri Adi Shankaracharya, the others being those at Sringeri, Puri and Jyotirmath. This is the pascimamnaya matha, or western matha. It is also known as the Kalika Matha, and, as per the tradition initiated by Adi Shankara, is in charge of the Sama Veda. The current head or Shankaracharya of this order is Swami Svarupananda Sarasvati, who also claims to head the corresponding northern matha at Jyotirmath. |
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| Lighthouse |
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A notable name in the register of Forts and Monuments in Dwarka is Lighthouse in Dwarka. A port was established in the early 19th century at Rupen creek. A flag mast was posted at the port to lift a lamp. This flag mast served the function of a lighthouse. In the year 1866, a square tower of stone, 18m in height, was built at the present site. An oil wick lamp was subsequently installed on the tower. Lighthouse in Dwarka is quite popular as a tourist destination. It remains open to public between the period of 16:30 and 18:00 hours. This lighthouse presents an excellent panoramic sight of the setting sun which ushers the nightfall. |
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| Sunset Point |
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Visit Sunset Point and see the beautiful nature interspersed with the man-made expressway! This 'Sunset Point' is approached along an avenue lined with Vedic artifacts known as mortars, distant relations of the idli-making machine. These great granite cups were used to grind up som ras, the 'drink' of the Gods from a grass that the modern society is still trying to identify. To judge from the boisterous tone of some of the hymns that access to this fermented mead produced, there can be little doubt that it achieved a satisfactory level of intoxication. |
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| Bet Dwarka |
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The visit of Dwarka is not complete without a visit to Beyt Dwarka, an island at a distance of 30 kms. Off the coast of Okha port, the island is separated by a strip of sea about four kms wide. It takes about half-an hour to cross this channel in a diesel boat operated by the Port Authority. At Bet, there are temples of Vishnu (in the form of 'matsya'), Radha, Lakshmi, Satyabhama, Jambuvanti and Devaki. Bet Dwaraka can be reached by boat. It is also the temple which is like the palace where Lord Shri Krishna had ruled. A similar idol of Lord Dwarakanath is also kept in Bet Dwaraka. |
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| Porbandar |
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South of Dwarka, on the western coast, Porbandar is a picturesque old seaport associated with the birth of Mahatma Gandhi. Commemorating this event is the Kirti Mandir Memorial, which contains the little room where the Mahatma was born, a library, a spinning hall, a children's nursery school and a prayer hall.
Porbandar has a pleasant beach with beach villas. Its ancient maritime activities such as trade with Arabia, Africa and Persia have given way to a thriving industry of cement and chemical units. |
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| Rajkot |
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Rajkot was founded by Late Thakur Saheb Vibhaji Ajoji Jadeja of the Jadeja clan and Raju Sandhi in 1612 AD, in the middle of Saurashtra. Vibhaji Ajoji was the grandson of Jam Sataji of Nawanagar, the present day Jamnagar. Rajkot was named in honour of its co-founder, Raju Sandhi. |
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| Okha |
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Okha is a small costal town near Jamnagar, Gujarat, in India, surrounded by the sea and blessed with a beautiful beach. The town is famous for its Lord Krishna Temple "Bet Dwaraka", residence of Lord Krishna. The town is connected by rail and bus to the major cities of Guajrat and the rest of India. |
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| Harsiddhi Mandir |
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This temple, located at the Koyla hill, is built by Lord Krishna himself. The Harsiddhi Mata is Jagdamba Mata herself. Lord Krishna wanted to defeat the asuras and Jarasandha so he prayed to Amba Mata for power. With the blessings of the goddess, Krishna was able to defeat the asuras. After this success, he built the temple. When Jarasandha was killed, all yadavas over overjoyed (harshit) and they celebrated their success here. Hence the name Harshad Mata or Harsiddhi Mata. There are around 300 steps to the top. A powerful wind was blowing at the top and looking downwards, we realized that we were at a considerable height compared to the sea level.
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RELIGIOUS PLACES IN DWARKA |
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| Somnath Temple |
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The Somnath Temple located in the Prabhas Kshetra near Veraval in Saurashtra, on the western coast of Gujarat, India is one of the twelve Jyotirlings (lingas of light) symbols of the God Shiva. It is mentioned in the Rig Veda. Somnath means "The Protector of Moon God". The Somnath Temple is known as 'the Shrine Eternal', as although the temple has been destroyed six times it has been rebuilt every single time.
It has been said that The Moon God Chandra, being arrogant about his beauty, was cursed by his father-in-law Daksha to wane. The Moon then prayed to Lord Shiva at the Prabhas tirth who then removed the curse partially, thus causing the periodic waning of moon. It's been said that Somnath Temple was first built with gold by Moon God, with silver by Ravana, with sandalwood by Lord Krishna, and with stone by Bhimdeva (Solanki Ruler of Gujarat) |
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| Rukmini Devi Temple |
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This small temple, positioned 1.5 kms to the north of the city, is an architectural masterwork. Rukmini Temple in Dwarka is devoted to Rukmini, the most important amongst Krishna's 16,108 wives.
Rukmini Temple, Dwarka, India dates back to the 12th century. There is a story behind this temple. One day, Durvasa Muni, who was easily angered, was invited to dinner by Krishna and his wife, Rukmini. Etiquette dictates that when a person is invited to dinner, the host should refrain from eating until the guest has been satisfied. However, while Durvasa was eating, Rukmini became thirsty. She asked Krishna to help her. Krishna, to bail out his wife, put his foot in the ground. As a result, the Ganges waters streamed forth from the ground while Durvasa was not looking. As luck would have it, while Rukmini was drinking the water, Durvasa turned that way and saw her drinking without seeking his permission. This made him angry. He cursed her to live apart from Lord Krishna. That is the reason why Krishna's temple is in the city and hers is positioned outside the city.
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| Dwarkadheesh Temple |
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The temple of Jagat Mandir, with the presiding deity of Shri Krishna known as Dwarkadheesh, is an imposing edifice and a superb architectural monument. Having a plinth area of 1800 square feet, the temple consists of a shrine that is supported by 60 pillars made of granite and sandstone. Jagat Mandir, with the presiding deity of Shri Krishna known as Dwarkadheesh, is an imposing edifice and a superb architectural monument. |
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| Nageshwar Temple |
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Amongst the Holy Places in Dwarka, an admired place that draws tourists in huge numbers is the Nageshwar Mandir, Dwarka. This temple is devoted to Lord Shiva and remains abuzz with tourists and pilgrims round the year. Nageshwar Mandir, Dwarka, India has quite a few interesting legends attached to it. According to Shiv Purana, Supriya, an ardent Shiva devotee, was once attacked by a demon Daaruka while he was in a boat. The demon put him in prison along with several others at Daarukaavana, his capital, where he stayed with his wife Daaruki. Supriya told all prisoners to narrate the mantra ‘Aum Namaha Shivaya’. When Daaruka learnt about this, he ran to kill Supriya. However, at that instant, Lord Shiva appeared as a Jyotirlingam and vanquished Daaruki with the Paasupata Astram. |
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| Swaminarayan Temple |
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Dwarka has the famous Swaminarayan Mandir, which is quite beautiful and is visited by devotees from far and near. Shree Swaminarayan Temple was built in the year 1875 on the instructions of Lord Swaminarayan. The temple is the world's first Swaminarayan temple and attracts a huge number of devotees and tourists. |
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