The Panch Dwarka’s are present in the western part of the
Indian subcontinent scattered over Gujarat and Rajasthan. Dwarka that’s
situated in Saurashtra is known to be the Kingdom of the Lord Krishna. It is
the most famous member of the Panch Dwarka. The Bet Dwarka and Dakor along with
Shrinathji (located in Nathdwara) along with Dwarkadheesh in Kankroli are other
members of the Panch Dwarka. Learn more about the history, culture, and identity
of the Panch Dwarka.
Dwarka
Dwarka is one of the oldest kingdoms in India and was
established in 1500. The kingdom of Lord Krishna (one of the avatars of Sri
Vishnu) is perched on the extreme end of the Saurashtra peninsula and
commands sweeping views of the Arabian Sea. Interestingly, the name Dwarka
symbolizes the Gate …the gate which connects humans with spiritual union with
the ultimate creator…..Brahma. The glorious temple of Dwarkadheesh stands
inside Dwarka and it’s mentioned in holy texts lie Divya Prabandha. The temple
is more than 2000 years and has wonderful carvings and rich architecture. It’s
well-known that Dwarka is a part of the Bada Char Dham Circuit and a member of
the 108 divya desam of Sri Vishnu.
Bet Dwarka
Bet Dwarka is the next logical stop on the Panch Dwarka
route as it’s close to the Gujarat coast near the Okha peninsula. Some
historians say that Krishna was actually born in Bet Dwarka. One has to travel
5 km by boat or cruise liner to reach the island ….which has the famous Sri
Krishna temple and the Dandiwala Hanuman temple. Though not as old as the Dwarkadhish
temple, this temple is 500 years old and was established by Swami
Vallabhacharya. Legends say that Lord Krishna slayed Shankhasura …a ferocious
demon at this spot. The Sri Krishna temple has idols of Rukmini…the consort of
Krishna.
Dakor
Dakor is located in North Gujarat and it’s situated about 60
km away from the capital city of Ahmedabad. People from all across India travel
on foot to reach Ranchodji temple in Dakor and it’s a famous destination for
Padyatra. It’s said that Krishna acquired the name Ranchhod when he cleverly
escaped the battlefield while trying to escape Jarasandha. The beautiful idol
of the temple Ranchodji has a glimmering Lord Krishna with four arms bearing a conch, lotus, mace, and a discus. There is a beautiful water tank near the
temple that devotes feed small fishes and tortoises.
Nathdwara
Nathdwara is in Rajasthan (49 km away from Udaipur) and it
contains an important member of Panch Dwarka…the Shrinathji temple.
Vaishnavites worship Shrinathji which is another name for Krishna and it was
Maharana Raj Singh of Mewar who established this temple. There is a lustrous
pure black idol of Shrinathji in the temple that was earlier located in
Govardhan. The early morning prayers at this temple is very beautiful.
Kankroli
Midway from Udaipur to Ahmedabad. There lies Kankroli which
is actually a part of Rajasthan. The devotees and followers of the Vallabhacharya
sect regard the Dwarkadheesh temple at Kankroli as their most important
spiritual destination. The idol of Sri Krishna was physically carried from
Gokul to Ahmedabad by the holy Shri Gir Darji Maharaj in order to protect it
from the attack of Moguls. Later the idol was shifted to Rajasthan (Kankroli)
at the special request of Maharana Raj Singh and then kept at Asotiya village.
The temple is in Haveli style and is picturesquely situated at the bank of a
small lake.
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