Dwarkadhish Temple

Overview

Sri Dwarkadheesh Mandir is the oldest and the largest temple in Mathura. This is a major and famous Hindu shrine, and its current structure was built up by Seth Gokul Das Parikh, the treasurer of then Gwalior State(Scindia) in 1814.

About The Temple

The temple has a good large premises with the main building enclosed by a magnificently carved Rajasthani style entrance with steep steps leading to temple courtyard. In the central courtyard a platform is built up lined up with three rows of richly carved pillars and support the ceiling which is also beautifully painted. Another small temple of another form of Lord Krishna (Vishnu) Shaligram is also built up within the temple courtyard. A Temple was built at the site around 400 BC by Vajranabhji, the great grandson of Lord Krishna, however the present structure was built during the 16th century in a typical Chalukyan style of architecture. The beautiful temple rises up to a height of 51.8 mts. Also known as the Jagat Mandir, the temple has two Sikhara. The Nij shikhar ( The longer sikhar ) is where the deity of Lord Dwarkadhish is placed. The huge temple consists of 60 exquisitely carved pillars and a number of sculptures that depict the influence of various dynasties such as the Guptas, Pallavas and Chavdas ( referring to Chavda Kingdom ) that ruled Dwarka over the years. The entrance to the temple is from the north, also known as the Moksha Dwaar while towards the south is the Swarg Dwaar, from where a series of steps leads down to the banks of river Gomti. According to legend, the temple was constructed in a single day by Vishwakarma, the lord of construction.

About The deity

It was built for the famous Hindu deity Dwarkadheesh (meaning the God or king of Dwarka, where Lord Krishna has shifted from Mathura and settled till his life on earth). There the main deity is of Lord Dwarkadheesh, a form of Lord Krishna seen in a black Marble idol named Dwarkanath. With him is the White marble idol of his counterpart deity Sri Radharani. The deity of Lord Dwarkadhish is made of shiny black stone and is about 2.25 ft in height. The four hands of the Lord carry a conch, wheel, a mace and a lotus each and is popularly known as 'Shankh Chakra Gada Padma Chaturbhuj'. It is said that the deity was hidden for years to protect it from invaders while another deity brought from the Rukmini temple was installed in its absence. The original deity was reinstalled during the 16th century after the construction of the new temple.

History of Dwarkadish Temple Mathura

The origin of Mathura is ancient. It is said to be the birthplace of Lord Krishna, the popular incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Mathura and the area around it, including Vrindavan, are linked with the childhood exploits of Lord Krishna. It is mentioned in the ancient Indian epic of Mahabharata. It later became a part of the Mauryan Empire. King Ashok, the great Mauryan ruler, built a number of Buddhist monuments in and around Mathura in the third century. Between first century BC and first century AD, Mathura was the center for arts. The sculpture making and stone carving styles of this period are referred to as belonging to the Mathura School of Art. The main theme of these sculptures was inspired by the life of Lord Buddha. The decline of Buddhism in this region following the decline of the Mauryan Empire saw the rise of Hindu influence. However, in the 11th century AD, Mahmud Ghazni destroyed a large number of Buddhist and Hindu shrines. In the 15th century, Sikandar Lodhi, one of the Sultans from Delhi, continued the pillage of this city. The last great Mughal ruler and a fanatic Muslim, Aurangzeb flattened the Kesava Deo temple and a built a mosque here. The Afghani marauder Ahmed Shah Abdali dealt the final blow in 1757, when he torched the city. It came under British rule in 1804.

Festivals

At the beginning of the rainy season (July/August), during the month of Shravan, a splendid festival called the Jhulan Yatra or the swing festival takes place in Mathura. Hundreds and thousands of devotees, from all over the world gather here to partake in the festivities. For the 13 days of this festival, highly decorated gold polished swings adorned with jewels, long tickers of garlands and jasmine flowers are set up in one corner of the temple room and the Divine Couple, Lord Krishna along with His consort Radha, come out from the sanctum to bless their devotees. The other important festivals are Holi, Diwali, Janamasthmi that is celebrated with great grandiose in this temple.

Aarti / Pooja Timings

Summer Timing

Mangla - 06.30 am to 07.00 am
Shrinagar - 07.40 am to 07.55 am
Gwal - 08.25 am to 08.45 am
Rajbhog - 10.00 am to 10.30 am
Utthanpan - 04.00 pm to 04.20 pm
Bhog - 04.45 pm to 05.05 pm
Aarti - 05.20 pm to 05.40 pm
Sayan - 06.30 pm to 07.00 pm

Winter Timing

Mangla - 06.30 am to 07.00 am
Shrinagar - 07.40 am to 07.55 am
Gwal - 08.25 am to 08.45 am
Rajbhog - 10.00 am to 10.30 am
Utthanpan - 03.30 pm to 03.50 pm
Bhog - 04.20 pm to 04.40 pm
Aarti - 06.00 pm

Best time to Visit

October to March.

Entry Fee

Free Entry.

Photography

Not Allowed

Accessibility

Air

The nearest airport is Agra. 56 km, and Delhi 147km. Mathura is an important railway junction with connections to all parts of the country. Mathura lies on the route from Delhi to Chennai and Delhi to Mumbai.

Road

Mathura lies on NH 2 and is connected to all parts of the country with good roads.

Address

Dwarkadheesh temple,
Dwarkadhish Ki Bjaria, Choubey Para,
Mathura, Uttar Pradesh – 281001.