Sunken Treasure of Indian History: Krishna's Dwarka

Is the Sunken city of Dwarka a legend or a myth? This question has visited one’s mind at once. The Dwarkadheesh Bhagwaan Shree Krishna beloved city means “Gateway to Heaven.” The ‘Dwar’ means ‘gate’, and ‘ka’ means ‘Brahma’.

So what has actually happened that the entire city made by lord Krishna birth place Dwaraka, has been buried in the deep sea? Let’s find out the mystery behind it.

Interesting History About Dwarka

Do you know which place is called as Lord Krishna’s town? It is Dwarka City, famous as Krishna Nagri, Mokshapuri, Dwarkamati, and Dwarkavati. This ancient city is situated in Gujarat, India. Talking about Dwarka history takes us back to the pre-historic epic period of Mahabharata.

In fact, the Dwarka Temple is one of the Tirth Sthals of India. The place holds a very important religious significance as it is one of the Dhams from the Chaar Dham Yatra. If you are wondering where is Dwarka temple in the present time, it is located at the western tip of the Saurashtra peninsula in the State of Gujarat.

1. Dwarka Temple Under Sea

As we know, the mythological and historical background is hidden and full of mysteries. The Dwarka Temple was built by Dwarkadheesh Bhagwaan Shree Krishn, the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, with the help of the Vishwakarma.

One mystery of Dwarka is when the Golden City was constructed near Kush Sthali. According to the Mahabharata, the 23rd and 34th Shloka describe the day Krishna left the Earth and joined the spiritual world after 125 years.

The Dwarka was submerged in the sea, and the land was returned to the Sea God, which Lord Krishna took to build the beautiful city.

Also Read: Why Does Lord Krishna Wear a Peacock Feather?

Why did Krishna Choose Dwarka?

After the death of Kansa, Kansa’s father-in-law, Jarasandha, attacked Mathura 18 times. Because of the multiple attacks, Dwaraka krishna decided to move towards the west with all the people of Mathura. He then decided to form an island city named Dwaraka. The construction was done in a way that everybody stayed safe and people could reach there only by ship.

Why Dwarka Submerged in Water?

A place constructed by the Lord itself was submerged in the sea. Why did it happen? As per the Mythology, there are some stories that we can read to understand the answer to this question about the Dwarka city underwater. Let’s start with the first and most important legend.

1. Ghandhari’s curse that led to the sinking of Golden Dwarka

According to Mahabharata, Dwarkadheesh Bhagwaan Shree Krishn participated in the Mahabharata war on behalf of the Pandavas. In this war, the Pandavas were the ones who won the battle, and they defeated the Kauravas.

Because of what happened to Kauravas, Gandhari was upset. It made her mad seeing her 100 sons on the deathbed. Heartbroken and in anger, Devi Gandhari cursed Shri Krishna that the way Kaurava dynasty/bloodline had been destroyed, and in the same way, the entire Yaduvansh bloodline would also be destroyed.

Slowly and gradually, the situation in Dwarka started to tense. Which made all the Yaduvansh kill each other, and after the death of all the Yaduvansh, Balram also left his body. Lord Krishna was upset seeing what happened and started walking towards the forest.

2. When Jara Hit Lord Krishna

When Lord Krishna was thinking about the curse given by Gandhari while he was lying on the grass. At the same time, a hunter named Jara hit him, mistaking Lord Krishna for a deer. When he realised what he had done, he asked for an apology. After forgiving Jara, Dwarkadheesh Bhagwaan Shree Krishn left his soul.

When Arjun learned what had happened to Shri Krishna, he became upset and reached Dwarka. He asked Vasudev ji to order the remaining people in the city to move to Hastinapur with him. After the last ritual, everyone left. The next day, Vasudev left his body, and Arjun did his last ritual. Afterwards, he and everyone left Dwarka, eventually sinking the city underwater.

3. The Prank by the Son and the Curse by the Sages

Once, Maharishi Vishwamitra and Dev Rishi Narada went to visit Dwarkadheesh Bhagwaan Shree Krishn. Some boys from the Yaduvansh bloodline were trying to prank and mock the Sages. The group of boys took Lord Krishna’s son, Sam, with them, and he wore the attire of a woman.

After dressing up as a woman, Sam and the group of boys went to the rishis and told them that this lady was pregnant. Then, they proceeded to ask the rishis to check the womb of the pregnant woman and tell who would be born, a girl or a boy.

The Rishis felt insulted and cursed the boys, including Sam, that an iron pestle (type of tool) would be born from her womb and destroy the Yaduvansh.

Also Read: Meera and Krishna Eternal Love Story

Does Dwarka City Still Exist?

After knowing the stories, one thing that comes to mind is – the lost city of Dwarka, does it still exist? To answer this question, yes, the beautiful city still exists in the depths of the Arabian Sea. Many remains of Dwarka were found during the exploration by the Archeology Department of India.

The remaining samples were also carbon-dated, and the results were found to be 9000 years old. Not only this, but our respected Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi, recently dived into the Arabian Sea off the coast of Gujarat to perform the Puja at the Dwarka.