Somnath To Dwarka - Following A Holy Route

The Somnath Temple is located in the Prabhas Kshetra near Veraval in Saurashtra

, on the western coast of Gujarat. Somnath is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines of Lord Shiva. The Somnath Temple is known as "the Shrine Eternal", because it was destroyed and rebuilt six times.

Dwarka, the legendary abode of Lord Krishna, is situated towards the western-most part of the Indian state of Gujarat. Located on the tip of the Saurashtra peninsula on the Arabian Sea, Dwarka was once referred to as the Golden City. Dwarka is a significant Hindu pilgrim centre. It is one of the Chardham sites and the sapta-puris. Dwarka is one of the ancient cities of India with a history that dates back to the 1500 BC. Dwarka finds mention in the Hindu texts like the Mahabharata and Srimad Bhagavata. Dwarka was the abode of Lord Krishna, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

According to legends, Dwarka was submerged in water after the death of Lord Krishna. The search for the lost city of Dwarka was undertaken from 1930s. Archeologists of the Marine Archeology Unit (MAU) discovered an immersed township dating back to 1500 BC during their explorations conducted in 1983 1990 and its general layout corresponded to the descriptions of Dwarka as mentioned in the ancient texts.

Present-day Dwarka is located on the banks of River Gomati. Dwarka is well known for the Dwarkadheesh Temple, built more than 2000 years ago. The temple, built as per ancient Hindu architecture, is a five storey complex that rests on 60 pillars.

Dwarka is also associated with Adi Shankaracharya, who established one of his four Maths here. Dwarka Peetha is a famous Sanskrit Language research centre.

Since Dwarka has neither a railway station nor an airport, the only option to reach from Somnath to Dwarka, is by means of road. State operated bus service run ordinary to semi-deluxe buses to Dwarka from Somnath for a fare of about Rs 100. They take around 5-6 hours to reach from Somnath to Dwarka. The bus stand near Dwarka is located at a distance of 21 km in Mithapur.

From here, a taxi can be hired to reach Dwarka. This mode of travel is recommended for lone travelers and backpackers.

Another convenient option to travel to Dwarka from Somnath is to hire taxis. Both A/C and non A/C taxis are available from Somnath to Dwarka at an approximate cost ranging from Rs 4700 to Rs 7000, depending upon the type of the car hired. The distance between Somnath and Dwarka is 231 km. It takes around five hours to reach Dwarka from Somnath by car. This mode of travel is less tiring and hence highly recommended while travelling with elders and kids.

by: thanujasree

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