Ranjus travel blog

Mangalagiri

Mangalagiri is a town in Guntur district situated between the twin cities of Vijayawada and Guntur of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.

Mangalagiri is a temple of Lord Vishnu in Narasimhar form. Mangalagiri (mangala means auspicious , giri means hill ) , as Lord Narasimha near Vijayawada .

As legend says after killing Demon King Hiranya Kasipu , Lord Narasimha killed Demon Namuchi ( he was blessed by Lord Brahma with boon that he should not be killed by either humans or animals or any other forms ) and settled on this hill . Lord here declared that he would be satisfied with ghee in Trete yuga , with milk in Dwapara yuga , with jaggery water (panakam in telugu) in Kali yuga . Hence Lord is Called Panakala Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy .

The speciality of the temple is , only mouth is visible as no idol existed (God is self existent here). God is offered jaggery water (prasadam ) only and when this is poured into mouth the gargling sound is audible and half the vessel (small or big ) is finished , sound is stopped , remaining water is thrown out . Being the less or large amount of jaggery water the phenomena is the same . This peculiar phenomina occurs recurringly during the course of the day .This is the amazing significance of this temple .

Behind the temple there is the temple of Goddess Rajalakshmi, to the west of which there is a natural cave. It is believed that it will lead to Undavalli caves on the banks of the Krishna river and the sages used to go to take bath in Krishna River.

There is a seperate shrine for Lord Anjineyar and Lord Ragnathar in this temple which we have to climb a few steps .

A small (kalasam) pot full of panagam is sold inside the temple complex itself for Rs.70 after offering to the Lord the rest is given as prasadham to us we can carry it in a bottle and use within a day . Near the split panagam near the Lord’s idol not a single ant or flies could be seen where as the remaining we fetched in the bottle were full of red ants , so we used it and threw the bottle .

At the foot hill there is a Lakshmi Narasimhar temple with a magnificent tomb . It is one of the highest gopurams in South India and only one of its type in this part of India. It is 153ft. in height and 49 feet wide with 11 storeys, and gates facing east and west . This temple is said to be built by Yudhistra the eldest among the Pandavas .

The Image of the Lord in the form of Narasimha (man-lion) and that of Lakshmi Devi to his left are of stone. The garland of the Lord with 108 saligramams is of special significance here.

Vajranagaya vidmahe deeshna thamastraya theemahi thank
Narasimha prashothayath

Is the Gayathri mantra of Lord Narasimhar.

Magnificent gopuram of Lakshmi Narasimhar temple

The full image of the magnificent gopuram

Chotila Chamunda Mandir

On the final day of our nava Dwaraka trip being a Friday we had an opportunity to visit chamunda devi temple and kali temple in Chotila in Surendranagar district in Gujarat .

We were on the way to Ahmedabad airport . The time was about 10.00 am . All were happy being a Friday visiting one more temple in addition.

The temples of Goddess are mostly located at the top of the hills and Chamunda Devi temple is not different. Chamunda Devi is the Kuldevi of many Hindu families in Gujarat. The temple is situated at the top of the Chotila hill in Surendranagar district of Gujarat. The reason is that if the devotees want to visit the temple of Goddess, they will have to undergo some physical strain. It is the worship place for Mata Chamunda, which is one of the 64 Avatars of Shakti. Initially, there were around 366 footsteps. After renovation, the temple can be reached by climbing around 700 footsteps. A huge statue of a Lion is seen in the temple premises as it is Devi’s mount.

Though we dint climb there is a temple of Goddess Chamunda devi and Kali on the foot hill .

Inside the temple there was idols of many Gods, Lord Ganesha, Hanuman , Lakshmi Saraswathy Sani mahadev and many more even Saibaba.

The idol of Goddess Chamunda at this temple is self-manifested. There is an interesting story behind the existence of this temple. As per the folklore, a man had a dream in which he was told by Goddess that she was buried under the earth on Chotila hill. He was instructed to dig in a certain place and Goddess would appear there. He followed the instructions and found a beautiful idol of Goddess Chamunda. Later, a temple was consecrated at that spot.

Temple Legend

It is said that when the demons Chand and Mund came to attack Goddess Mahakali, she chopped their heads and presented it to Goddess Ambika, who in turn told Mahakali that she will be worshiped as Goddess Chamunda. There is a big market for tourists on the downside around the mountain where tourists can buy offerings and Prasad for Goddess. Chamunda Mataji Temple has a dinning hall, guest room, and beautiful garden. Free parking facility is being provided by temple trust.

