Four dhams (Hindu pilgrimage sites) and seven cities are regarded as exceedingly holy and sacred in Sanatan Dharma. Badrinath, Dwarka, Jagannathpuri and Rameshwaram are the four dhams whereas Ayodhya, Mathura, Maya (Haridwar), Kashi, Kanchi, Avanti (the former Malvani capital of Ujjain) and Dvaravati (Dwarka) are the seven holy cities. The 34th and 56th slokas of the Garuda Purana’s Pretkhand contain references to it. Furthermore, the Skandapuran’s Kashikhand also mentions the seven locations. It is stated that these four dhams and seven cities offer redemption. Dwaraka Dham is the most revered of them all. Dwarka is the only place that is both among the holy four dhams and the sacred seven cities. Dwarka possesses a fascinating and remarkable past of its own.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the sacred city of Dwarka on 25th February. He worshipped Lord Krishna there and inaugurated the “Sudarshan Setu” which connects Bet Dwarka to the mainland. He later took a deep dive to offer prayers at the ancient submerged city of Dwarka where he offered a peacock feather in prayer. The Prime Minister remarked, “Praying in the water-filled Dwarka city was a divine experience. I experienced a sense of kinship with the ancient era of unending dedication and spiritual grandeur. May everyone be blessed by Lord Krishna.”
Lord Krishna built the great Dwarka, the most advanced and modern city of ancient India
Dwarka is regarded as a sacred and historic landmark. This gorgeous city’s illustrious past is also a fascinating subject. Dwarka was, at one point in time, the most developed and contemporary city in ancient India. Establishing a whole metropolis in the midst of the sea could have seemed extraordinary at the time. Remains of the underwater golden city of Dwarka have also been discovered on numerous recent expeditions.
Dwarka city is mentioned in all contemporary texts of Mahabharata. Following the killing of his maternal uncle and the despotic ruler of Mathura, Kansa by Lord Krishna, The former’s father-in-law and king of Magadha Jarasandha began a campaign of retaliation against the Yadavas. Lord Krishna decided to relocate to protect Vrajabhumi from constant assaults. He selected the Kushasthali region of Surashtra (present-day Saurashtra) for the purpose. Before arriving in Kushasthali, Lord Krishna battled and defeated the demons Kushaditya, Karnaditya, Sarvaditya, and Grihaditya and founded Dwarka on the shore.
As per the Srimad Bhagavatam, Lord Krishna asked for land and water to be diverted from the sea before building Dwarka. Varuna Dev gave a vast location in the heart of the ocean after realizing the Lord’s tenderness following which Vishwakarmaji constructed Dwarka. Dwarka was established by Lord Krishna, who also made it the main centre of his leela (divine play). Dwarka city itself hosted numerous significant events in the life of Lord Krishna, including Rukmani haran (elopement) and the marriage, Jambavati, Rohini, Satyabhama, Kalindi, Migvinda, Satya, Nagnajiti, Sushilamadri, Lakshmana, Datta Sushalya and Aniruddha among others. Other notable events included the management of the Mahabharata War, the protection of Draupadi from disrobing, Shishupala’s end and more. God performed all his leela from the Dwarka land.
Dwarka, a prosperous city of ancient India
Dwaraka’s material prosperity had reached its pinnacles of success during the period of Lord Krishna. Dwarka rose to prominence as ancient India’s most developed metropolis. Ancient Dwarka was a trailblazer in both science and international trade. Lord Krishna was also leading the Yadava dynasty to prosperity. Lord Krishna built a whole kingdom without the use of modern machinery amid the sea with vast mansions and palaces, as well as superior road and lighting systems. In ancient times, India was far ahead of the rest of the globe, and Dwarka had already reached the peak of urban development. Lord Krishna commanded the mightiest army in the ancient world. It was referred to as Narayani Sena (Army of Lord Vishnu). Great empires submitted in his name.
As time progressed, everything began to change, and the Yadavas began to indulge in pleasures as a result of advancements in material facilities. Tragedies began to occur often in Dwarka. The sages residing in the Pindtarana region were persecuted by the Yadavas but the sages pardoned them. However, the Yadavas began interfering with the religious practices of the sages. Therefore, the Yadavas were cursed by them. This was the first curse on the Yadava clan.
Gandhari’s curse and drowning of Dwarka
The curse of the sages was growing more potent by the day. Lord Krishna took part in the violent Mahabharata war at the same time. He arrived in Kurukshetra as Arjuna’s charioteer while the Kauravas were supported by his Narayani army. Throughout this intense, eighteen-day battle, Lord Krishna carried out numerous rituals. Arjuna received heavenly insight into the Srimad Bhagavad Gita. The Pandavas defeated the Narayani army because of the sages’ curse. The fierce war also resulted in the death of the Kauravas.
