Dwarka

Dwarka, at the westernmost point of Gujarat's Saurashtra coast, is one of the seven sacred cities of Hinduism — the capital of Lord Krishna's kingdom, which the scriptures describe as the most beautiful city ever built and which the sea is said to have swallowed when Krishna departed this world.

The underwater archaeological surveys conducted off the Dwarka coast since the 1980s, revealing submerged structures at depths of up to 36 metres, have generated considerable discussion about the relationship between the mythological Dwarka and the physical sites found offshore. The structures are real; their identification as Krishna's city remains interpretation rather than evidence.

The Dwarkadhish temple on the mainland — a 72-metre five-storey structure built on the site of an earlier shrine — receives up to 25,000 pilgrims on major festival days as part of the char dham pilgrimage circuit. Beyt Dwarka, the island two kilometres offshore reached by boat, is where Krishna's personal residence is said to have been located — a supplementary journey that receives a different kind of pilgrim: one seeking the place where the god himself lived rather than merely his capital.

Places to Visit in Dwarka

• Dwarkadhish Temple
• Rukmini Devi Temple
• Beyt Dwarka Island
• Gomti Ghat

Things to Do in Dwarka

• Temple darshan and aarti ceremony
• Boat ride to Beyt Dwarka
• Coastal sunset viewing