Dwaraka is mentioned in the Mahabharata and in the puranas like Harivamsa, Bhagavatha, Skanda and the Vishnu puranam. The story goes that this Krishna's Dwaraka was situated near the current Dwaraka, but in time had submerged into the sea - probably a Tsunami?
I don't want to go into the details of the Purana stories, but just want to mention that for the safety of the people, Krishna and the yadavas moved the capital from Mathura to Dwaraka. The people were protected from the attacks of Jarasandha (father in law of Kamsa) who attacked them 17 times.
Dwarakanath Temple
The temple of Shri Krishna consists of a shrine that is supported by 60 pillars made of granite and sandstone. Devotees lined up very quietly and there was no pushing or shoving, no distractions. The darsan and Aarathi were beautiful.
Rukmini Temple:
The Rukmini Temple has beautiful carvings dating back to the 12th-13th century, especially on the pillars of the 'Sabha Mandapa'. The temple was built in honour of Rukmini, the princess of Vidarbha, who later married Krishna.
There is another temple to Rukmini, believed to be the site of Krishna's marriage with her. Archeological excavations have revealed five earlier cities here, all submerged now.
Nageshwar Mandir:
Nageshwar Mandir is a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and houses one of the 12 Jyotirlingas in an underground chamber.
Beyt/Bet Dwarka:
Beyt Dwarka, is an island at a distance of 30 Kms. Off the coast of Okha port. The island is separated by a strip of sea about 4 Kms wide. It takes about half-an hour to this island in a boat operated by the Port Authority. At Bet, there are temples of Vishnu (in the form of Matsya, the fish), of Devaki, Radha, Lakshmi, Satyabhama, Jambavati.
Porbandar:
South of Dwarka, on the western coast, Porbandar is a picturesque old sea port and Gandhi's birth place. We just drove by - did not even stop.
The Tamil Alwars have sung of Dwarka in a total of 13 verses, in which Nammalwar refers to Krishna as the Lord of Dwaraka.
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