Saurashtra-World of pilgrims
Dwarka-
where pilgrims congregate
The
pilgrim land of Dwarka reminds me of the times when I had packed my
bags and set out for a pilgrim tour along with my family sometime in
2004. The land steeped in myth and history on the Kathiawar
Peninsula, Dwarka on the southern coast of Gujarat is one of the
revered pilgrim centres in India.
A 450-km-long drive from Ahmedabad
on the National Highway No.8A brought us to the renowned temple
resort of Dwarka where the mesmerizing chime of bells rent the
ambience and soothes the tired minds with the promise of harmony and
rejuvenation.
Dwarkadhish Temple on the banks of Gomati |
The magnificent shrine of Dwarkadhish on the banks of
Gomati creek draws a large chunk of pilgrims. Known as Jagatmandir,
the five-storied shrine spreading over 4,000 sq. ft houses the black
idol of Lord Krishna that is said to be over 2,500 years old and was
the creation of Badrinath, the great grandson of Lord Krishna.
At
Dwarka, we were at Toran Tourist Bungalow of Gujarat Tourism. We had
an opportunity to watch the Mangla aarti in the wee hours of
dawn at Dwarkadhish temple. There are 60 granite and sandstone
pillars that are intricately carved in the shrine with a shikara
rising to 170 feet. Other significant shrines in the complex are
Satyabhama, Saraswati, Pradyumna and sage Durwasa. Here Prasad is
locally known as Loni that conjures sweet butter.
Travelling
another 16 km from Dwarka, we came across Nageshwar Mahadev that has
the smallest jyotirlingam in India. From here, we were on to
Beyt Dwarka, around 30 km away from Dwarka. A saying goes on that no
visit to Dwarka is complete without a pilgrimage to the ancient holy
site of Beyt Dwarka.
We landed at Okha Port that offers sound views
of saline marshes formed by Arabian Sea at Okha Rann where thousands
of migratory birds flock. We hired a steam launch at Okha Port and
departed for a 45 minute- cruise to Beyt Dwarka.
The temple town of
Beyt Dwarka belongs to hoary past and has the shrine of Beyt
Dwarkadhish with hand-painted interiors, adorned doors, windows,
balconies and pillars. Mythology puts forth that this was the place
where Lord Krishna resided along with his family. We also visited
temples of Jambuwanti, Satyabhama and Devaki.
Rukmani Temple |
While returning from
Beyt Dwarka, we stopped at Rukmani temple, only 12 km from Dwarka.
The splendid limestone shrine dates back to 1,600 years old.
Religious
relevance of Veraval
From
Dwarka, we travelled to Veraval, the bygone port and close to it is
the holy Bhaluka Teerth where Lord Krishna breathed his last before
being shot by a hunter. The shrine honours Lord Krishna apart from
the legendary Peepal tree where the Lord had departed. Pilgrims can
watch the Triveni Sangam- the confluence of three rivers including
Hiranya, Kapila and Saraswati.
Nageshwar Mahadev Shrine, Dwarka |
It is widely believed that the last
rites of Lord Krishna were performed on the Hiranya river banks on
the spot known as “Dehotsarg” and the complex is famed as Prabhas
Kshetra with Geeta Mandir and Naagshtan that marks the transformation
of Lord Balaram into a snake before entering into the ground.
Somnath-
the land of divine faith
Somnath Mahadev Shrine |
Veraval
is the gateway to Somnath in Junagadh district and the renowned
Somnath Mahadev shrine lies on the tip of Saurashtra Peninsula that
has tempted pilgrims, history buffs, archaeologists and travellers
ever since inception. Spread over 5 sq. km on the shores of Arabian
Sea, the legendary 12th century shrine of Somnath has the
premier jyotirlingam of India that was ravaged 11 times by
Mohammad of Ghazni.
Renovated by Sardar Vallabhai Patel around five
decades ago, the shrine has a unique location since there is no land
between the shrine and the South Pole. We were amazed by the ornate
silver doors, umbrellas and chandeliers in the sanctum. There are
highly decorated stone columns with mythical figures in the shrine
that provide the best example of Chalukyan art.
Palitana
On
our last leg of Saurashtra tour, we were at Palitana in Bhavnagar
district where we halted at Hotel Sumeru owned by Gujarat Tourism. We
were excited to begin our trek to the sacred mountains of Palitana
and reached before dawn at the foothills.
We began our arduous trek
of 4 km to the Shetrunjaya Hills at a height of 1,800 feet comprising
3,745 steps. Once we began our climb, it was an amazing experience.
We experienced the break of the dawn with the cool air soothing our
body and river Shetrunjaya gleamed like a silver coil far away. It
took two-and-half hours to complete the trek when we finally reached the
gallery of shrines.
We
spotted as many as 863 exquisitely carved shrines that form the
largest Jain temple complex in North India. The sacred shrines of
Palitana belong to 13th century and were crafted by the
craftsmen who were involved in the creation of fabulous shrines of
Dilwara and Ranakpur.
Shri Adishwara Temple |
The most significant shrine is Shri Adishwara
temple honouring Rishabhdev, the first Jain Tirthankar and was
set up at a cost of Rs 2.97 crore. The Sausthambh temple has 100
pillars and Shantinath temple is dedicated to Bahubali and Bharat,
the brother Lord Rama.
There are ashtadhatu images of Pandavas, not
to mention the Hindu shrines of Hanuman, Saraswati and Lord Shiva.
Once our trek was over, we began our return trek. We were tired and
were beaten by hunger pangs when we indulged in having masala dahi
sold by Rabadi women. Once the trek was over, I was filled
with a sense of contentment.
Ambaji
Temple of Amba Mata at Ambaji |
For
pilgrim travellers on a spiritual tour of Saurashtra, Ambaji is a 200
km drive from Ahmedabad in the Banaskantha district of Gujarat that
provides views of scenic landscapes of Arasur Hills in the Aravalli
range. One of the most popular pilgrim destinations in Saurashtra,
the revered Shakti Peeth of Ambaji is crafted in marble and is
fondly known as “Mota” (elder) Ambaji among devotees. The shrine
adores Goddess Ambaji without any idol. One would come across a
triangular yantra in the sanctum sanctorum. Devotees throng
here during Navratri and full moon fairs are held in Chaitra,
Kartik and Bhadrapad.
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