According to the Bhagavata Purana and the Harivamsha Purana, Dwarka was the capital city of Lord Shri Krishna. After leaving Mathura, Krishna established this city together with his Yadu clan.
The Mahabharata also mentions Dwarka at length. It is referred to there as Dwaravati as well. The Puranic texts describe this city as extraordinarily beautiful and well-ordered in its time.
The name Dwarka means the city of many gateways. Puranic tradition holds that this city had numerous gates. It stood on the shore of the Arabian Sea, where the Gomati River met the ocean.
In the 8th century CE, Adi Shankaracharya established Dwarka as one of the four Char Dhams. He also founded the Pashchimnaya Sharda Peeth here, which is known as Dwarka Math.
According to the Bhagavata Purana, Dwarka was the ancient capital of Lord Shri Krishna.
Dwarka is the Western Dham among the four Char Dhams. It is also one of the Sapta Puri — the seven sacred cities of Hindu tradition. The main temple is known as Dwarkadhish, meaning the Lord of Dwarka — that is, Krishna himself. The temple's architecture is in the Chalukya style.
Near Dwarka lies a small island called Bet Dwarka, which tradition associates with Krishna's personal residence. The Nageshwar Jyotirlinga is also located close by. Devotees visiting Dwarka have therefore traditionally combined their pilgrimage with visits to both these places.
- The temple remains open through the year. Devotees have been coming here daily for darshan.
- The temple complex includes several smaller shrines dedicated to various deities.
- Janmashtami has long been an occasion for special observances here.
- Devotees visiting this area have traditionally included Dwarka, Bet Dwarka, and Nageshwar — all three — in a single pilgrimage.