Dwarkadhish Temple:
A group of 300 Pakistani citizens of Indian origin, residing in Pakistan’s Sindh, recently visited the Dwarkadhish Temple, Devbhumi Dwarka in Gujarat and offered prayers.
- Located in Dwarka, Gujarat, India, the Dwarkadhish temple, also known as the Jagat Mandir, is a revered Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Krishna, who is referred to as Dwarkadhish, which means the ‘King of Dwarka’.
- This temple holds immense significance as it is one of the destinations along the Char Dham pilgrimage circuit, which includes the other pilgrimage sites, Badrinath, Rameshwaram, and Puri.
- According to archaeological findings, the original temple was built in 200 BCE at the earliest.
- It is believed to have been constructed by Vajranabha, the great-grandson of Lord Krishna, over the hari-griha (Krishna’s residential place).
- The temple was rebuilt and made bigger in the 16th century.
- The temple has a five-story building supported by 72 pillars, which are made of limestone and sand.
- Bearing the imprints of the 16th-century Chalukya style of architecture, the temple has intricately carved walls with mythical characters and legends on them.
- The temple is a Pushtimarg temple, which means that it follows the teachings and rituals of Vallabhacharya, a 15th-century Hindu saint and philosopher.
- Vallabhacharya propounded the philosophy of Shuddhadvaita, or pure non-dualism, which emphasizes the devotion and grace of Krishna.
- The temple is managed by the descendants of Vallabhacharya, who are known as Vallabha Kul.
- The temple has a special relationship with the Nathdwara temple in Rajasthan, which is the main seat of the Pushtimarg sect.
- The temple is one of the 108 Divya Desams, or holy abodes of Vishnu, which are glorified by the Alwars, the 12th-century Tamil poet-saints.
- The temple is the 98th Divya Desam and is praised by four Alwars: Nammalwar, Thirumangai Alwar, Thirumalisai Alwar, and Periyalwar.
- The temple is also mentioned in the works of other Hindu saints and scholars, such as Adi Shankara, Ramanuja, Madhvacharya, and Narsinh Mehta.
