Dwarka : Atlantis of East

My next destination was Dwarka. This route was parallel to seashore but now the fertile land seemed to disappear. Huge coconut farms were replaced by Wind turbines across around 60-70 kms patch. The road also followed the terrain becoming worse with every kilometer. Just like the Atlantis, here’s a city that lies submerged beneath the sea captivating one and all with its legends and mythology! While the Atlantis is known for its Greek gods, the city of Dwarka is closely associated with several legends of Lord Krishna (one of the incarnations of Lord Vishnu). Taking you back in time to 1500 BC here’s a city that is linked with ancient Hindu texts like the Puranas and the Gita. Dwarka literally feels like the end of the earth. This remote pilgrimage town at the extreme western tip of the Kathiawar peninsula is one of the four most holy Hindu sites Krishna is said to have set up his capital here after fleeing from Mathura.

The city derives its name from word dvar, meaning door . Dwarka is considered to be one of the seven most holiest cities and one of the Chardham along with Badrinath, Puri, Rameshwaram. A great devout centre with much mythological relevance, Dwarka is the epitome of spiritual enlightenment. To the devotee, Dwarka is synonymous with lord Krishna and this sleepy locale has been gained high accolades as the gateway to the much cherished salvation. As per the Holy Scriptures, Dwarka is one of the holy spots that bestow deliverance since it was here that lord Krishna had established his earthly kingdom. A bevy of lovely temples that display flamboyant structural designs and marvelous architecture are the signature destinations in Dwarka. These lovely shrines reveal the city’s feted association with lord Krishna and indeed a visit to these holy spots would be an invigorating experience to all. Legend has it that after the death of Krishna, Dwarka city was submerged with water, devastating the entire Yadava clan. Recent excavations have proved the existence of well-planned cities on the shores of the river Gomati, which testifies this legendary belief.

After the deposition of mobile phones and Camera ,i walked my way through the gates inside the temple.Waiting for the door to open for the devotees ,i learnt about the history of the place from our guide.He described how the complete family of Lord krishna is situated here.Then i went to carry out the official donation of Rs 1151 for the local pundits and was given a receipt and a piece of holy cloth. As i walked out i encountered the group of devotees who were engrossed in playing with colours and enchanting 'Hare rama Hare Krishna".

Having bowled over by the stories and myth surrounding the temple , I started toward Bet Dwarka as  your journey is incomplete without visiting the island. The journey became more tiring as the road standards kept deproving, we went through the compound of Tata Chemicals factory at Mithapur and Hundreds of drying fishes on both sides of the road , suffocating the environment with the stink.. From the local fishing jetty we boarded a boat to crossover to the Bet Dwarka. The sea gulls flying all round the boat to catch easy food thrown by the pilgrims. As we sailed to our destination a Mosque next to the temple came within our vision, informing us of the great Indian religious tolerances. Having completed the circuit of lord Krishna, I headed back to jetty to return to main land and move on to my next destination Nageshwar Temple.

This temple is one of the prominent Shiva shrines in India and this temple represents the removal of evil activities from earth. As one of the 12 Jyotirlingas, this shrine houses a curious myth about its origin. Shiv Purana, narrate the tale about the temple and it says that Shiva started to reside here in the form of Jyothirlinga after killing the demon by name Daruka. The place got its name from the demon Daruka who had appealed to the god before his death that the place be named after him. Hence the name Naagnath . In this temple the Shivalinga faces towards the south and the Gomugam is on the east. Giant statue of Lord Shiva allures the devotees with its aesthetic appeal

Steeped in the richness of a mythological and legendary past, today’s Dwarka poses as a fast emerging city that expands it horizons in all most every field. In Dwarka one can expect the freshness and serenity of a devout location and the sizzles of a typical Indian city but the same mismanagement of the city council, where the growth doesn’t include the basic sanitary facilities and cleanliness.

This trip has surely enlightened my views about how big Hindu religion is and also makes me aware about the credentials/ academics of the religion. But it leaves me with a question that we pray the love affair of Radha and Krishna ,the wife of Lord ,Rukmani temple is around 1.5 kms away from Dwarka main temple and we also have Khap panchayat have opposing  inter caste and love marriages????Confused we are indeed.........