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| Dwarkadish Temple |
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History
Situated on the banks of Gomti River is Dwarkadish Temple, which is the main temple of Dwarka and is also known as Jagat Mandir. The Dwarkadish Temple is believed to be originally built by Vajranabh, who was a great grandson of Lord Krishna more than 2500 years back and is a magnificent structure, which seems to rise from the waters of the Arabian Sea.
Built entirely of soft limestone, the Dwarkadish Temple with its elegantly carved shikhar that reaches the height of 43m and a huge multicoloured flag decorated with the symbols of sun and moon is an architectural delight and is visible to devotees from as far as 10kms.
Considered as one of the finest examples of Hindu architecture in Gujarat, the Dwarkadish Temple or Jagat Mandir with its elaborate design, delicate carvings and a royal splendour, is a five-storied temple, which has been built on 72 pillars. The extravagantly carved conical spire of the temple reaches to the height of 157 feet, which further add to the architectural beauty of the temple. The temple also has a one-metre tall four-handed black idol of Ranchhodrai, which is believed to be the ruler of Dwarka.
The Dwarkadish Temple has two entrances that have elaborately designed and intricately carved gates, which are known as swarga dwar that is the gateway to heaven and the moksha dwar that is the gateway to liberation and from where the pilgrims exit. Adding to the grandeur of the temple is a flight of 56 steps that leads one to the River Gomti.
The graceful carvings on the temple’s exterior showcase daring eroticism, a multi-layered mythic intensity and an extraordinary continuity of design. The interior of the temple in contrast, is remarkable in its simplicity, with the only exception being the elaborate ornamentation surrounding the main idol of the shrine.
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Best time to visit
The best time to visit Dwarkadish Temple is in the winter months between October and March when the weather is pleasant and temperatures range from 20 to 28 degree centigrade.
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Trivia
The name Jagat Mandir essentially means universal temple in Hindi.
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Timing
The temple is open for darshan from 7:00am to 12:30pm in the morning and from 5:00pm to 9:30pm in the evening.
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Travel Tools
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