Thiruneli

This temple in Wayanad with Lord Vishnu as the main deity is said to be Lord Rama gave 4th year pithru tharpanam to His father Dasaratha during their exile .

The temple has a step of 100 so one has to climb those steps for the dharshan of the Lord.

This is a famous temple in Kerala where the worship of Pithrus (a ritual done for our dead ancestors) is done. It is 32 Km from the Manandavadi town of Wayanad district, which is a dense tribal area of Kerala. The nearest Railway station is Kozhikode in Kerala, which is 72 Km from this place.

It is in a valley called “Brahma Giri” (Mountain of Brahma) It is believed that Lord Brahma did a great fire sacrifice here and because of that, this place is divine.

According to legends, once upon a time, some Brahmins happened to travel through these dense forests. When they were very hungry and had nothing to eat, they called Lord Vishnu for their help. Then they saw a goose berry tree. (Called Nelli in Malayalam), which was laden with fruits. All of them satiated their hunger by eating fruits of this tree. Suddenly their hunger and thirst was satiated and they felt the divine presence. Then they decided to call the place as “Thiru Nelli (sacred Gooseberry). “ Records exist to prove that this temple of Lord Vishnu is at least 1000 years old. It is also referred in Unni neeli Charitham which is the first book written in Malayalam. The temple is a very simple structure made of granite stone. The idol consecrated in this temple is that of Lord Vishnu with four arms. The walls of this temple are also made of granite. On these walls, very beautiful etchings are there. It seems one king of Coorg, tried to renovate this temple. When he was half through, the Vellattiri king who owned the temple objected. The renovation was discontinued. Even today we can see proof of the half finished renovation work. There are no wells in this temple. Water is being brought by a stone aqueduct from a stream in the Brahma Giri valley.

Very near the temple , there is a river called Papa Nasini (killer of sins) . It is believed that if we do rituals to the pithrus ( rituals done to our dead ancestors), they would get salvation. It is believed that the good effect is equivalent to doing Karmas (Rituals) in Gaya. The Pindas (rice balls ) are placed in the stream after the worship. People believe that both Lord Rama and Lord Parasurama did the Pithru Karmas here also in the vicinity is a sacred rock where ritual offerings (known as bali) are made for the ancestors on the New Moon days of the Malayalam months Karkkidakom, Thulam and Kumbham. Besides the rituals during the two-day festival, art forms like Kathakali and Ottanthullal are performed. Very near the Papa Nasini is the Padma Theertha pond. . In the middle of it on a raised stone, you find the marks of Lord Vishnu’s feet. People believe that Lord Vishnu stood on this rock and gave divine advice to Lord Brahma. Nearby in a cave there is a Shiva temple also. All the people who do Pithru Karma visit this temple on their way back.

During our visit we stayed in the devasom lodge opposite to the temple small mess are near the temple .
The temple itself offers morning breakfast afternoon lunch and night dinner too . The plates are kept we had to take after having food should wash and place it the same place. They are maintaining it very neatly . The washing place is a square opened tank where water is stored .

There are other places of interest such as pookot lake athirapally falls edakkal caves .

View from our room one could see the steps of the temple

Brahmakumari temple near Balka theerth

Next to Balka theerth in Dwaraka was a temple maintained by Brahmakumaris . The temple itself was in the shape of a huge linga and we were waiting for others to come , our bus driver asked us to have a visit of that temple . So we entered the temple. In the entrance a small garden was maintained with a fountain in the center and the in main entrance was Lord krishna in Venu madhav posture with a flute in hand and leg crossed with a cow at the back . The temple itself was like a circular hall . Inside there were statues of many more God n Goddesses idols .

Gomathi ghat

Gomati Ghat is located at the mouth of River Gomati and falls within the city of Dwarka and within the district of Dwarka in the western Indian state of Gujarat.

One has go down a flight of 56 steps from Dwarkadheesh temple’s Swarga Dwar in order to reach the Gomati Ghat which is located 20mins away from Dwarka city centre.

Gomti River flows past the Gomati Ghat Dwarka and that makes the Ghat a real holy place and River Gomati is the tributary of Holy Ganges, the most sacred river for all Hindus.

The river originates in the Himalayan ranges of Nepal and flows down across many Indian states with Gujarat being one of those.

In lord Krishna’s legendary city Dwarka, Gomati Ghat is an important haunt for all devout pilgrims. It is also referred to as Gomati Sangam Ghat as the river flows past the Gomati Ghat and soon afterwards meets the Arabian Sea at the Chakratirtha Ghat.