Gandhari broke down in tears upon learning that her and Dhritarashtra’s 100 sons had perished in this horrific clash. The Pandavas were being crowned at that moment. It was Yudhishthira who was going to take the throne, donning the auspicious Sangol. The mother of the Kauravas showed up in the Rajya Sabha (court) at the same moment. She cursed, “Just as the entire Kaurava dynasty collapsed, so will the Yadava dynasty succumb. Floods will inundate even the world’s most beautiful city, Dwarka,” blaming Lord Krishna for the war and the fate of her sons.
Lord Krishna gladly accepted her curse. However, when Gandhari realized her mistake and sought forgiveness from God. Lord Shri Krishna then remarked, “You have only become a mere object. The destruction of the Yadava dynasty was certain. A civilization that sleeps in greed and obscene luxury will surely perish.”
The Yadhuvanshi finally reached a point when they began to rebel and fight among themselves. In the meantime, Lord Krishna was dozing off one day in the Prabhas region’s forests. Unexpectedly, a hunter, who believed that there was an animal, fired an arrow that struck the feet of the Lord. As the hunter approached, he became aware of his error and started pleading with God for forgiveness. However, God told him at that moment that everything happens because of the former’s will. Lord Krishna abandoned his mortal form as a result. The Yadava dynasty crumbled as soon as Lord’s leela ended and Dwaraka was carried away in a massive tsunami. The lovely and divine city sank at that moment and thus the powerful empire of Lord Sri Krishna ceased to exist. There is other evidence to imply that the self-sacrifice of Lord Krishna marked the start of the Kali Yuga.
Dwarka is older than the Indus Valley Civilization
The illustrious past of Dwarka has been painstakingly researched by numerous historians. This comprises Jadunath Sarkar and a large number of international historians. However, no historian has been able to uncover its origins to date. Countless maritime expeditions have revealed the ruins of ancient Dwarka which also contain pillars, stones, vases and the complete celestial city of Lord Shri Krishna’s palace. It has been determined through testing that all of these findings date back more than 5000 years.
There is information about Dwarka in multiple contemporary Hindu texts. Dwarka’s literal meaning is ‘Gate of Heaven.’ Renowned historian AJ Chawda asserted that the empire of Lord Krishna predates the Indus Valley Civilization. The world’s oldest civilization is thought to have originated in the Indus Valley, with the Aryan culture. However, Dwarka City’s ruins date back more than 5,000 years. The Indus Valley Civilization expanded from the Sindh region to several Indian states, about 4,000 years ago.
AJ Chawda maintained that the Dwarka Civilization was what we refer to as the Indus Valley Civilization. Historians unearthed ancient sculptures of the Indus Valley Civilization which is estimated to be 4000-4500 years old. These idols include images of several deities as well as images of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Therefore, it is evident that the civilization rooted in Sindh was an Aryan civilization. He noted that Lord Krishna established Dwarika between 5500 and 6000 years ago and laid a foundation for Aryan culture at that point. The Dwaraka civilization covered parts of North and South India, as well as Saurashtra, Kutch, Sindh and many parts of Gujarat.
Dwarka was a sophisticated city in ancient India
Several scholars highlighted that Varanasi belonged to the Dwarka civilization as well. Varanasi is reputed to be the oldest city in the world. The unique aspect is that the cities of the Indus Valley Civilization, such as Mohenjo Daro, Lothal, Harappa, and Dholavira, were regarded as developed. Mohenjo Daro was seen as a highly advanced city. Its urban planning was excellent. However, there were similarities between the urban layouts of Mohenjo Daro and Dwarka but it was inferior to the latter in many aspects. However, Dwaraka is relegated to a minor role in the annals of history. The fact that Lord Krishna of Hinduism lived in Dwarka is one of the primary reasons behind it. However, the identity of the people who founded Mohenjo Daro is not known.
The field of history was dominated by left-wing historians from the British era till India gained independence. As a result, the existence of these holy cities and temples was kept a secret from the vast majority of the nation. Hindu animosity of the left-wing historians of that time is another reason as to why Dwarka’s name isn’t found in the venerable and old history books. Dwarka is mostly known as a holy destination, yet it has a 6000-year history. The Indian government has launched many missions and projects to bring the world’s attention to the underwater Dwarka. The glorious and divine history of the modern city of Dwarka in ancient India is gradually emerging through the initiatives of the Indian government.