Sapta Puri - Dwarka

Dwarka is one of the Sapta Puri or Seven Sacred Cities which are known to bestow spiritual liberation to anyone who passes away within their limits. It is also one of the four Dhamas or Divine Abodes. Located in Gujarat, according to mythology, Dwarka or Dvaravati as it is also known was the site chosen by Garuda, who brought Krishna here when he left Mathura. Krishna is said to have founded the beautiful city and lived there for the remaining years of his life until he is said to have died in 3102 BC.

The beautiful Jagatmandir temple in Dwarka is an important temple and is bordered on one side by the coast and on the other side by Dwarka.

One of India's oldest pilgrimage places, Dwarka's archaeological and historical background is still a matter of debate. In the 7th century, Shankaracharya is believed to have established four great Mutts in the cardinal directions of the country with Sringeri in the south, Puri in the east, Joshimath in the north, and Dwarka in the west.

Dwarka is also very famous because of its links to the great bhakti saint, Mira Bai. Well-known for having renounced her regular life to spend her days dedicated to the worship of Krishna, Mira Bai is one of the central figures in the Bhakti Yoga tradition, which is characterized by a devotional love of god. It is believed that Mira Bai lived the final years of her life in Dwarka and also wrote her famous poems dedicated to Krishna in this place. The Jagatmandir Temple is believed to awaken this quality of bhakti or spiritual love within the devotee.

Legend goes that the city of Dwarka from the days of the Yadavas and Krishna was completely swept away and destroyed in a great flood.