Significance
Gomti Ghat comes with great religious and mythological significance. According to myths River Gomati is the daughter of Sage Vashishtha and her waters are powerful enough to purge one’s mortal sins. Thus pilgrims make it a point to bathe in River Gomti and they usually take their holy dip into the Gomati Kund, the point of confluence of River Gomti and the sea. Gomti Kund is located very close to the Gomati Sangam Ghat of Dwarka. Also, River Gomti is believed to be the ‘descending Ganges’, a river that descends straight down from heaven which is why it is a river that can wash away every sin as per Hindu mythology.

It has become one of the tourist attractions now they collect rs.10 per person at the entrance and a bridge is built and camel rides are also there to take near the Gomathi river . As we went by evening sunset view was awesome .

Kirti Mandir

Kirti Mandir is the memorial house kept in memory of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Kasturba Gandhi located in city of Porbandar, Gujarat, India.
He is known as the father of our nation . His fight through non violence fetched freedom for our country .

Photograph of Gandhiji and books the things used by him were kept in this place. A library and a office room selling books was also present.

Suryamandir Pandava mandir Hingalaj matha gufa Shardamath

After visiting Golokdham we went to Surya mandir.

A small narrow road leads to the temple . The auto man left us in main road .

We had to walk to the temple the temple has a few steps . Instead of temple . It was more or like a
village house .

First we visited Surya mandir a small temple with the main deity as Surya Bhagwaan beneath is kept a idol of Sani mahadev son of Surya Bhagwaan , adjacent to it is a gufa with Lord Ganesha and Lord Shiva shrine with his consort Parvathi . Opposite to it is Surya kund . A pond to which we should go a few steps down. There were shops selling Surya idol in brass as well as copper , valampuri conch and many more .

Next is Pancha Pandava mandir which consists of Lord Ganesha along with Pancha Pandavas Yudhistra Bhima Arjun Nakul Sahadev along with Draupadi beneath these idols .There were shops selling pooja articles.

Hingalaj matha gufa in the same complex which is said to be the kuladevi of Pancha Pandavas . Gufa means caves . This is a narrow Gufa consisting of a few steps then a flat surface of 4 feet again we should crawl and go to see the main diety .There is a priest inside the gufa . Near the flat surface is kept a air cooler those who feels exhausted can sit near it for a few seconds before they crawl to the main deity. Near the priest is a fan . Those who have breathing problem and little obese people are not advised to go . I went inside the gufa and had the divine dharshan of the Hingalaj matha and while coming back literally crawled and came out of the Gufa .

In the main road is Sharadamath. In this temple is Lord Narasimhar along with lord Shiva shrine with Lord Ganesha and Lord Hanuman idol on the both sides . Goddess lakshmi and Goddess Sarawathy idols are kept for worship.

Here too there is a gufa in which Adisankaracharyas along with his ancestral leaders idols are kept . Next to it is a spadika lingam mount Meru made of spadika, lingam and kurmam ( tortoise) are kept and worshipped . This gufa is not that narrow as in Hingalaj matha gufa.

The founder of Shardamath u can see the entrance of the gufa in this pic

Nageshwarar jothirlingam

Nageshwar was believed to be known as ‘Darukavana’, which is an ancient epic name of a forest in India. Below is a well-known legends attached to this mystical temple .

Located on the route between Dwarka city and Beyt Dwarka Island on the coast of Saurashtra in Gujarat is this important Lord Shiva Temple. It is enshrined by one of the 12 swayambhu (self-existent) jyothirlingas in the world, in an underground sanctum. A 25 m tall statue of a sitting Lord Shiva and a large garden with a pond are major attractions of this rather serene place. Opposite to the main sanctum is a Trishul and a Nandhi.

Peoples are allowed inside the main sanctum if they pay Rs. 200 and have to buy pooja articles sold inside the temples and change to traditional dress inside the cloak room . Peoples having nagha doshas in their horoscope do pooja rituals with the help of the priests and offer silver nagas small idol (serpent) to get rid of their doshas .

The linga is surrounded by a serpent hood and is covered by a dome like structure made of glass .

There is a shrine for Sani Mahadev under the peepal tree outside the temple.

A mantap were yagna were done was outside the temple adjacent to the main sanctum.

As per legend is that according to the Shiv Purana, hundreds of years ago two demons Daruka and Daruki lived in Darukavan. Daruka was blessed by Goddess Parvati. However, he misused the blessings and terrorized the local folks. One such time, he imprisoned a local woman, Supriya. Supriya told her fellow inmates to take the name of the Lord Shiva (Om Namashivaya) and no harm would come to them. When Daruka heard this, he was enraged. He rushed to kill her but Lord Shiva appeared to protect her. As Daruka was blessed by his own wife, Goddess Parvathi, the Lord could not kill him so instead he took the form of a lingam and promised to protect Supriya and the local folks forever in Dwarka.

