Shrinathji Temple

What is Pancha Dwarka Pilgrimage?
The Pancha Dwarka pilgrimage journey covers the following five Lord Krishna temples- Dwarkadhish
temple (Dwarka), Bet Dwarka lying in proximity to Dwarka, Ranchhodrai Ji temple (Dakor), Shrinath ji
temple (Nathdwara), Dwarkadhish temple (Kankroli). Thus a pilgrimage to Pancha Dwarka takes you
across places scattered around the two most prominent western Indian states; i.e. Gujarat and Rajasthan.
Dwarkadhish temple of Dwarka, Bet Dwarka and Dakor temple fall within the state of Gujarat while
Nathdwara and Kankroli temples fall within the state of Rajasthan.
A Panch Dwarka pilgrimage trip will make you feel as it were you have traveled back in time to the
Dwapara Yuga; the era that felt the glory and power of God incarnation, Lord Krishna. Not only does this
pilgrimage introduce you to the deep religiosity that pervades the sites but also lets you have a glimpse of
the rich culture across the states where the devotion of Lord Krishna rules supreme. For any devout
Hindu, the Pancha Dwarka pilgrimage Yatra is a way to bring about divine enlightenment.
Dwarkadheesh Temple
Dwarkadheesh temple is located in Gujarats town Dwarka which had been the legendary capital of Lord
Krishnas empire during his ruling period. Dwarkadheesh temple has been built in honor of the King of
Dwarka; Lord Krishna. The temple is also differently referred to as the Jagat Mandir. The beauty and
religiosity of the temple has been extolled in the sacred texts of Divya prabandha. The Dwarkadheesh
Dham is one of the Chardham of the all-India Chardham circuit. Also the temple stands out as the 108th
Lord Vishnu Divya Desams. The temple presents us with bejeweled and richly adorned image of lord
Krishna seated here like a King. Archaeological investigations point out that the age of the
Dwarkadheesh temple could be nearly 2200-2000 years. The temple has a very lavish architecture with
many ornate, intricate carvings. During the festive times of Krishna Janmashtami, huge crowd of pilgrims
gather at the temple to partake in the celebrations
Beyt Dwarka
Beyt Dwarka; a small, idyllic island 5kms off the coast of Gujarats Okhamandal Peninsula is said to have
been the original residence of Lord Krishna during his ruling period at Dwarka. Many ancient religious
manuscripts plus archaeological findings somewhat authenticate this common belief. At Beyt Dwarka
there are two significant temples; one is the Shri Krishna Temple and the other is the Dandiwala
Hanuman temple. The Shri Krishna temple is a magnificent temple dating back to nearly 500 years. The
temple was set up by Vallabhacharya and the idol it enshrines is said to have been created by Lord
Krishnas wife Rukmini. A legend says that at Beyt Lord Krishna had destroyed demon Shankhasura. The
Hanuman Dandi temple has many legends associated with it. The chief highlight of the temple is the
presence of an image of Makardhwaja, Lord Hanumans son. To reach Beyt Dwarka one needs to be
ferried to the island from the Okha jetty.
Ranchhodraiji Temple (Dakor)

Ranchhodraiji temple of Dakor, a small town in Gujarats Kheda district is an abode of Lord Vishnu known
here by the name of Ranchhodraiji. Lord Krishna was named as Ranchor when he escaped from
Mathuras battlefield in order to evade Jarasandha. The deity at the temple is the four-armed idol of Lord
Vishnu bearing in the hands, a conch, discus, lotus and mace. During the festive time, the four hands of
the Lord are adorned with gem encrusted gold gloves. The temple opens at 6am in the morning and shuts
down at 12noon. In between this time span devotees are allowed five Darshan at the temple. During the
evening session the temple again opens at 4pm and shuts down at 7pm. In between this time span three
Darshan are allowed to the devotees. The major festivals observed at the temple premises are Krishna
Janmashtami, Amalaka Ekadashi, Annakut, Holi, Nand Mahotsav. During these festivities, a huge crowd
of tourists and pilgrims gather at the temple.
Shrinathji Temple (Nathdwara)

Shrinath Ji temple at Nathdwara about 48kms towards the north-east of Rajasthans Udaipur city is an
abode of Srinath ji who is none other than lord Krishna. For the Vaishnavites this temple is one of the
most sacred pilgrimage destinations. The temple presents a self-manifested swarup of Shrinath ji.
Towards the later part of the 17th century ShrinathJis idol was shifted from Govardhan to Nathdwara and
a temple was constructed under the order and supervision of Mewar Maharana Raj Singh in order to
enshrine the idol. Goswami priests shouldered all the responsibilities of constructing this temple. The
deity of Shrinath ji is associated with the legend that tells the tale of lord Krishna lifting Govardhan Parvat
with just a single arm. The deity is made out of monolithic black hued marble stone and it features the left
hand of the lord in a raised position while the fist of the other hand rests on his waist. Darshan at the
temple starts from 5.40am in the morning.
How to Reach
To reach Pancha Dwarka, you need to first travel to Ahmedabad. Ahmedabad is well connected to the
other parts of the country through well developed railway network. Ahmedabad railway station is a
junction railway station and regular trains ply between Ahmedabad and all other major cities of the
country. Ahmedabad is also connected to the rest of the country through flight services. Thus flights
regularly operate between Ahmedabad and all other cities of the country. Sardar Vallabhai Patel
International airport of Ahmedabad connects the city to all other major cities of the country.
From Ahmedabad station or airport, you could avail road transport such as cabs or state/private buses to
reach Dwarka. The distance between Ahmedabad and Dwarka is about 439kms approximately and it
takes nearly 7 hrs to reach Dwarka by road. Another option is to travel by local train from Ahmedabad to
Dwarka. After Darshan of Dwarkadheesh temple at Dwarka, you can proceed for Bet Dwarka. Boat to Bet
Dwarka is available from the Okha Jetty. After Darshan of Bet Dwarka you need to return to Dwarka and
then drive down to Dakor by road. A distance of about 85kms is to be covered to reach Dakor. After
Darshan of Dakor temple you can head straight for Rajasthans Udaipur. To reach Udaipur you have to
travel back to Ahmedabad and then avail trains from Ahmedabad to Udaipur. Also, you could drive down
to Udaipur by cab; a journey of 4 hrs approx. On reaching Udaipur, you need to proceed for Nathdwara
temple situated nearly 48kms away from Udaipur city by local road transport. After completing Darshan of
Nathdwara temple, you can proceed for Kankroli temple which is only half an hours of drive away from
Nathdwara. That completes your Pancha Dwarka Darshan.

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What is Pancha Dwarka Pilgrimage?

Ranchhodraiji Temple (Dakor)

Shrinathji Temple (Nathdwara)

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