Dwarkadhish Temple

In the war at Mathura, Sri Krishna had slew Kansa, who was his maternal uncle but was a cruel king ruling the city. Afterwards, he declared Ugrasen, the Kansa’s father, the king of Mathura. This was not accepted by the Kansa’s father-in-law (king of Magadha) and therefore, attacked Mathura 17 times. To avoid harming the people and assure their safety, Shree Krishna and the Yadavas moved to Dwarka.As told by Shree Krishna, Vishwakarma, a celestial architect, built the city on the banks of the Gomati river by reclaiming a piece of from the sea. At that time, Dwarka was popular by Swarna Dwarika (meaning golden gate due to full wealth and prosperity), Dvaramati, Dvaravati, and Kushsthali. It consists of six well-developed sectors, plazas, wide roads, residential and commercial zones, palaces, and many public utilities.Public gatherings used to happen in a huge hall named ‘Sudharma Sabha’. The city was a good business centre due to the recognition of a good harbor. There were 700,000 palaces in the city comprising of gold, silver, and gems. In addition, the city encompassed attractive flora gardens and lakes.

Dwarkadheesh Temple is one of the most visited shrines of Mathura. Built in 1814, Dwarkadhish Temple is said to have been constructed by Seth Gokul Das Parikh, who was the treasurer of the Gwalior Estate. He was a great devotee of Lord Krishna and erected the shrine to commemorate the deity. In the present day, Dwarikadhish Temple is administered by the followers of the Vallabhacharya sect.

The main shrine embraces the images of Lord Krishna and his beloved Radha. Apart from the image of Radha-Krishna, the shrine has images of other Gods of the Hindu Pantheon. The structure of the temple has the glimpse of local art and architecture. The interiors boast the excellent work of art, brilliant carvings and exquisite paintings.