Geetha Mandir Somnath

Gita Mandir is one of the sacred temples nearby the Somnath Jyotirlinga temple and dedicated to Lord Shri Krishna and current structure of temple built in the year of 1970 by Birla Group. The Gita Mandir is famous for its depiction of Holy book Bhagavad Gita and wall paintings of Lord Krishna. There are eighteen pillars in the temple and on each pillar is inscribed one chapter of Bhagavad Gita .

As per mythology, Gita mandir is situated at the spot where Lord Krishna took rest after his walk from Bhalka Theerth to Triveni Theerth, before his journey to Neej Dham. This incident happened after he was hit by an arrow, towards the end of Dwapara Yuga and Lord Krishna proceeded to heaven from this place.

This temple is part of a small complex comprising of 3-4 temples, which is very near the Triveni sangam. Actually, this complex is at the end of the road leading from the main Somnath temple to all the smaller but very sacred Hindu temples mentioned of Somnath.

The temple is well maintained, very peaceful and holy place. Must visit temple, when you visiting the Somnath, since many people dont know about this and is not as famous as Somnath temple.

Next to Geetha mandir is Balaramar gufa which u had to get down a few steps to have the dharshan of Lord Balaramar and few more steps down there is a nagar along with Lord Shiva in the lingam form .

Next to it Lord Lakshmi Narayanan mandir .In this temple all the avatars of Lord Vishnu is kept as photos .

There is a seperate shrines for Kashi Vishwanath and Omkareshwar .

64 th Peeth Vallabhacharya’s Mandir and the used household of His was kept inside a room .

The Padukas of Lord Krishna’s in the middle of the temple complex

The main deity Lord Krishna of Geetha mandir

Video inside Lakshmi Narayanan temple

Sri Ram Mandir Somnath

This temple is built and maintained by Somnath trust .

This place is next big to Somnath temple in Somnath. Located hardly a 200 meters from the Somnath Temple junction. People can see here the Somnath Temple from its gate. Almost all other temples and Triveni Sangam are visible from this temple.

The main deity being Lord Ram with His consort Goddess Seetha and Lakshmana. There are other deities done in marble stone and installed in outer wall of the temple .

The sunset in the Triveni sangam was a awesome view from this temple . The temple is calm and neatly maintained.

Beautiful Krishna idol in front of Ram mandir

Somnath mandir

The Somnath temple located in Prabhas Patan near Junagadh in Saurashtra on the western coast of Gujarat . It is an important pilgrimage and tourist spot of Gujarat. Somnath temple is the first among the 12 jothirlingams .

In the Somnath mandir the main deity is the huge lingam well decorated with chandan and kumkum with his consort Goddess Parvathi backside of the lingam , Lord Ganesha and Lord Murugar on both sides .

The site of Somnath has been a pilgrimage site from ancient times on account of being a Triveni sangam (the confluence of three rivers: Kapila, Hiran and Saraswathi).

The architect of the temple is amazing and it is said to be ruined several times and has been rebuilt again .

New mandir has main deity Somnath lingam and Goddess Parvathi back of the lingam and Lord Vishnu inside the main sanctum . We couldn’t come around the temple as light and sound shows has started only those having the shows tickets were allowed , we returned back and collected our bags mobiles and photos .

Soma, the Moon god, is believed to have lost his lustre due to a curse, and he bathed in the Saraswathi River at this site to regain it. The result is the waxing and waning of the moon, no doubt an allusion to the waxing and waning of the tides at this seashore location. The name of the town Prabhas, meaning lustre, as well as the alternative names Someshvar and Somnath (“The lord of the moon” or “the moon god”) arise from this tradition .

Legend goes that the moon was married to the 27 daughters of Daksha Prajapati. He was partial to Rohini, his favorite and neglected the others. An angered Daksha cursed him to wane into nothingness. A disturbed Chandra, came down to Prabhasa with Rohini and worshipped the Sparsa Linga of Somnath after which he was blessed by Shiva to grow and shine in the bright half. As the moon regained his light here, this town came to be known as Prabhasa. Bhrama, one of the trinity, installed the Bhramasila, and paved way for the construction of the temple.

The old Somnath mandir is opposite to the new Somnath mandir . Inside the main sanctum is the lingam of 3 feet height along with Saraswathy Ganga matha Mahalakshmi and Parvathi. There is a seperate shrine for Goddess annapoorni. In old Somnath mandir we were allowed inside the main sanctum and allowed to touch the lingam and do milk abhishegam.

