| Dwarkadheesh Temple | |
|---|---|
 The temple shikharas with the entrance in front | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Hinduism |
| Deity | Krishna |
| Festivals | Krishna Janmashtami |
| Location | |
| Location | Dwarka |
| State | Gujarat |
| Country | India |
  Location in Gujarat | |
| Geographic coordinates | 22°14′16.39″N 68°58′3.22″E / 22.2378861°N 68.9675611°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Temple |
| Style | Māru-Gurjara architecture |
| Completed | 15th–16th century (present architecture) |
| Website | |
| www | |
The Dwarkadhish temple, also known as the Jagat Mandir and occasionally spelled Dwarakadheesh, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Krishna, who is worshiped here by the name Dwarkadhish (Dvārakādhīśa), or 'King of Dwarka'. The temple is located at Dwarka city of Gujarat, India, which is one of the destinations of Char Dham, a Hindu pilgrimage circuit. The main shrine of the five-storied building, supported by 72 pillars, is known as Jagat Mandir or Nija Mandir. Archaeological findings suggest the original temple was built in 200 BCE at the earliest.[1][2][3] The temple was rebuilt and enlarged in the 15th–16th century.[4][5]
The original structure was destroyed by Mahmud Begada in 1473.
The temple became part of the Char Dham pilgrimage considered sacred by Hindus in India. Adi Shankara, the 8th century Hindu theologian and philosopher, visited the shrine. The other three being comprising Rameswaram, Badrinath and Puri. Even today a memorial within the temple is dedicated to his visit. Dwarakadheesh is the 98th Divya Desam of Vishnu on the subcontinent, glorified in the Divya Prabandha sacred texts.[6] The temple is at an elevation of 12.19 metres (40.0 ft) above mean sea-level. It faces west. The temple layout consists of a garbhagriha (Nijamandira or Harigraha) and an antarala (an antechamber).[7] However, the existing temple is dated to 16th century.
- ^ S. R. Rao (1988). Marine Archaeology of Indian Ocean Countries. National Institute of Oceanography. pp. 18–25. ISBN 8190007408.
The Kharoshti inscription in the first floor of Sabhamandapa of Dwarkadhish Temple is assignable to 200 BC. [...] Excavation was done by the veteran archaeologist H.D. Sankalia some twenty years ago on the western side of the present Jagat-Man- dir at Modern Dwarka and he declared that the present Dwarka was not earlier than about 200 BC.
- ^ L. P. Vidyarthi (1974). Journal of Social Research,Volume 17. Council of Social and Cultural Research. p. 60.
Inscription in brahmi found in the temple supports the fact of its construction during the Mauryan regime. Apart from this beginning, the pages of history of Dwarka and Dwarkadhish temple are full of accounts of its destruction and reconstruction in the last 2000 years.
- ^ Alok Tripathi (2005). Remote Sensing And Archaeology. Sundeep Prakashan. p. 79. ISBN 8175741554.
In 1963 H.D. Sankalia carried out an archaeological excavation.. at Dwarkadheesh temple at Dwarka to solve the problem. Archaeological evidences found in this excavation were only 2000 years old
- ^ 1988, P. N. Chopra, Encyclopaedia of India, Volume 1, p. 114.
- ^ Rao, Shikaripur Ranganath (1999). The lost city of Dvārakā. Aditya Prakashan. ISBN 978-8186471487.
- ^ Bandyopadhyay 2014, p. 71.
- ^ Paramāra 1996, p. 87.