Dwarikadhish Temple (Gujarat) India

The holy town of Dwarka in Gujarat has a history that dates back centuries. Situated on the banks of river Gomti, the city is famed for being the capital of Lord Krishna. The ancient Dwarka city is believed to have been submerged by raging sea waters to the bottom of the sea, where the remains are still believed to exist. A temple was built at the site around 400 BC by Vajranabhji, the great grandson of Lord Krishna, however the present structure was built during the 16th century in a typical Chalukyan style of architecture. The beautiful temple rises up to a height of 51.8 mts.Also known as the Jagat Mandir, the temple has two shikhars. The Nij shikhar is where the idol of Lord Dwarkadhish is placed. The huge temple consists of 60 exquisitely carved pillars and a number of beautiful sculptures that depict the influence of various dynasties such as the Guptas, Pallavas, Martraks, Chavdas and Chanakyas, that ruled Dwarka over the years. The entrance to the temple is from the north, also known as the Moksha Dwaar while towards the south is the Swarg Dwaar, from where a series of steps leads down to the banks of river Gomti. According to legend, the temple was constructed in a single day by Vishwakarma, the lord of construction. The idol of Lord Dwarkadhish is made of shiny black stone and is about 2.25 ft in height. The four hands of the Lord carries a conch, wheel, a metallic weapon and a lotus each and is popularly known as 'Shankh Chakra Gada Padma Chaturbhuj'. It is said that the idol was hidden for years to protect it from invaders while another idol brought from the Rukmini temple was installed in its absence. The original idol was reinstalled during the 16th century after the construction of the new temple.