Sudama is also known as Kuchela, mostly in southern India was a Brahmin childhood friend of Hindu deity Krishna from Mathura, the story of whose visit to Dwaraka to meet Krishna is mentioned in the Bhagavata Purana. He was born as a poor man in order to enjoy the transcendental pastimes.

As an avatar of Lord Vishnu he is worshipped by millions of devotees. Mathura, his birthplace is one pilgrimage spot and Dwarka, the place he made his home and kingdom, is another. The Jagat Mandir also happens to be one of the major char dham pilgrimage spots in India. When one thinks of Lord Krishna then one also thinks of Sudama, his childhood friend who travelled from Mathura to Dwarka at his wife’s behest. Sudama entered the court and on seeing him, Lord Krishna rushed to meet him, washed his feet and welcomed him. Sudama actually wanted to ask for Lord Krishna’s help but he forgot and returned home, only to find it transformed with riches. Such is the goodness of Lord Krishna who understands and grants. Dwarka is where pilgrims go with prayers in their hearts.

The temple main deities are Lord krishna with his consort Goddess Rukmani and Sudama with his consort Susheela. At the entrance is a maze and a kund named Sudama kund . Seperate shrines for Lord Ganesha and Lord Anjineyar . Paintings of Radha and Lord Krishna doing padha pooja to Kuselar are present on the walls of the temple . This place was anciently known as Sudama Puri .

Mool means root or origin. It is believed when Lord Krishna travelled from Mathura to Dwaraka he first established himself in Mool Dwaraka.

According to legend King Jarasandha vowed to wreak vengeance on Krishna for killing his sons and waged a war but always lost. However, Krishna never killed him because it was decreed by fate that Jarasandha would die at the hands of Bhima and he went on to Dwaraka. He came to Moola Dwaraka, a stone slab commemorating his arrival here.

It is believed that the site here dates back to the times of the Mahabharata and that it was a flourishing port. Lord Krishna and his brother Balaram stayed here before settling down at Dwaraka. There is a temple here in a dilapidated condition and a deep well nearby from where Lord Krishna is said to have had his bath. The temple houses idols of Radha Krishna, Rama Sita and Lakshmi Narayan Lord Ganesha Lord Shiva in addition to shrines dedicated to lesser gods.

The ancient coastal village of Mul-Dwarka, near Kodinar, is known for a temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu and Lord Krishna. According to legend, Lord Krishna had stopped in Porbandar at the village of Visaavda on his way to Dwarka . In its remembrance in Visavda (Mul Dwarka) Lord Krishna’s “paduka” (footprint) can be seen in this temple. A grand fair is organised every year in the village on the special occasion of Janamashtmi. Mul-Dwarka is located around 45 km from Somnath and 175 km from the city of Porbandar.

Beyt Dwarka, an island in the Arabian sea off the coast of Dwarka. Considered the original residence of Krishna .Here Lord Krishna is named as Kesavaraiji .

Beyt Dwarka was the old port during the ancient times of Krishna before the Okha port was developed in Dwarka.

The temple built here is credited to the religious Guru Vallabhacharya of the “Pushtimarg Sampradaya”.

Rice is the traditional offering here to the deity as it is believe that Sudama offered rice to his childhood friend Krishna.

There are also smaller shrines on Beyt Dwarka which are dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu, Hanuman and Devi. 

According to a legend, Vishnu killed the demon Shankhasura on this island. There are temples of Vishnu in the incarnation of matsya, or fish. Other shrines here are of Goddess Rukmini, Trivikramaji, Devaki, Radha, Lakshmi, Satyabhama, Jambavati, Goddess Ambaji , Madhavaraiji .
Lakshmi Narayan, and many other gods.

There is a mantap where people offer money for rice and next to it is a mantap where people offer gold and silver to the temple and they officially give receipt.

There is a pillar which people hug and make a desire and it is believed their desires are fulfilled by the Lord Dwarakadesh.

Boat travelling takes about 20 minutes to this island and had to walk about a km to reach the temple . For boat they collect Rs. 20 per person and for return again Rs. 20 we have to pay . No safety measures are followed for this boating , they carry much crowd that should be changed . From boat again one had to walk a half a km those who cannot walk can make use of carts. These are cart pushed by men those who cant walk can make use of it , they charge 50 per person .

At the entrance there are about 20 steps , here too we had the arathy dharshan of Lord Keshavaraiji .

