LOCATION - Geographical coordinates - 22.23°N 68.97°E of excavated sites.
Ancient Boundaries – The area around the west coast of Gujarat has been the traditional land of the Yadavas, or Yadus. It is believed to have extended up to Okhamadhi in the south and Pinda Taraka. Its area falls in Jamnagar of Gujarat in the Gulf of Kutch. It is said that this Dwarka was located near the site of the current city of Dwarka, but was eventually deserted and submerged in the sea. Late Dr. S. R. Rao had conducted a research on ancient Dwarka.
Current Boundaries – The modern city of Dwarka is located in the Jamnagar District of Gujarat, about three hours drive by road. The city lies in the western most part of India, situated at the mouth of the Gulf of Kutch.
Significance/Itihasa- Important Events
History
Dwarka is often identified with the Dwarka Kingdom, described in the Bhagavata Purana as the ancient kingdom of Krishna, and was the first capital of Gujarat. The main festival of Janmashtami is celebrated in Bhadrapada (August–September). The city’s name literally means gateway. Dwarka has also been referred to throughout its history as “Mokshapuri”, “Dwarkamati”, and “Dwarkavati”.
It is said that Krishna conducted the administration of his kingdom from Dwarka while residing with his family in Bet Dwarka. The city’s Dwarkadhish Temple dedicated to Krishna was originally built around 2,500 years ago, but was rebuilt in the 16th century. The temple is believed to be one of the four peeths (Sanskrit: ‘religious centre’) established by Adi Shankaracharya.
Important locations in Dwarka include Rukmini Devi Temple, Gomti Ghat and Bet Dwarka. There is also a lighthouse at the land end point of Dwarka.
Dwarka is important for a number of reasons:
· As per the Mahabharata narration, Sri Krishna and his brother Balarama came from Mathura, to avoid constant conflicts with cousin Jarasand, and re-established the ancient city Dwarka in Gujarat.
· As per traditional texts, Princess Rukmini was married to Sri Krishna here.
• Sri Krishna went from here to Hastinapura, as an envoy of peace on behalf of the Pandava brothers.
• Arjuna and Duryodhana came to Dwarka to seek Krishna’s support for the war. While Arjuna asked Krishna to be his charioteer, Duryodhana wanted his army.
• Arjuna and Draupadi visited Dwarka to meet Sri Krishna. They are believed to have stopped at Tarnatar, near Rajkot. An annual festival takes places here where young people try and find their life partners.
Places of Interest
• Dwarkadhish Temple, Gomati Ghat, Gopi Talav, Dwarka Beach
• Nageshwar Temple, which is 15 km from main city area, is one of the 12 Jyotirlings
• Harsiddhimata Temple established by King Vikramaditya
• Prachin Dwarika
• Madhavpur Gher is the place where Rukmini and Krishna got married and has regular celebrations
• Balka Tirtha is one of the most sacred places as this is where Sri Krishna was struck by a poisonous arrow of a hunter, and left his mortal remains. This place is near Somnath Temple.
Important local crafts, cuisine
Crafts: Brass crafts, Kutch embroidery, mirror work, iron items, spiritual paintings depicting the life of Sri Krishna, woodcrafts and white metal furniture and artifacts, etc.
Cuisines: Dhokla, khakhra and many more Guajarati foods.
Connectivity - Road, Rail, Air
Air: Jamnagar airport which lies at a distance of 127 km from Dwarka and Porbandar Airport (PBD) that is at a distance of 98 km from Dwarka.
Train: Dwarka has its own rail head which is well-connected with all the major cities of the country.
Road: Dwarka is well-connected with the major cities of Gujarat and other cities of the country through national and state highways.
