vaishnava · Gujarat

Dwarkadhish Dwarka

द्वारकाधीश

Presiding deity: Lord Dwarkadhish (Krishna as King of Dwarka)

Established: Per Mahabharata; current Jagat Mandir 16th century

Darshan timings

06:30–13:00, 17:00–21:30 IST

Average wait

30 mins–1.5 hours

Best season

November–February

Daily visitors

15,000–30,000 (peak: 250,000+ on Janmashtami)

Significance

One of Char Dham AND one of Sapta Puri. Krishna's kingdom after leaving Mathura. Submerged Dwarka under the sea (off the coast) is being excavated by ASI.

Legend

Krishna founded Dwarka with help of Vishwakarma in a single night, reclaiming 12 yojanas of land from the sea. The city submerged after his ascension — verified by modern marine archaeology (artifacts dated 1500+ BCE).

How to reach

Westernmost tip of Gujarat (Saurashtra). Devbhoomi Dwarka district.

Nearest airport: Jamnagar (137 km); Porbandar (95 km)

Nearest railway: Dwarka (DWK) — 2 km from temple

Where to stay

Many dharamshalas in Bhadrakali area; private hotels along beach road

Primary pujas performed here

Mangala Aarti
Shringar Aarti
Sandhya Aarti
Shayan Aarti
Janmashtami midnight puja

What to offer: Tulsi, makhan-mishri, gold/silver thread (kankan) for the deity

Dress code

Traditional preferred; modest casual OK

Photo policy

No phones inside sanctum

Modern access

New Sudarshan Setu bridge (5 km) to Beyt Dwarka opened 2024 — longest cable-stayed bridge in India. Beyt Dwarka is Krishna's residential island.

✓ VIP darshan available

Nearby tirthas

Beyt Dwarka
Nageshwar Jyotirlinga
Rukmini Devi Temple
Gopi Talav
Bhadkeshwar