Beyt Dwaraka

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 . There 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

Triveni sangam Somnath

Triveni ghat in Somnath deserves special mention as a holy place as per Indian mythology since it finds mention even in epics such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. This is the meeting place of three important rivers i.e. Hiran, Kapila and Saraswati before they finally empty themselves out in the Arabian Sea. It is believed that Lord Krishna bathed at this place just before his journey towards Goloka Dham and hence it is a spot for many to take a dip for purifying themselves. Several ghats and changing rooms have been made to provide assistance in bathing. People who have ‘Pitrudosha’ regularly come here to perform shraddh tarpan or ancenstral worship. Due to the scarcity of water, a small dam has been built which makes this river bank perennial. Don’t miss an opportunity to take a boat ride to the confluence of the three rivers and feed the pigeons, also a special draw for kids.

Sudama Dwaraka

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 Dwaraka

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.

Dwarakadesh mandir Gujarat

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 .

Rukmani mandir 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 .

Gopi Talav

Gopi Talav is a mid size lake located around 20 kms from Dwarka on the way to Beyt Dwarka. The story behind the lake takes us back to Lord Krishna’s childhood when he was revered by the gopis of Vrindavan. When Krishna shifted his capital to Dwarka, the gopis couldn’t bear his estrangement. They came to meet him in Dwarka and performed raas on the day of sharad poornima. After the raas, they offered their lives to the soil of this land and merged with Lord Krishna. The soil here is fine and smooth bearing a yellow color and is believed to have divine properties that can cure many diseases, especially those related to skin. Today, many tourists purchase this soil, popularly known as Gopi Chandan, as a token of their visit.

There is a mandir of Lord Krishna, Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesha and Lord Hanuman .

The whole area around Gopi Talav is made up of ghats for bathing with many shrines peppered around them. Many species of fishes and birds are found .

There are shops selling gopi chandan and pooja articles on one side of the passage to this lake .

Balka Theerth

This sacred teerth is located 5 km on Prabhas Veraval highway.

This place is called “Bana Teertha” in Sanskrit and colloquially called Bhalka Teerth.

This is the very place where Lord Krishna ended His incarnation.

It is mentioned in the Bhagavata purana that a hunter named Jara mistakenly throws an arrow at Krishna which hits His feet thinking it to be a deer . Lord Krishna then throws away the arrow and Ganga emerges out from the spot where the arrow hits the ground. Hence the name bana (arrow) teertha. There is a modern temple with a marble idol of Krishna marking the spot where He rested. The stump of the ancient tree is still preserved in the temple.

The holy pond is seen next to the main Krishna temple. There is also a small shiva temple in the vicinity.

There is a Lord Shiva shrine with his consort Parvathi within this temple .

Devotees sitting and doing bhajans in front of the Lord Krishna.

Lord Krishna along with the hunter and the peepal tree

Ranchodraiji Dakore Dwaraka

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 .

Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi in Mahalakshmi mandir

So much fun

Gangeshwar temple Diu

This ancient Hindu Temple is located 3 km away from Diu in the Fudam Village of Gujarat. Believed to have been built by the Pandavas, this temple is famous for its five Shiva Lingas, i.e. rocks in the shape of Lord Shiva which are present in the middle of the sea. Only the tip of these rocks can be seen whenever there is a high tide because the sea water submerges them.

The Pandava brothers were the ones to install the five Shiva Lingas at Gangeshwar Mahadev during the period of their exile from the kingdom of Hastinapur. Bounded by a serene atmosphere, this cave temple radiates such powerful energy which is honoured by the devotees of Lord Shiva all over the world. If you are planning a trip to Gujarat, this is one place you would not like to miss out on for the beauty along with the peace that this place offers to you away from the busy and fast-moving life. It is a perfect getaway.

Legend of Gangeshwar Temple

Legend has it that while the Pandavas were serving their exile when they were banished from the kingdom of Hastinapur for 12 years, they worshipped Lord Shiva who was present in this temple. This temple is also known as ‘Seashore Temple’ since it is situated near the seashore. During their exile period, when the Pandavas visited this place in search for a place to worship before having their food, they installed five Shivalingas along the edge of the water and considered it to be the true form of Lord Shiva.

