The Holy Triangle (Part -3)

Our 2nd day in Dwarka was one of the most fulfilling and blissful day of our lives. After having a soulful darshan in the morning, now comes shopping time. Bought a few goodies and prasad from this holy place. A few days back one of our family friend gifted an idol of Goddess Mahalakshmi to R during Navaratri. Lakshmi is incomplete without her Narayana. Having R with us, how can we miss buying Dwarkadhish Idol Yes, I bought a beautiful Idol of the lord to be placed in our house pooja mandir next to mother divine Lakshmi. Our house pooja room has a collection of all the gods and goddesses from the major temples of India. Shivlings - from Kashi, Srisailam. Goddess Meenakshi from Madhurai, lord Vishnu - Hanumanji from Rishikesh. Now Dwarkadhish made our pooja mandir complete.

The pandit who took us to Dwarkadhish darshan told us he will accompany us to other two places which cannot be missed by one who visits Dwarka. We planned to meet them post-lunch for our second expedition. Upon reaching the resort we had a hearty meal in one of the famous restaurants in Dwarka, relishing the Gujarati cuisine like - Undhiyu, Dhokla, Rotla shaak, and Thepla. 

Around 4 pm Pandit Mohitji reached our resort, and we all started together in our car towards - "Dwarkeshwari - Rukmini Maharani" temple. It is believed that yatra or travel to Dwarka is complete only after one takes the darshan of Rukmini Maharani. This temple is 2km far from Dwarkadhish temple. The temple is believed to be 2,500 years old. But in its present form, it is inferred to belong to the 12th century. A legend is narrated to justify the separate dwelling temples, far away from each other, for Rukmini and her husband Krishna. It is said that at the request of sage Durvasa ( Who was renowned for his short temper and bestowing curses) Upon sage Durvasa saying - Krishna and Rukmini pulled a chariot taking sage Durvasa to their house for dinner after their marriage. On the way, when Rukmini asked for water to quench her thirst, Krishna drew Ganges water by prodding the ground with his toe for her to drink. Rukmini quenched her thirst with the Ganges water. But sage Durvasa felt insulted as Rukmini did not offer him water to drink first. He, therefore, cursed her that she would live separately from her husband. Durvasa also cursed the land of Dwarka to be completely deserted without water. 

Hence even to this day, Rukmini Devi temple is known for its Jal daan ( water offering ) custom. Where devotees are asked to donate water to the temple. We too offered Jal daan, that entire day the water will be offered in our name to devotees who visit this temple. The sanctum of the temple has a beautiful marble idol of Devi Rukmini, with four hands holding Shanka, Chakra, Gada, and Padma. Some believe that Radha and Rukmini are the same, the incarnations of goddess Lakshmi because there are similarities in age and devotion they have towards the lord. When Krishna is with Rukmini, Radha does not appear and when he is with Radha, Rukmini is absent. Rukmini is Lakshmi reincarnate, a symbol of love and devotion to Krishna, a symbol of purity and humility as well. Visiting this temple and praying to her is a must if you visit Dwarka. 

After Devi Rukmini darshan, we started towards "Bet Dwarka". It is believed to be an extremely sacred pilgrimage destination which is believed to have been the original home of lord Krishna, during his years spent in Dwarka as a king. The land is located off the coast of Dwarka on the Gulf of Kutch. We reached a point called Okha Jetty 30km away from the main Dwarka city. From Okha jetty we ferried by boat to Bet Dwarka island. This journey on the boat took us 30 min, which charges rs.20/- per person. It was an airy boat ride carrying more than 200 people, swinging along the high tides of water, witnessing a beautiful sunset around 5 pm we reached " Bet Dwarka". The place derived its name from the "bet" or "gift" that lord Krishna received at this place from his friend Sudama. The island is also called "Shankhodhar". The reason is that it is dotted with a huge variety of conch shells. 

