DWK Railway Station Information and Trains for DWK

"Dwarka" () is an ancient city and a municipality of Devbhoomi Dwarka district in the States and territories of India of Gujarat in northwestern India. It is located on the western shore of the Okhamandal Peninsula on the right bank of the Gomti River. In 2011 it had a population of 38,873. Dwarka is one of the foremost Chardhams, four sacred Hindu pilgrimage sites, and is one of the Sapta Puri, the seven most ancient religious cities in the country. Dwarka is often identified with the Dvārakā, the ancient kingdom of Krishna, and is believed to have been the first capital of Gujarat.

(or Dwarkadhish Temple), view from entrance of the city.'s Dwarka, made during Akbar's reign, from the Smithsonian Institution.Dwarka is believed to have been the first capital of Gujarat. The city's name literally means gateway. Dwarka has also been referred to throughout its history as "Mokshapuri", "Dwarkamati", and "Dwarkavati". This mythological account of Krishna's migration to Dwarka from Mathura is closely associated with the culture of Gujarat. Krishna is also said to have reclaimed 12 yojanas

of land from the sea to create Dwarka.

Dwarka was established as the capital in Saurashtra (region) by the Indo-Aryan peoples during the Puranas. The Yadavas, who had migrated from Mathura, established their kingdom here when the city was known as "Kaushathali". It was during this period that the city underwent rebuilding and was named Dwarka. A friendly population of natives also prompted Krishna to settle at Dwarka when he decided, after fighting Jarasandha, the king of Magadh, to retreat from Mathura. The kingdom, also known as the Yaduvanshi empire, was established by Uugrasena, father of Kansa the then ruler and later Krishna flourished and extended its domain. It is said that Krishna conducted the administration of his kingdom from Dwarka while residing with his family in Bet Dwarka.. The city's Dwarkadheesh temple, Gujrat dedicated to Krishna was originally built around 2,500 years ago, but was destroyed by Mahmud Begada rulers and subsequently rebuilt in the 16th century. The temple is also the location of Dvaraka Pitha, also called ''Saraswati Matha/Peeth'' and "western peeth", one of the four ''peeths'' (Sanskrit language: "religious center") established by Adi Shankaracharya. As an important pilgrimage centre for Hindus, Dwarka has several notable temples, including Rukmini Devi Temple, Gomti Ghat, and Bet Dwarka. There is also a lighthouse at the land end point of Dwarka.

Archaeological investigations at Dwarka, both on shore and offshore in the Arabian Sea, have been performed by the Archaeological Survey of India. The first investigations carried out on land in 1963 revealed many artefacts. Excavations done at two sites on the seaward side of Dwarka brought to light submerged settlements, a large stone-built jetty, and triangular stone anchors with three holes. The settlements are in the form of exterior and interior walls, and fort bastions. From the Typology (archaeology) classification of the anchors it is inferred that Dwarka had flourished as a port during the period of the Middle kingdoms of India.

Dwarka is mentioned in the copper inscription dated 574 AD of Simhaditya, the Maitraka minister of Vallabhi. He was the son of Varahdas, the king of Dwarka. The nearby Bet Dwarka island is a religious pilgrimage site and an important archaeological site of the Late Harappan period, with one thermoluminescence date of 1570 BC.

In 200 AD, King Vasudev II of Dwarka was defeated by Mahakshatriya Rudradama. Upon the death of Rudradama, his wife, Queen Dheeradevi, invited his brother Pulumavi, seeking guidance to rule. Rudradama had embraced the Vaishnavism religion and worshipped Krishna at Dwarka. Vajranabha, his successor, built a chhattri (an umbrella type monument) and deified an idol of Krishna in it.