On the rock above the Shiva Linga is a Seshanag which was carved to look out for the Shiva Linga. Lord Ganesha, Lord Vishnu, and Goddess Lakshmi can be found at the entrance of the Gangeshwar temple. At the time of high tide rise, the crystal clear water of the tidal waves cleans the whole temple along with the Lingas. It appears as though the waves of the sea are paying respect to the deity residing in this place. It has become one of the major pilgrimage sites for worshipping Lord Shiva due to its serenity and beauty.

Lord Ganesha at the entrance of the steps

Nishkalang Mahadev Bavnagar Gujarat

This is an ancient temple in the koliyac beach in Bavnagar , Gujarat .

The unique significance of this temple is the sea allows only certain timings to reach the temple and worship . The timings vary according to the thithi and its confirmed by the priests of this temple .

This temple in Gujarat has a story related to Mahabharata. After winning the battle in Kurushetra war , the Pandavas felt guiltness for killing their own cousins and relatives to get rid of this sin they asked Lord Krishna to help them to come out of this situation. Lord Krishna offers them a black cow and a black flag and asks to take them and pray to Lord Shiva saying , where the black cow and flag turns white they will be relieved from their sins .Roaming about to different places with the cow and flag days months passed by . Finally they found the cow and flag turned white in Koliyac Bavnagar beach . So they did deep penance worshipping Lord Shiva .

Lord Shiva appeared before each of them as a swayambu lingam form on a Amavasai day as per Indian calendar a new moon day . Together the 5 lingams the Pandavas named it as Nishkalang mahadev .

There are 5 lingas with nandi opposite to each of it . One can worship the Nishkalang mahadev when the tides are sunken inside the sea and gives us way to enter the temple. About 1 to 2 kms one has to walk to have the dharshan of the 5 lingas . Nishkalang means purity guiltless and innocence . Walking in the slush of the sea bed is a great task on the way they sell sandal powder milk coconut to offer to God . There is a priest to do the rituals like arathy and archanai .

Once u reach the temple there is a well where u should wash ur feet and then worship the lingams .

We were blessed enough to do milk abhishegam (abulation of milk on the Lingam) coconut water abhishegam and offered vilvam leaves to the 5 lingams .

The suction of the sea water differs on each day as per the thithi of the day and maintains the same for 2 to 4 hours after that the sea level rises and only the quater of the tomb with a flag hoisted is seen whereas during we did pooja to the 5 lingas the entire tomb with the flag hoisted was visible .

Along with these 5 lingams there is a Goddess Parvathi shrine in one end .

This is a great wonder as after we did pooja we came back for lunch and again went and saw the sea water level rising above submerging the 5 lingas Nandi and the 3/4 of the tomb .
One should definitely visit this temple atleast once in their lifetime as Nishkalang Mahadev is believed to relieve us from sins and gives us peace .

We were blessed to have the divine dharshan on a Somawaram (Monday) 23rd of February 2020 as it is considered worshipping Lord Shiva on Somavaram is very auspicious .

We doing pooja

We doing abhishegam

We had to walk through this slush

Srinath Dwaraka

This temple is in Rajasthan just a 18 kms from Kankroli Dwaraka .

Vehicles are not allowed only we had to take a share auto as the roads are very narrow . Both sides of the narrow roads are shops . We couldn’t find the main entrance . When we found a chappel stand we put our chappels there and that man guided us with the main entrance . Mobiles handbags are not allowed cloak rooms are there to keep it . Took tokens for our slippers bags and mobiles then entered the temple .

In this temple there is seperate queue for ladies and men . As it was overcrowded we went in by paying Rs.150 per person . Luckily we were left near the main sanctum, where we waited for the doors to get opened . Just in few seconds the doors where opened and we were allowed inside .

This temple also maintains the same Shyam bogh dharshan as in Kankroli .We were lucky to have the arathy dharshan of the Lord Dwarakadesh .

Oh my goodness cant believe of the crowd from where they came , started pushing as iam little short got admist of the crowd and got suffocated and exhausted. If allowed I would have returned back , the crowd pushed and pushed finally I was in front of the Lord Krishna , this Lord idol is little bigger in the size of the idol we saw in Kankroli Dwarakadesh, the minute I saw Him my suffocation exhaustion everything dissapeared only joy filled my mind and tears in my eyes was such a divine feeling . The Lord Krishna was in dancing posture and they showed deepam arathy (waving of diyas) . In the exit of the main sanctum there is a room closed it is said that Lord Krishna played in this place . The door of this room is made of wood with silver carvings on it and locked . Then to a crawling posture Lord Krishna in the same temple named as BalaKrishna .

Took rest within the temple complex for a while and came out and collected our mobiles bags and chappels and took pics near the exit entrance . Did shopping for almost an hour and returned to our room .
Idols of Lord fancy jewellery bags and sarees meenakari works in bangles are all sold here .

