Dwarka

Dwarka pronunciation, also spelled Dvarka, Dwaraka, and Dvaraka, is a city and a municipality located in the Jamnagar district of Gujarat state in India. Dwarka (Dvaraka in Sanskrit - used in this article when referring to the city in a historical context), also known as Dwarawati in Sanskrit literature is rated as one of the seven most ancient cities in the country. The legendary city of Dvaraka was the dwelling place of Lord Krishna. It is believed that due to damage and destruction by the sea, Dvaraka has submerged six times and modern day Dwarka is the 7th such city to be built in the area.

It is evident that Dwarka was a popular town with buildings constructed of stone and brick, even before the Christian era. Its archaeological remnants point to a level of prosperity unusual at that time. Throughout the centuries, Dwarka has been visited extensively by people whose names illuminate the pages of history. Among these were Adi Shankaracharya, Ramanuja, the great mystic Narsinh Mehta, Mira, the devout princess from Chitor, and the great saints Kabir and Nanak.

The small town which comes alive every year during Janmashtami, Krishna's birthday, is the location of his Dwarakanath temple. It was supposedly built by one of his renowned devotee, Mira Bai. The temple of Dwarkadheesh, also known as Jagat Mandir, is built on the north bank of the Gomti Creek. The temple dates back to 2,500 years. Architecturally the temple is constructed on the same plan and system as most of the Hindu sacred edifices of antiquity. Sixty columns support the roof of the audience hall of the Jagat Mandir. The main temple is five-story high with the lavishly carved conical spire rising to a height of 157 feet.