Dwarkadhish temple in Dwarka - Jamnagar District, Gujarat

Sri Krishna Temple or the Dwarkadhish Temple in Gujarat

Dwarka, located in the Jamnagar district of Gujarat, was the abode of Lord Krishna. It is believed that due to the destruction by the sea, Dwarka was submerged six times and the Dwarka that we see today is the seventh city to come up in the same place.
Dwarka is located close to where the River Gomati merges into the Gulf of Kutch.



The temple has a five-storey structure, which is supposed to be built by Sambha, the grandson of Lord Krishna. The city was designed and built by Vishwakarma, the great architect. The temple is made of limestone and sand.



A huge lovely red flag is hoisted in the temple tower four times each day.

There are two gateways to the temple – the Swarga Dwar, where pilgrims enter, and the Moksha Dwar, from where the pilgrims exit.



There are many Darshan and Sevas for Lord Dwaraknath:
* Mangala
* Shringar
* Gval
* Rajbhoj
* Uthapan
* Bhog
* Sandhya Aarati
* Shayan
* Hindola




The temple is well guarded with Black Cat Commandos positioned around the temple. The security is very much needed if you look at the sheer number of people who visit the temple everyday.



Shree Dwarkadhish Temple Dwarka
Jamnagar District
Gujarat- India

Phone:
STD CODE +91- 2892
Office : 234080 Res: 234090

Dwarkadhish Mandir Administration Office Hours:
9:00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m.
3.00 p.m. to 6.10 p.m.
On all the working days except Public Holidays


Contact Person
Mr. H. L. Dholaria or Mr. R. A. Shukla

The Indo Portuguese Museum in Fort Kochi, Kerala

We caught a ferry from Cochin to Fort Kochi. The ferry ride was fun and on reaching Fort Kochi I felt that we had been transported back in time. Everything here had such an old world charm attached to it.

We headed for the Indo Portuguese Museum to look at the rich art and heritage that has been collected and preserved by the Late Dr Joseph Kureethara, Bishop of Cochin. The Bishop was committed to the protection and preservation of this collection for future generations and has succeeded in his mission.










The people of Fort Cochin still maintain a strong cultural kinship wit the Portuguese roots of their Catholic faith.

The Museum is located in the premises of the Bishop’s house and is open on all days except Mondays and public holidays from 9 a.m to 6 p.m.







Address:

Bishop’s House
Fort Cochin
Kerala
India
Telephone: 91 484 2215400/2215401







Tickets
Indian Adults – Rs 10
Non-Indian Adults – Rs 25
Children - Rs 5

The Somnath Temple in the Prabhas Kshetra in Saurashtra

Somnath Temple in Gujarat

One of the most sacred of the twelve Jyotirlingas is the Somnath Temple in Gujarat. The temple is called as the “Eternal Temple” because it has been destroyed numerous times and rebuilt grandly each time.



We caught a bus from Veraval, which is 5 kms from Somnath. The bus dropped us in very close vicinity of the Somnath Temple Complex. It was the holiday season and all the guest house/hotels were booked. We took the help of an auto driver to help secure a guesthouse. After freshening up, we headed for the temple.






Mobile phones, cameras, backpacks are not allowed inside the temple complex. You can leave all these things in the locker room outside.

The temple is awesome. Standing tall right on the shore of the beach, it makes for a grand picture. The inner precincts are maintained very well. Security was top notch. There was a sniffer dog in action too.

The temple carvings are marvelous and so was the inner sanctum. We went during the time of the evening Aarti. There was a long unending queue of pilgrims. The Aarti was one of its kind. After the Aarti, we strolled around in the temple admiring the architecture.

An announcement was made that the Sound and Light Show would start soon and interested people were asked to purchase the tickets. We did so and headed for the open auditorium kind of thing within the temple complex. In the evening the temple is lit up and looks lovely. We could not take any pictures inside but here is one from the outside.




The Sound and Light Show was amazing. The Show which has a voice over by Amrish Puri(who represents the Ocean) is a beautifully presented show. The entire history of the Somnath Temple is explained.

I will try to recollect whatever I can :)

According to Hindu mythology, Chandra “The Moon God” had married all the 27 daughters of Daksha Prajapati. However, enamored by the beauty of one of his wives “Rohini”, Chandra neglected the other queens. The other queens then went to their father and complained. He was aggrieved to see his daughters in distress and cursed Chandra. Chandra then lost his light and began to wane.



On the advice of Brahma, Chandra performed penance and gained a blessing from Lord Shiva. His light was restored to him. In recognition of this, Chandra built the first Somnath Temple in gold.

How this temple was destroyed I am unable to recollect, but the second temple was said to be built by Ravana in silver and the third by Lord Krishna in Sandalwood.
In the year 1024, Mohammed Ghazni raided the temple and looted it.

Later Bhimdev Solanki, one of the rulers of Gujarat, rebuilt the temple with wood.
Then Kumarpal rebuilt the temple with Stone.

The temple was destroyed in 1297 and 1394 when the Sultanate of Delhi subjugated Gujarat. Aurangzeb destroyed the temple again in 1706.
The temple was rebuilt every time.



Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, took an oath in 1947 to reconstruct the temple. Under his leadership and guidance the present temple was built by the Shree Somnath Trust. To this day it is maintained by the Shree Somnath Trust.

In the evening you can stroll down to the Somnath Beach on whose shore the temple is located. There are lot of camel and horse rides on offer. Corn of cob, boiled/roasted peanuts, fruits and ice gola vendors dot the place.



To reach Somnath

By Air - The nearest Airport is at Diu – around 90 kms from Somnath.
By Train - Veraval at a distance of 5 kms from Somnath was the closest Railway station until sometime back. Now I have heard that Somnath has its own railway station.
By Road – Numerous Gujarat State transport buses and private luxury buses connect Somnath to all major cities in Gujarat.

Some useful Information

Guesthouse for Pilgrims at Somnath – the Shree Somnath Trust provides guest houses and dormitories for the pilgrims. You can choose from the VIP Guesthouse, normal guest houses and the economically priced dormitories.

For Booking contact
The Guesthouse Manager,
Shree Somnath Trust,
Somnath Prabhas Patan - 362 268
Junagadh District,
Gujarat
Phone : 02876-231212, 231200, 92278 77751, 98793 77751
Mobile: 98258 73996

Temple Darshan Timings

Darshan at Somnath Temple : 6.00am to 9.00pm
Aarti : 7.00 am, 12.00 pm and 7.00 pm

“The Jay Somnath” Sound and Light Show : 8.00 pm to 9.00 pm – Do not miss it if you are in Somnath during the evening hours.

To contact the Somnath Trust

The General Manager
Shree Somnath Trust
Prabhas Patan -382 268,
Junagadh District
Gujarat
Phone: 02876-231200, 232694
Mobile : 98242 85667