Boat travelling to Beyt Dwaraka

This 2500 year old temple, located at a distance of 2 kms away from Dwarkadhish Temple, is dedicated to Rukmini, one of the wives of Lord Krishna and an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi.

Rukmini is Lakshmi incarnate, a symbol of love and devotion to Krishna, a symbol of purity and humility as well. Visiting the temple and praying to her is a must if you visit Dwarkadheesh .

There is a very interesting legend that explains why Rukmini is not worshipped in Dwarkadhish Mandir along with the other wives of Lord Krishna but separately in a temple solely dedicated to her. Long ago Krishna and Rukmini went to sage Durvasa to invite him to Dwarka. He agreed to come on the condition that his chariot would be pulled by none other than Krishna and Rukmini, to this, they readily agreed. Just before reaching Dwarka, Rukmini became very thirsty. To quench her thirst Lord Krishna pressed the ground and Ganga waters started streaming from here. A thirsty Rukmini took a sip without offering it to Durvasa and this annoyed him, thus followed a curse that she would be separated from her husband. Rukmini’s temple stands on very arid land, completely isolated with not a single building or house besides it. The temple’s spellbinding architecture with minute carvings and paintings depicts various stories that draw tourists from all over the world. Every devotee who visits this temple is made to sit in the Sabha Mandap and listen to the local priest’s narration of the legend associated with this shrine. Your pilgrimage to Dwarka is incomplete if you don’t offer prayers at Rukmini Temple.

It is believed that there is no good edible water in the surroundings of Rukmani mandir except inside this mandir and we were given water to drink if we pay Rs. 10 . The water we tasted was not salty .

This is the Lord Krishna temple . We were lucky to have the arathy dharshan. Here too ladies and gents are allowed in different queues .

Dwarkadheesh temple that draws millions of pilgrims. Seven storeys high and constructed of sandstone without any metal or wood, it is about 43 metres tall. It sits at the tip of the Arabian Peninsula where the Gomati River flows into the sea. The temple complex houses shrines dedicated to Devaki ji, Kusheshwar Mahadev, Sharda Peeth and Pradyumnaji. The temple dedicated to Samudra Narayan, the sea God who granted land to Lord Krishna for Dwarka, is also located nearby. The temple opens at 6.30 AM with mangla aarti and ceremonies proceed till 1 PM when it closes. Evening rituals start at 5 PM and go on till 9.30 PM. While the temple and the idol inside are worshipped, the Dhwaja or flag atop the shikhar also has its own significance. It is 52 yards long and there is a reason for its length. It binds together 52 different Yadav sects and represents the 52 Yadav administrators who worked under Lord Krishna. The 52 yards also signify the 50 doors with the two extra for entrance and exit to the personal abode of Lord Shriji known as Moksha Dwar and Swarg Dwar. The Sun and Moon symbol on the flag represent incarnation of Shriji. The red, green, yellow, blue, pink, white and saffron colors too have special significance.

Dwarkadish Temple is also called as Jagat Mandir or Trilok Sunder Temple in Gujarat. The amazing architecture and history make it one of the top Krishna temples in India.

Dwarkadhish Temple is a Chalukya styled architecture, dedicated to Lord Krishna. The town of Dwarka has its history dated back to the Kingdom of Dwaraka in Mahabharata. The five storied main shrine is grand and marvelous in itself constructed of limestone and sand. The 2200-year-old architecture, is believed to be built by Vajranabha, who constructed it over the land reclaimed from the sea by Lord Krishna.

The black magnificent idol of Lord Krishna appears to be so appealing that devotees feel the presence of the lord before them. The temple showcases intricate sculptural detailing done by the ancestral dynasties that ruled the region. There are other shrines within the temple which are devoted to Subhadra, Balarama opposite to Lord Balarama is Lord Ganesha with sithi puthi and Goddess Lakshmi on one side and Garuda the vahana of Lord Vishnu on the other side . There is a seperate shrine of Radhe krishna . A mantap with Adi Shankaracharya then to its side a few step upstairs is a 5 stepped kolu all silver cow calf and Lord Krishna ‘s favourite things were kept . There were seperate shrines for Vasudeva, Devaki matha and an underground Lord Shiva with his consort Parvathi many others. Durvasa Maharishi has a seperate shrine in this temple. The devotees are expected to take a dip in the Gomti river before proceeding into the temple through the Swarg Dwar. The eve of Janmashtmi is the most special occasion in any Krishna temple, the Dwarkadhish temple is adorned by thousands of devotees chanting prayers and rituals. The shrine is a hive of colours, voices and faith transforming itself into inner silence and sanctity.