An epigraphic reference ascribed to Garulaka Simhaditya, the son of Varahdas, the king of Dwarka, is inscribed on a copper plate dated to 574 AD, found in Palitana. The Greek writer of the ''Periplus of the Erythraean Sea'' referred to a place called Baraca, which has been interpreted as present-day Dwarka. A reference made in Ptolemy's ''Geography (Ptolemy)'' identified Barake as an island in the Gulf of Kanthils, which has also been inferred to mean Dwarka. Vallabha Acharya retrieved an idol of Dwarkadhish, which was revered by Rukmini. He hid it in a stepwell, known as Savitri vav, during the Muslim invasion, before moving it to Ladva village. In 1551, when Turk Aziz invaded Dwarka, the idol was shifted to the island of Bet Dwarka. In 1861, Dwarakadheesh Temple

Dwarka is one of 12 heritage cities across the country selected under the HRIDAY - Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) scheme of the Government of India to develop civic infrastructure. The Sudama Setu, a bridge over the Gomti River connecting mainland Dwarka with Panchkui island was opened in 2016.

Dwarka, at the mouth of the Gulf of Kutch, on the western shore of the Okhamandal Peninsula, is on the right bank of the Gomti River which rises from the Bhavda village at a place known as Mul-Gomti, to the east. It is now under the newly formed district of Devbhoomi Dwarka at the western end of the Saurashtra (Kathiawar) peninsula, facing the Arabian Sea. The Gomti River was a harbour until the 19th century.

According to the Köppen climate classification, Dwarka has a subtropical desert/low-latitude arid hot climate. The Holdridge life zones identifies Dwarka in

near the subtropical thorn woodland biome. On the basis of 40 years of climatic data: The average annual rainfall is spread over a rainy period of 29 days with rainfall limited to the months of June to September; the average maximum temperature is with a maximum of and an average minimum temperature of with a minimum of ; the average annual relative humidity is 72%, with a maximum of 80%.

one of the four peeths (Sanskrit: "religious center") established by Adi Shankaracharya.

Gomti Ghat consists of steps leading to the Gomti River, which is also a holy place for pilgrims to take a dip in the river, before visiting Dwarakadish temple. The ghat has a number of small shrines dedicated to the Samudra (God of the Sea), Saraswati and Lakshmi. Other notable temples in the ghat area include the Samudra Narayana (Sangam Narayana) temple, which is at the confluence of the Gomti River with the sea, the Chakra Narayana temple where there is a stone with an imprint of a chakra as a manifestation of Vishnu, and the Gomati temple, which has an idol of the river goddess Gomati that is said to have been brought to earth by the sage Vasishta.

The Rukmini Devi Temple, dedicated to Rukmini, Krishna's chief queen, is located away from Dwarka. The temple is said to be 2,500 years old, but in its present form it is estimated to belong to the 12th century. It is a richly carved temple decorated with sculptures of gods and goddesses on the exterior with the Sanctum (temple) housing the main image of Rukmini. Carved ''naratharas'' (human figures) and carved ''gajatharas'' (elephants) are depicted in panels at the base of the tower.

There is a lighthouse at the Dwarka Point on the Dwarka peninsula, which provides a panoramic view of the city. It is a fixed light situated above the sea level, and the light is visible over a distance of . The lighthouse tower is in height and is away from the high water level in the sea. The radio beacon provided on this lighthouse tower is powered by a solar photovoltaic module.

There is a lake

tank called Gopi Talab in the western part of the city.

A similar lake known for Gopi Chandan, meaning "sandal paste from Gopi", is situated in Bet Dwarka; this mud is found in the bed of the lake. This fragrant mud is applied as a sanctity symbol by devout Hindus on their forehead.

The underwater ancient city off the coast of Bet Dwarka has been proposed to be developed as a scuba diving site. This project is a joint initiative of Adventure Sports Ltd (ASL) and the Government of Gujarat, with investment of . This is believed to be the first effort anywhere in the world to exploit a submerged city for tourism. Water and beach sports are also being promoted by the state government, and there are proposals to further promote aero and submarine sports.

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