Bet Dwarka is believed to have been the actual residence of lord Krishna during his ruling years at Dwarka. It is said that the lord resided with his family at Bet Dwarka. The main temple of worship here is - the "Sri Keshavrai ji" temple. The temple is believed to be built by Vallabhacharya and dates back nearly 500 years back. The temple is said to stand as the exact residence of lord Krishna at Bet Dwarka and the original idol of the lord in this temple is said to have been established by lord Krishna's wife Devi Rukmini. The idol has a striking resemblance to that of the Dwarkadhish temple. Along with pandit Mohitji, we had a blissful darshan of the lord. We were lucky to attend the evening arti. The idol of the lord in Bet Dwarka is 5000 years old. It is said Meerabai spent her last years in Dwarka and there she wrote the immortal poems of love on lord Krishna. Some legends state Meerabai miraculously disappeared by merging into this idol of Krishna, she disappeared by living a piece of cloth of her saree behind lord Krishna's idol. That idol is the same idol that is placed in Bet Dwarka- Lord "Sri Keshavraiji". 

Offering rice is auspicious in Bet Dwarka temple. As per the legend, Sudama gave Krishna some quantity of beaten rice because that was the only thing he could offer. In remembrance of that incident, we got a handful of rice, which has to be taken back home and mix it in our Bhandar ghar ( store room) where we store our groceries and rice, etc. We attended the evening arti with dhol, nagada, and bells. Bet Dwarka also has a conglomeration of Jain temples, where one could pay tribute to the 24 famed Jain Tirthankaras. Upon taking darshan we started back towards Dwarka. Since the ferry boat service end at 5.30 pm. We all rushed towards the port and sat in the boat starting towards Dwarka. The boat started its ride, we sat with heart full of memories and stories of Krishna. We thank the lord for giving us this opportunity to visit him in this lifetime. On a misty winter evening under the dark open sky, and deep blue water we had an unfeigned day, as the boat took its dimensions high and up through those rough tides we reached the port and started back to Dwarka in our car. 

One cannot miss having the darshan of "Shri Nageshwar Jyotirling" which is situated in Dwarka. It is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas in India. It is located on the route between Gomati Dwarka and Bet Dwarka island coast. Also sometimes known as Nagnath temple, the main deity here is lord Shiva, known as Nageshwar Mahadev. According to the Shiva Purana, those who pray at the Nageshwar Jyotirlinga become free from all poisons, snake bites, and worldly attractions. The Nageshwar Shiva Ling is made up of stone, known as Dwarka Shila, having small chakras on it. It is in the shape of 3 mukhi Rudraksha. We had a heavenly darshan of lord Shiva. Our second day in Dwarka concluded with dev darshan.

Upon reaching our resort, time to thank Pandit Mohitji who was part of this journey. At the end of the day, it was a happy landing. Without pandit ji, our darshan with lord would have not been possible in such a smooth way. After having a hearty meal R and N went to sleep. I was somehow not able to sleep, being my energies so high after living this amazing day. Some places and happenings in life are unforgettable and remain ever-vivid and heartwarming. I had captured the best memories of my life through less pictures, and more through the heart. It was half past 11 in the night, I told myself no sunrise is worth waking me up to see it. Time to say good night ..... 

Concluding the first holy triangle - Dwarka 

"Jai Dwarkadhish ".

To be continued.....

The Holy Triangle ( Part -2)

On a misty winter morning, we three (myself, hubby, and sonny) got ready and set for Dwarkadhish darshan. It was a bright cool sunny day, around 8 am we finished our breakfast and were waiting in the parking, looking forward to the person who will escort us to the temple for darshan. After a wait of 10 minutes - Two tall healthy well built men wearing a traditional silk dhoti, half kurta, and shalya (a cloth covering the upper body) with a long tilak of sandalwood paste applied on their forehead, with a small Shikha (choti) a tuft of hair at the back of the head, specifically kept by Vaishnavas and Brahmanas, arrived in a bike. As soon as they got down from their bike, they greeted us saying - "Jai Dwarkadhish". Those pandits had that divine sparkle on their faces, which was clearly shown they were near to the lord. After giving our introduction and a small hearty chat, we started towards the temple. We followed them in our car. Upon reaching one point we need to walk and no vehicles are allowed. Our car was parked near the temple. We walked 100 steps toward the main entrance of the temple.