Though ladies in seperate queue and gents un seperate queue they send near the main sanctum is becomes a mess and overcrowded pushing and pulling of each other , I beg the temple authorities to regulate this in a much disciplined manner as a elderly woman fell down in this chaos .

The temple has a story behind its establishment. According to the legend, the image of Lord Shrinath ji was enshrined in Vrindavan (land of Lord Krishna), but to protect the idol from the destructive rage of Aurangzeb. In 1672, Rana Raj Singh was the only gallant, who made an effort to rescue the idol from the domain of Aurangzeb . It is said that when the image was being shifted to an impervious place then at a particular place, the wheel of vehicle sank deep down in mud. The image refused to move further, so the escorting priest apprehended that this was Lord’s chosen spot. Thus, a temple was built on the same spot.

This is the exit entrance of Srinath Dwaraka

As we placed mobiles in locker we took photo only on the exit entrance

Kankroli Dwaraka

My recent trip with Sanjay tours 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 .

The view of the arch from inside the temple

The Sun Temple Konark

The present Sun temple in Konark is also known as ” Black pagoda “. Its 36 kms from Puri in Odisha . Kona means corner and arka means Sun .

The height of the temple is 228 feet . The temple is fitted with 24 wheels and 7 horses in the form of a chariot of Sun God . Its architecture and sculptures are a sheer poetry on stone . The Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore was so moved by its beauty and said “Here the language of man is defeated by the language of the stone “.

There are 3 forms of Sun God . The Southern side God called ” Mithra ” is described as the Rising sun is in 8’3″ in height . The western side is called ” Punsan ” is described as Mid ‐ day Sun its height is 9’6″ and the Northern side God is described as ” Haritasva ” is described as setting Sun , its height is 3.58 metres .

The Sun temple was constructed as Chariot of Sun God . 24 wheels have been affixed to the platform. Each wheel 9’9″ in diameter having 8 spokes . The entire wheel is full of fine art works. The 24 wheels signifies 24 hours and 8 spokes signifies 8 Prahars ( 3 hour period ) of a day .

There are 2 gorgeously caparisoned War Horses in front of the Southern side of Konark temple . They are each 10 feet long and 7 feet high . The sculptures depicts each of them with its massive strength and vigour tramping down a warrior. The figure of War Horse of Konark has been accepted as the symbol of the Odisha state government and her erstwhile martial glory .

There are 2 majestic Lions in front of the Eastern door which is the main gate of the Konark Sun temple. The Lion is seen pressing down a big elephant which has caught hold of a man in its trunk . The entire block is made up of a single stone . The image is of 8’4″ length 4’9″ in breadth and its height is of 9’2″ and its said to weigh 27 .48 tonnes .

Though this temple is not under worship now it has worshipped as Lord Suryanarayana temple in ancient times and the main deity is now installed in Jaganath temple Puri in the pragharas .

They collect Rs. 40 as tickets per person and a garden is maintained within the complex and some renovation works are being done. Our vehicles are stopped at the parallel road itself and we had to walk both sides are shops with Odishan art works pipli applique and miniature of Jaganath idol and Konark wheel .

It takes about 2 hours to see the complete structure and steps are too high for old peoples , they could not climb , wheel chair are provided for them for that they charge extra . We as a group spent almost 3 hours and took as much as photos we could . Photography is allowed inside .

The archeological department of India has taken this place . They are collecting funds to renovate . Light and sound shows are exhibited in the evening section and they collect a certain amount for tickets per head .

Srikurmam

Sri Kurmam : The temple is in Srikakulam district and dedicated to Sri Kurmanatha which is second avatara of Lord Vishnu.
The moolasthanam is considered as large Saligrama ( black coloured fossil ) .The image is fossil of an big turtle and the head of the deity is Kurma (tortoise ) form ,which is represented by Vishnunamam , tail is represented by saligrama , presented by Adi Shankaracharya .

The unique feature of this temple is that it has 2 dwajastambhas , one at front and one at back as Lord faces the back of the temple . The temple constructed in Orissan style .

The presiding Deity, Lord Kurma is self-manifest, or swayambhu . He is about 70 cm long , shaped like the shell of a turtle.