The flag of the temple is hoisted on top of the Shikar 5 times a day 3 times in the morning and 2 times in the evening session. We were lucky enough to witness it .

There are many mythical tales woven around the city of Dwarka. The most prominent myth is associated with the ‘hero of the Dwapara’; Lord Krishna who is believed to have held his kingdom here. Dwarka in the ancient times was known as Anarta which had been Lord Krishna’s terrestrial empire. Dwarka consisted in islands like Antar dwipa, Dwarka Island and the mainland of Dwarka. The city had been the capital city of the Yadava clan which ruled over the place since many years. In the great epic Mahabharata Dwarka is mentioned as Yadavas’ capital city consisting in many other neighboring states such as Vrishnis, Andhakas, Bhojas within its jurisdiction. The most important chiefs of Yadava clan inhabiting Dwarka included Lord Krishna, who was the king of Dwarka, then Balarama, Kritavarma, Satyaki, Akrura, Kritavarma, Uddhava and Ugrasena. According to the most popular legendary tale, Lord Krishna migrated to Kusasthali; the name by which Dwarka was known in the ancient times in order to evade the continual harassing raids done on Mahura by Jarasandha; Kansa’s father in law. Jarasandha wanted to avenge the death of Kansa, the wicked cruel uncle of Krishna whom the lord had killed and thus was attacking Mathura time and again.

According to legendary, Kusasthali had been Lord Krishna’s ancestral native on his maternal side. The city is said to have been set up a Yadava ancestor of Lord Krishna; Raivata after he got defeated battle with Punyajanas and lost his kingdom to the latter. After the defeat, Raivata fled to Mathura in order to keep himself and his clan members safe. Later on he returned to establish the city of Kusasthali or Dwarka. This tale indicates that lord Krishna’s shifting to Dwarka from Mathura took place in reverse order.


When he came back to Dwarka along with his clan of Yadavas, he ordered Lord Vishwakarma to build a city for his kingdom. Answering his order, Lord Vishwakarma told that the city can be built only if Lord Samudradevi offered them some land. Lord Krishna then prayed to Samudradeva who responding to the prayer providing them with land up to 12 Yojna and soon after the celestial constructor Vishwakarma built the city of Dwarka in a short span of only 2 days. The city was called ‘Suvarna Dwarka’ because it was all clad in gold, emeralds and jewels which were used to construct the houses in lord Krishna’s ‘Suvarna Dwarka’. It is believed that Lord Krishna’s original residence was at Bet Dwarka from he administered the entire Dwarka kingdom. Legend further adds that after Lord Krishna departed from his mortal body, the city went under the sea with Samudradeva taking back what he had given once upon a time.

The Temple of Dwarkadhish is believed to have been set by Vajranabha; grandson of Lord Krishna, in order to pay tribute to the great lord. The religious significance of Dwarka is associated with other myths too. One such myth points out the Dwarka is the spot where Lord Vishnu had demolished the demon Shankhasura.

Bags camera mobiles and photography are prohibited . We took photos outside the temple by the istant photographers there .

Dakore  is a Small City and a Municipality in Kheda district in the state of Gujarat, India. It is prominent for its grand temple of Shree Ranchodraiji.

This temple has 4 entrance
Simha dwar, ghode dwar , tiger dwar and elephant dwar . All are allowed through Simha dwar .

This temple in Gujarat , like those 2 ( kankroli Dwarakadesh and Nathdwara Srinathji ) temples of Rajasthan , we need not hurry to this temple as it is open from morning till 7.30 pm in the evening . We reached by 5 pm and had the divine dharshan of the Lord, ladies were sent near the main deity. Men’s queue are backside of the ladies . Outside is a Thulabharam ( balance ) where we were asked to place tulsi leaves . There were 2 huge tomb like structures for lighting lamps during the festivities .