Walking on those small thin narrow lanes, where I could see a lot of cows and calves around. Upon nearing the temple we could smell those camphor and incense sticks, which was giving a sense of positive and holy feeling. The moment we entered the temple we witnessed thousands of people singing and dancing in Krishna bhakti. I got goosebumps seeing that beyond-belief site. Dwarka is believed to be one of the Sapta Puri, the seven holy cities of India. It is one of the char (4) dham. Firstly, Puri, Rameshwaram, Dwarka, and Badrinath. The journey across these four cardinal points of India is considered by Hindus who aspire to visit these temples once in their lifetime. Dwarkadhish temple is also known as "Jagat Mandir" completely dedicated to lord Krishna. According to Puranas, it is believed that originally the temple was built by Vajranabh, the great-grandson of Krishna, more than 5000 years ago. Krishna dwelled in Dwarka for 100 years. His first 25 years, Krishna lived in Mathura and Vrindavan. Later this temple was destroyed by Sultan Mahmud Begada. The current temple was reconstructed in the Chalukya style in the 15-16 century. There are two entrances to the temple. The main entrance is called "Moksha Dwara" ( Door to salvation). This entrance takes one to the main market. The second entrance is called "Swarga Dwara" ( Gate to heaven). Outside second entrance, there are 56 steps which leads to the Gomati river. The flag top of this temple shows the sun and moon, which is believed to indicate that Krishna would be there till the sun and Moon exist on Earth. The flag of this temple is changed up to 5 times a day. Lord is offered a bhog 11 times a day. In which 7 bhog in the morning and 4 bhog in the evening. 

Later we were taken inside the main temple which is called Garbha Griha - where the lord was majestically stationed. Just like a Raja - King of the universe. There were no boundaries to my happiness when I saw lord - Dwarkadhish from a close view. Those chanting hymes, dhol, and bells sound which took my heartbeat to a race. Devotees chatting - "Hathi ghoda palki jai kanhaiya lala ki". It was a union of the lord with his devotees or bhakt. Tears just rolled down from my eyes. That was a pivotal moment for us, especially for me. In that 2 minutes darshan of the lord I tried to capture that image of Jagath Dev - Krishna  (Dwarkadhish) In this sanctum sanctorum or the Garbha Griha sits the murti of Krishna as four armed Vishnu. It is called "Trivikram" avatar. 2.25 feet in height, and is carved in black stone. I was mesmerized seeing the grandeur of lord Dwarkadhish. It was a moment of Bhakt with Bhagwan. Later we all took darshan at Devaki maa temple. This temple is exactly opposite the altar of Lord Dwarkadhish. She is placed in a way that she can always behold the beauty of her son and overlook all the sevas which are offered throughout the day. It is believed that Lord Krishna wanted to see his mother all day, hence placing his mother just opposite. 

                                                                     

In this temple, the first bhog is offered to Radha Rani who is placed on the left side of Dwarkadhish grabha griha. The lord is offered the same bhog later. As per Hindu scriptures, Radha is considered the complete incarnation of Goddess Mahalakshmi. It is believed that Krishna enchants the world, but Radha enchants even him. Therefore, she is the supreme goddess of all and together they are called "Radha - Krishna". Radha is considered Krishna's eternal consort. Kirshna said he is incomplete without Radha. Radha Rani is, in one sense, one with Krishna, as the sunshine is one with the sun. The most supreme and unconditional love. We took the blessings of Radha Rani and moved forward along with the pandit who was accompanied by us, narrating the story of Dwarkadhish. 

One who visits Dwarka can, witness people in large numbers performing "Tula Daan". Tula Daan is a ritual performed in the Tula mandir in the main temple complex of Dwarka. Tula Daan also called Maha Daan, is one of the prominent ancient rituals of Sanatan Dharma. In this Daan, the devotee offers sugar, ghee, grains, fruits, or other items equivalent to the weight of the person for whom Tula Daan is to be performed. Lord Balaram's idol is placed inside this temple, he witnesses and blesses the people who offer Tula Daan. When we witness people performing this holy ritual in large numbers, we too performed Tula Daan for our 9 year-old-son and took blessings for his overall well-being, education, and bright future. We as parents were thankful to the lord, as we were able to perform this holy ritual. It was an overwhelming moment for me as a mother. R was having a gala time sitting on that Tula - weighing seat, swinging around. After having a wholesome blessed darshan, we took prasad inside the main temple, made from the ghee or butter which was offered to the lord. 