During the reign of King Swetha Chakravarthi, this area was referred to as Swetha Giri . Swetha Chakravarthi’s wife Vishnu Priya was a devotee of Vishnu .When she was observing a fast on an Ekadashi day, Swetha Chakravarthi approached her with the intention of making love. When she refused, saying the time was not ideal, the king became adamant. She prayed to Vishnu, who created a stream of water, separating the couple. Swetha Chakravarthi was carried away in the ensuing flood and Vishnu Priya followed him to the hilly terrains of Swetha Giri . The sage Narada initiated an upadesam of the Kurma Narayana mantra and asked the king to pray to Vishnu using it. By the time Vishnu appeared in the form of the Kurma (tortoise) avatar, the king’s health had deteriorated. Vishnu then made his Sudarshana Chakra make an impression in the nearby land , forming a lake . Swetha Chakravarthi bathed in the lake and regained his health , after which it was referred to as Swetha Pushkarani .
Sri Ramanujar has visited this place during his visit the dwajasthambam turned towards Him in order to recieve Him . Later another Dwajasthambam was installed in front of the main temple.

There are seperate shrines of Goddess Lakshmi Lord Anjineyar.

Inside the temple there is a tomb under which Lord Vishnu has been installed.

There were corridor in the sides of the temples where the Lords Palanquin and Vahanas has been kept .

At the entrance is the Swetha Pushkarani many people take a holy dip before entering the temple.

In the outside exit of the temple many Tortoises are being kept and looked after as this is the only place where Lord Vishnu is worshipped in Kurmanantha avatar .

The arch of the temple is themed as Thiruparkadal churning with Mount Meru as the stick (mathu) on back of the Kurma avatar (Lord Vishnu) and Serpent Vasuki being the rope with asuras on one side and Devas on the other .

Visit of Adi Sankaracharya and Sri Ramanujar has been written in the temple .

This temple was crowded as people visited here and went to Arasavalli Suryanarayanan temple . Jathra special buses were flying to and fro . We went in Rs. 500 tickets and had the divine dharshan of the Lord Vishnu as Kurma avatar .

Inside the temple one can see the Dwajasthambam

This is the second Dwajasthambam outside the temple facing the main sanctum

Visits of Adi Sankaracharya krishna chaitanya and sri Ramanujar

Side corridor where Palanquin and Vahanam of the Lord is kept

Sakhi Gopal temple Odisha

This temple of Lord Krishna is in Odisha about 20kms from Puri jaganath temple.
This temple was initially at Puri Jaganath temple and later was installed here .
The Lord krishna is in standing posture with his one leg crossed and hands pretending to have a flute .
There is Venumadhav and Rukmini the procession diety in a seperate shrine . There is a seperate shrines of Lord Ganesha and Lord Anjineyar too .

One of the sacred tourist destination of Odisha, Sakhigopal (alternatively spelt as Sakhigopala or Sakshi Gopal) is a village of historical importance which is situated 19 kms. north of Puri on the way to Bhuvaneswar. It is the most famous spot of Odisha for coconut industry. The singular national importance of the place is the famous Sakhigopal temple. It is one of the top calibrekrishna temple of the country. It is a saying that unless Sakhigopal is visited the piligrimage to Puri is not complete. There is a large influx of piligrims on festive days like AnlaNabami, Dolapurnima,ChandanYatra, KartikaPurnami, etc. Sakhigopal means witness Gopal.

There is very popular legend behind the name Sakhigopal. Two brahmins of Vidyanagar of south India went Brindaban on piligrimage. There the elderly one fell ill and was attened very sincerely by the younger. The elderly one promise the other keeping Lord Krishna as witness that on reaching their native place he would offer his beautiful daughter to the younger in term of marriage. Unfortunately when both of them reached their native place the elderly one expressed evasive replies. The younger one was assured that due to low status of brahmin caste he was misfit for his lovely daughter. Without delay he again went to brindaban and worshipped Lord Krishna. However in the long run Krishna agreed but he told that the brahmin would walk ahead and he would follow him, but the strict instruction was the brahmin should not look back , otherwise he(Lord Krishna) would remain then and there .Lord assured that the brahmin would hear the sound of Nupura( sweet sound producing bracelet used by dancers around ankel ) . Lord followed the brahmin to vidyanagar. On the way they were to cross the river Godavari .Due to sand the feet of Lord were dipped and no sound from Nupura was heard.The brahmin was too restless and apprehensive to look back . Lord stood on sand and did not move . The brahmin immediately ran to Vidyanagar and called the local people in good numbers all were stunned to see the statue of Lord Krishna of Brindavan .The elderly brahmin repented and attested his promise by giving his daughter in marriage to the younger one .The local king developed great devotion and constructed one temple then come there at the spot and designated as ‘SAKHIGOPAL’. Goddess Rukmani made of gold was then installed by the King .