In our previous blog post we took a virtual trip to Somnath Gujarat, and the day spent well. We explored the first jyotirlinga, beaches, Lord Krishna’s places where the arrow hit on his feet & he died and many other places. If you haven’t read it, please check the blog: Somnath, Dwarka & Nageshwar – Part I. Now we are heading for the next destination, which is Dwarka and Nageshwar, the last & 12th Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva.
Day 3
We left our hotel early to reach Dwarka early and explore the beauty. The other factor was we paid for the hotel, so didn’t have any other options. But if you want, you can leave Somnath Hotel and book one in Dwarka. The nearest city which provides convenience is Rajkot. Let’s begin our tour….
Dwarkadhish
Our first destination of Day 3 is Dwarkadhish Temple and while on our way we enjoyed serene beauty, greenery, ocean and windmills which is very attractive. We crossed the newly built Sudharshan Setu, but preferred not to wait, as we have to reach Dwarkadhish temple on time. We reached before time and wait at the counter to deposit our phones which opens at 9:00 am. Thankfully we put our shoes in the car itself, thus, we avoid a long queue of shoe counter.
We bought prashad and tulsi mala and stood in queue paving towards the temple and the queue was way too long. Finally, we got to see the face of Lord Krishna and can’t take my eyes off. The pujaris of temple were helping the lord with pearl ornaments and turban. I was in queue with my mom and my father was in different line, fortunately we took darshan early and seeks blessings of other deities, holy Bhagwat Gita. Later my father joined us, we had no phones inside the temple which created a bit of panic while looking for my father.
The temple is under the protection of Indias Historical Department who is preserving the ancient temple. After seeking darshan we came back and drank lassi which is tasty and served by Ahir Community. As we are not allowed to carry phones, the photographs we took are quite far from the temple.
Temple Timings: 9:00 am to 1:00 pm and 5:00 to 8:00 pm
Beyt Dwarka
After seeking the blessings of Lord Krishna, we moved towards Beyt Dwarka. Our driver told us that the temple would close at 1:00 pm and thankfully we reached on time. The car was stopped at the highway circle, from here we took e-rikshaw which cost Rs. 20/- per person and drops at the entrance of Beyt Dwarka. At this temple mobiles are not allowed, and counters are there for submission of electronic items. At Beyt Dwarka, Sudama, friend of Lord Krishna gave uncooked rice to lord and Lord Krishna ate those rice. As a prashad, people give rice here and in return carry rice from the pujari. There was a huge rush at the temple, but fortunately our darshan went well.
Temple Timings: 9:00 am to 1:00 pm and 5:00 to 7:00 pm
Gopi Talab
After visiting both these places we were free from time bound, and reached our next place known as Gopi Talab where gopis took bathe and taught a lesson to Arjun. At the entrance there are temples which tell the story of Gopi Talab. Moving ahead you will see a huge old green tree under which so many shops are there. When you take entry, it feels you are in a village, I feel suddenly the Kaliyug turns into Dwapar Yug. You can feed cows & fishes, wet your feet at pond and can purchase gopi Chandan.
Nageshwar
The last jyotirlinga of the Lord Shiva, Nageshwar is situated in Dwarka, where Lord Shiva and Mata Parvati are in the form of “Naag Nagin”. The temple is spread across a huge area, and you don’t need to carry ‘Prashad’ for the deities, if you are willing to seek blessings. If you want to perform pooja for yourself, family or any other pooja, you need to pay a certain amount. The list of pooja and the amount is mentioned inside the temple premises. There are shops from where you can buy prashad while returning. The best part is you can sit inside the temple and see lord shiva which gives peace. Mobiles or any other electronic devices are allowed in the temple.
Rukmani Temple
The last destination was Rukmani Temple, and it is believed that the temple is 2500-year-old. But the renovation was made by our ancient kings, and it shows the last one built in 12th century. The carving of elephants and human figure is eye catchy and Mata Rukmani’s idol is inside the garbhgriha. We were so tired and hungry; thus, we skipped this beautiful place, but you can add it to your list.
While on return we click some photographs at sudharshan setu, a newly bridge inaugurated by Shri. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister, you can check the photos.
Day 4 (Morning)
On our last day at Somnath, we had to check-out at 10:00 AM, so we decided to take darshan of Lord Shiva. Then we plan to go Somnath Beach and enjoy morning beauty of beach. We took a camel ride and clicked so many photographs. After this we had our morning Gujarati breakfast which was way too delicious and head towards our hotel for check out.
Budgeted Hotels in Somnath
We stayed in Hotel Shree Radhe which was a budgeted hotel, and the best part is the Somnath Temple is only 600 meters away and Somnath Beach is only 1kms. There are other options also:
- Hotel Shri Radhe
- Hotel Majestic Somnath
- Hotel Dev Inn Somnath
How to Reach Somnath
If you are from Delhi-NCR and other northern cities, then to save time, take a flight to Ahmedabad. Then take a train from Ahmedabad Junction to Veraval Junction, the railway station of Somnath. You can also take the bus, which is also a good option.
- Nearest Airport: Diu Airport is the closest airport but with limited connectivity. The next nearest airport to Somnath is Rajkot Airport and Ahmedabad Airport which connects with all major cities.
- Nearest Railway Station: Somnath has its own railway station station named Somnath Railway Station, but the connectivity is limited. All the major cities are connected from Verval Railway Station which is around 8kms from Somnath.
- Nearest Bus Stand: Somnath Bus Stand is well connected with the major cities of Gujarat like, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Veraval and Junagad.
Final Thoughts
In this blog post, you will find every minute details related to your upcoming trip. I also explained, while place to visit first to avoid closing of temple. If you read both the parts of Somnath, Dwarka and Nageshwar trip, then don’t wait and make a plan. Hope you like the blog and are planning for a trip. You can comment in case of any queries, will be there to assist you.
Pack your bag and explore the unexplored places with Hema……
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