Shri Dwarkadhish Temple (Jagat Mandir), Dwarka
Dwarka, Devbhumi Dwarka district · Lord Krishna as Dwarkadhish, 'King of Dwarka' (also called Ranchhodrai)
The western seat of the original Char Dham: a five-storey stone temple where Krishna is worshipped as king, its 52-yard flag changed several times every day above the Gomti ghats.
Dwarkadhish is the main temple of Dwarka, the coastal city that Krishna is believed to have founded after leaving Mathura. The present stone temple, called Jagat Mandir, rises five storeys on 72 pillars above the point where the Gomti river meets the Arabian Sea. It is the western dham of the four Char Dham sites set out by tradition after Adi Shankaracharya (with Badrinath, Puri and Rameswaram), and Shankara's western monastery, the Dwaraka Sharada Peetham, stands beside it. Worship follows a royal daily round of eleven bhogs (food offerings) and several aartis, and a huge flag on the spire is changed by sponsoring families several times a day.
Timings
- Morning darshan: 6:30 AM (Mangla Aarti) – 1:00 PM, with short closures for bhogs
- Afternoon rest (Anosar): 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM (closed)
- Evening darshan: 5:00 PM – 9:30 PM, with short closures for bhogs
- Note: Timings change on festivals (especially Janmashtami, Holi and Diwali); check dwarkadhish.org
Darshan types and costs
- General darshan – Free
- Festival darshan (Janmashtami, Holi, Diwali) – Free
- Live darshan – Free
- 'VIP' darshan offers by agents – Not official
Sevas and costs
- Full Day Bhog (all 11 bhogs and 4 aartis) – ₹21,001 (Through the whole day on the date you choose)
- Morning Bhogs (7 bhogs) – ₹14,001 (Morning session)
- Evening Bhogs (4 bhogs) – ₹7,001 (Evening session)
- Mangal Bhog – ₹1,101 (Morning, with Mangla Aarti)
- Makhan-Misri Bhog – ₹701 (Early morning)
- Snan Bhog – ₹2,101 (About 9:30 AM, after the abhishek bath)
- Shringar Bhog – ₹3,101 (About 10:15 AM)
- Madhyan Gwal Bhog – ₹2,501 (About 11:05 AM)
- Raj Bhog – ₹3,501 (About 12:00 noon)
- Banta Bhog – ₹1,001 (Midday)
- Utthapan Bhog – ₹1,151 (About 5:30 PM)
- Sandhya Bhog – ₹3,151 (About 7:15 PM)
- Shayan Bhog – ₹1,551 (About 8:00 PM)
- Shayan Banta Bhog – ₹1,151 (About 9:00 PM)
- Dhwaja Arohan (flag offering) – Check with the Gugali Brahmin office (not published) (Several times daily (reported as five: three in the morning, two in the evening))
How to book darshan
Darshan needs no booking. Bhogs are booked on dwarkadhish.org by bank transfer; flag offerings through the Gugali Brahmin office.
Dress code
Modest Indian or formal dress. Men: shirt and trousers, dhoti or kurta-pyjama; women: saree, salwar-kameez or long skirt. Shorts, mini-skirts, sleeveless tops and low-waist jeans are widely reported as not allowed.
Best time to visit
October to March, when the coast is pleasant. Janmashtami (August/September) is the most spectacular but most crowded time. Summers (April–June) are hot and humid; the monsoon (July–September) can make the sea rough for boats.
How to reach
- air: Porbandar (about 95–100 km) and Jamnagar (about 110–145 km) are the nearest airports; Rajkot (about 225 km) has more flights.
- rail: Dwarka station is about 2 km from the temple, on the Ahmedabad–Rajkot–Okha line, with direct trains from Ahmedabad, Mumbai and other cities. Okha station is the last stop, near Bet Dwarka.
- road: Dwarka is about 450–470 km from Ahmedabad and connected by NH-51/NH-947. State (GSRTC) and private buses run from Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Jamnagar and Porbandar.
Festivals
- Janmashtami – Shravan Vad 8 (Aug/Sep)
- Holi and Dhuleti (Phuldol) – Phalgun Purnima (Mar)
- Annakut (Gujarati New Year) – Kartik Sud 1, the day after Diwali (Oct/Nov)
- Rathyatra – Ashadh Sud 2 (Jun/Jul)
- Akshay Tritiya and Jeshthabhishek – Apr–Jun
- Sharad Purnima (Rasotsav) – Ashwin Purnima (Oct)
- Tulsi Vivah and Dev Diwali – Kartik Sud 11 and 15 (Nov)