To be continued...

 

The Holy Triangle (Part -1)

Winter is the time for comfort, good food, the warmth of family and friends, and vacations. My family has a ritual of traveling in winter and exploring new places, good food, and new culture. We plan to travel to a place that we have never visited before. I feel the world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page. And a mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions. For me travel is therapy. It's an investment in yourself. So last winter we ( myself - hubby and our 9-year-old son) traveled to one of my dream destinations Gujarat. It was the most memorable, rejuvenating vacation of 10 days to 7 places. To the land of Krishna, White Rann, Jyotirling, Ocean, Mountains, Caves, Forest, and Temples. Dwarka, Somnath, and Junagadh are said to be holy triangles. If you visit Gujarat, make sure you complete this sacred journey. Without this one's trip is incomplete. We made sure we include this in our itinerary.

As per our itinerary, we reached Dwaraka on the 3rd day of our journey after reaching Mandavi from Rann of Kutch. it's a 10-hour journey by road. Which is the only nearest connecting route to Dwaraka from Mandavi. We hired a car for our 10-day trip to make our travel more pleasant, peaceful, and memorable. Witnessing the beauty of the land, fields, windmill, desert, broad huge, and clean highways. Akram bhai - our driver, who turned in to guide for those 10 days. Who never increased car speed above 80 km on those empty highways.When asked he said in Hindi - Sahab, jo 120 speed pe jayega woh bhi same time pe he pahunchega. Kyun fast chala ke risk lene ka. I was like, really how is that possible? But he was true - we saw a few of the cars that overtook our car reached along with us. He was a Muslim by religion but a Hindu at heart. Originally from Junagadh, but settled in Rajkot with his wife and 4 kids for the past 20 years. He looked youthful and not like a family man. He eats 2 meals a day. Drink a lot of fluids. We were quite impressed and happy to have a good sensible person, who will be part of our journey for the next 10 days. He made sure we visit all the temples on time and get darshan. He had great knowledge of windmill and how it works etc. We were happy to know the facts about it. One who visits Gujarat can witness these long huge fans rotating on the fields next to highways. We were surprised when Akram bhai said he had visited "Ashapura Mata" madd thrice. Which is 100 km from Rann of Kutch. We somehow couldn't make it this time. He was a real example of - There is only one religion that is mankind, though there are a hundred versions to it. 

After 10 hours of road journey, we reached Dwarka at 7 pm and got settled in our resort. It was a decent, calm, clean place that was half a km from Dwarkadish temple. I was super excited overwhelmed and eager to visit the temple. Being a spiritual person, I celebrate all the festivals with much ease and enthusiasm. Janmashtami is one such festival that is very near and dear to my heart. At my parents home we never celebrated this festival particularly, though my mother is one of the most religious lady. We worship Goddess Durga and Mahadev as our family deities. After my son was born I started celebrating Janmashtami. I feel this god is somewhere connected with my son. Over the past few years, Janmashtami has become one of my most celebrated festivals in our house. I celebrate on a grand scale. I somewhere feel a great connection with Lord Krishna. And Dwarka is one such place which was in my bucket list for quite some time now. When we reached Dwarka, I was living my dream. I felt - Yes, I am with the lord. 

Since it was vacation time getting a hassle-free darshan in such a holy place was out of the scene. I was much worried. But lord had his plans. Bhaiya ( my brother-in-law) had a few contacts from his friends who knew the head priest of Dwarakadish temple. When I got to know this, I was overjoyed and extremely grateful. Bhaiya said, the next day morning we will be escorted by the temple priest family to have a morning darshan. My mom was on calls asking about our whereabouts. I gave the news of our darshan. She was overjoyed as I was. On that cool misty winter night, outside our resort which was hardly 500 meters from the main temple, I could hear the sound of the bells. After a long expedition of 10 hours journey to Dwarka which was a pleasant one, I went to sleep with much excitement, as the night seemed to be long. 

To be continued...