My Dwarika Yatra

Last weekend we visited Dwarikadham Somnath& Nageshwer Jyotriling .
It was a programme made on spur of moment.
Actually I have been saying from last 2-3 years to my DH to visit Dwarika Dham & it materialized suddenly.
Dwarikadham was the Capital of Lord Krishna after he left <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1lace w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Mathura</st1:City></st1lace> when the Mahabhart war finished. & here in Prabhas area he left his worldly body.

There are four Dham in Hindu pilgrimage – Dwarika ,Jaganathpuri, Badrikasham & Rameshweram.
Dwarika is situated in Gujarat at the extreme end of Indian border where land & <st1lace w:st="on">Arabian Sea</st1lace> met.
We went by road it was a long journey of about one thousand kms.From our place. First we went to Ahmedabad from there to <st1lace w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Rajkot</st1:City></st1lace> & than Jamnagar & Dwarika.
We reached there in the evening.
The journey was very good as it was time of rainy season with all greenery & <st1lace w:st="on">Gujarat</st1lace> is such a prosperous state .
At <st1:City w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Jamnagar</st1lace></st1:City> we saw the Ambani’s reliance refinery & all other industries. What a vision & achievement Dherubhai Ambani had achieved & left such a legacy for his sons as well as nation.
Dwarika as such is a small township .
The Famous temple is of Dwarikadhees ( Lord Krishna ).
The temple is said to be 2500 -3000 years old & is still standing good.
When I see such old temples & forts so big & so high that it looks like its flag is touching the clouds I really wonder about the so old technology how they built these without the modern equipments, how they transported the materials & what a beautiful architecture and here we with all modern technologies & engineers & architect level our buildings life 100 to 200 years only.
The <st1lace w:st="on"><st1laceType w:st="on">Temple</st1laceType> <st1laceName w:st="on">Shikhar</st1laceName></st1lace> is 158 feet high ,on one side it has seven stories ( for seven puri ,It is a dham as well as puri ) And one side four storys for four Dham. )
The flag 9 Dhwaja ) at the top is 52 meters long & this is the only temple where the flag is changes four times a day in all other temples it is ones a year occasion. The guide told us that for this there is advance booking of almost 6 months.

The stone looks porous but t has stand facing storms ,sea winds ,sun & moon from almost three thousand years. By looking at temple we could appreciate that it did look very very old ,standing there from almost 2-3 thousand years..
The statute of God is Very Very beautiful ,very serene & we had an early morning mangla arti darshan.
In temple there are small temples of eight main Queens of Lord <st1lace w:st="on">Krishna</st1lace> & Radha . But due to a curse from Rishi Durvasa ( famous for his short temper & anger ) Rukmani is not among them. She had a separate temple few kms away.
<st1lace w:st="on"><st1laceType w:st="on">Temple</st1laceType> of <st1laceName w:st="on">Balram</st1laceName></st1lace>, Guru Durvasa & Sudama are here.
Shankaracharya piith is also there.
The Main gate from which we entered is called swargadwar ( Hevenly Gate ) and another on opposite site is Moksha dwar . From here pilgrimages steps down to 52 steps & below is a river Gomati ( It is different than one in UP ) this is meeting sea here & so at here people do pooja of Sangam & Deepdan. It was a very beautiful breathtaking site one side the sea was spread & river was rushing to meet it.
The ultimate destination to give oneself completely . The union of Parmatama & Atma- one in other .Aham Brhamismi ( i am brimbha ) The pholosphy of Hinduism.

There small shops with all articles related with pooja ,CDs,Photos ,Prasad & all as we find at every pilgrimage place.
From here we went to see <st1lace w:st="on"><st1laceName w:st="on">Rukmani</st1laceName> <st1laceType w:st="on">Temple</st1laceType></st1lace> & bat dwarka .
The bat dwarika is on island about 30 kms from dwarika & we went by boat. It is said that this was the Capitol of Lord Krishna & and he knew that Kalyug is approaching & it wud not survive so he drowned it in sea & hence the present dwarka.
There was also a very old temple mainly of wood & same Dwarkadhees was here in main temple.
From here we went to Nageshwer jyotriling which is about 20 kms & Somnath jyotriling ( there are twelve jyotriling in India ) about 250 Kms next day.
That I wud cover separately .

 

Dear Devika
Thankyou for such a prompt FB & appreciating the writing.
Actually it is more beautiful than I Could describe with my limited power as your mother must have told you.Give my regards to your mother.
Most of the pilgrimeage places in India have their own spritual feelings & one really enjoy that & for a while turnes away from the normal daily routine of physcial world & finds one closer to GOD.

 

Dear Brindha
Thnakyou for reading & appreciating it.Glad that u could enjoy the virtual darshan.
Regards

 

Dear Meera
Hello
Thankyou for your appreciating my yatra & darshan writing.
Regards