The form of Lord Ranchodrai is that of the Lord Vishnu with four arms. As is usual with Lord Vishnu, he bears the conch, lotus, discus and the mace in his hands. The lower right arm is held up in the abhaya mudra – giving protection to all those who come to Him. There may be a lotus imprinted on the hand, but it is impossible to confirm that without getting really close to the Lord. As the Lord here is worshipped more as Krishna than Dwarkadhish, i.e. younger and freer than the mature Lord of Dwaraka, His right hand is often shown to hold a flute – a favorite instrument of the Lord in His younger days. The upper right hand holds the mace, the upper left hand holds the discus and the lower left hand holds the conch. Ordinarily, it is difficult to see these “ayudhas” of the Lord in His hands. During festivals, the hands encased in gloves of gold studded with gems.

Near by is a Goddess Mahalakshmi temple. Inside the pragharam there were Lord Hanuman shrine and Lord Shiva shrines too . We had the divine dharshan of the Goddess.

Then we had to walk a few distance from Dakore dwaraka to the Gomathi ghat caught a boat and went to see Dhatatreyar temple . The Dhatareyar temple too there were shrines for Lord Shiva Anjineyar and Saibaba. Boating was so awesome in the chill breeze after dharshan we went on a chariot driven by a horse it was so much fun . The chariot drivers had much fun than and they were laughing at us as we were afraid to climb on the chariot . Again by boat we reached the Gomathi ghat did some shopping and reached room .

My trip with Sanjay tours before this lockdown was Nava Dwaraka and Somnath Nageshwar Jyothirlingams and Nishkalang mahadev temple in Bavnagar and Gangeshwar temple in Diu and Daman .

I will be writing one by one about the temples I visited during this trip .

We along with 30 members from Chennai reached Ahmedabad had breakfast and travelled almost 280 kms to reach Udaipur.

Devotees of Bhakti Marg of the Vallabhacharya sect worship Lord Krishna in his many forms and from Mathura to Dwarka and other spots in Western India, there are Lord Krishna temples known as Dwarkadheesh temples. Dwarkadheesh is one of the titles of Lord Krishna meaning Lord of Dwarka. Dwarka is the top pilgrimage spot but there are also other Dwarkas, one of which is in Kankroli in Rajsamand District in Rajasthan.

This is one of the abodes of Lord krishna in Udaipur . Kankroli is situated at 65kms north of Udaipur in Rajasthan . Hence the Lord here is named as Kankroli Dwarakadesh .

Though it comes under one of the divyadeshams the way to this temple is very narrow and we went to the temple from the bus stop in a share auto as other vehicles couldn’t reach there . They charge Rs. 30 per person . Only one vehicle can go at a time . They drop us on the main arch of the temple .

It is a entrance arch where vehicles are parked and then has a steps of 15 to reach the main entrance and its decorated with flowers of different colours .

After entering the main arch is a set of steps . We were asked to wait about 15 minutes for the dharshan. Here the dharshan is called as Shyam bogh dharshan , which means they take 15 minutes to decorate the Lord with flowers and ornaments and leave it for 55 minutes for dharshan again the dharshan is stopped again and they take another 15 minutes to decorate the Lord .

This is a 3 storied mandir with a open space in the middle mural paintings on the wall of elephants with men on it and horses and bhajans were taking place by ladies .

When they opened the main diety door after decoration , all rushed as well as we too but waited in one corner and had the divine dharshan of Lord Dwarakadesh . The Lord here is just a feet height well decorated with flowers. There were steps in which cow and calf idol made of silver and Lords favourite things were kept .There were bhajans going on sung by ladies in the temple.

It is believed during winter they put campfire to soothen the chillness to the Lord and cover the idol with thermalwear . It was a eternal bliss . When the crowd was disbursed we once again had the dharshan of the Lord without much chaos this time .

Then we went to another shrine inside this temple complex itself with the idol of Radha and Lord Krishna . Here they gave milk offered to the Lord as prasadham to all . Then the next shrine which was the miniature of the main deity called as Mayuranathji .

Photography is prohibited allowed outside entrance of the temple . In the ground floor there is a temple office where we can pay donations and for other enquiries .

Legend of Kankroli Dwarka: According to legend the idol of this temple is very old and worshipped by king Ambareesha in the Treta Yuga. The idol was worshipped in Mathura in a temple built by king Vikramaditya till 1670 AD. When Aurangzeb attacked Vraja Bhoomi in 1670 AD, many temple idols were moved to safer places. Srinathji was moved to Nathdwara and Dwarkadheesh to Kankroli. Maharana Raj Singh is said to have built this temple in around 1676 AD. The temple located on the bank of the Rajsamand lake has a very soothing ambience .