Spiritual Saurashtra - II

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Bet Dwarka, Gopi Talab, Nageshwar ....




In the middle of the deep slumber, the alarm chimed rudely to communicate it was 05:00 o’clock and the time to rise. From the verandah of Toran Bungalow, the lighthouse’s intermittent beaming of signals in the cyclic movement was clearly forming a pattern. The starlit sky was rendering the perfect contrast. There was an eerie silence in the environment and the chirping of birds was yet to start. The outside temperature was sub 14 and chill could clearly be felt. With no lights in the passage, the hotel hardly had any indication of its being alive. The hotel restaurant has still a very long time to light its stoves and the bed-tea was a distant dream.

The only solace was availability of hot water for quick shower. We rushed out of the room and started trekking towards the Jagat Mandir, which was located around 1 km from the hotel. As we neared the Sabzi Mandi, vegetable market, a stream of pilgrims was marching towards the Moksha Dwar. The street-side restaurants were serving steaming hot milk and tea to the passer-by. The cooks were gearing up to start cooking snacks for the breakfast. Shops selling photo-frames, with LEDs, had devotional songs in local language on their MP3 players….. all in the honour of Krishna, the presiding diety of the town. Pitambar, yellow silk jari-embroidered dhoti, clad priests were offering to tie holy band around the wrist or put a tikka, sandalwood paste dot, on the forehead, for a token donation. The atmosphere was utterly divine and simply spiritual.

The Moksha Dwar, the northern gate of Jagat Mandir, was reached by us by 05:45 and there were hundred of devout Hindus standing in the queue. We too quickly deposited our footwear at the counter and joined them. Since mobile and camera are not allowed inside the complex, we had left these items at the hotel itself. There were separate queues for the ladies and the gentlemen. The noise level had reached its peak in the darkness. The temple gate, we were told will open only after 06:00. With every passing minute, the winding queue was getting swelled swiftly.

At the dot of 6:00 the doors opened. The otherwise orderly queue was broken and there was a mad-rush to enter the complex. The security was having a high time frisking every pilgrim. The early risers could secure a vantage position in the front. The latecomers had to satisfy with a position in the corner. The sanctum sanctorum had embroidered silk curtain hiding the pre-ritual arrangements from the prying eyes of the devotees. The hundreds of pairs of eyes fixedly focused on the curtain. And…. The time for Mangal Aarti arrived. The drummers started beating their drums, the bells started ringing and the curtains opened to reveal Ranchodji in his exquisite Mangal Aarti costume. The slogans in honor of Krishna were raised in the highest pitch. Those who could not find place in the front were struggling hard to get a glimpse of Ranchodji, while those in front resisted their advances with full mite. The patience paid as the darshan started immediately upon the conclusion of the aarti. The divinity and the enchantment were continued to be at its best.

When we emerged out of the temple complex, the sun had already risen. The movement of pilgrims was in both directions now. The narrow lane leading to the market was clogged and exiting became little difficult. At the main chowk, near Sabzi Mandi, most restaurants were located and they were ready with the breakfast offerings.

Poha sprinkled with Sev, Jalebi, Gathiyan, Bhajiya and Khaman Dhokla, all freshly cooked. The place was extreemly crowded and each customer was shouting at the top of his voice to attract the attention of the serving staff to place his order on a priority basis. There was no seating arrangement and the consumption of the snacks was expected to be done while standing near the stall and holding the plate in one hand. We had our share of our fill and returned back to the hotel. The first meal of the day was deliciously hot and filling.

We skipped the complimentary breakfast at the Toran Bungalow and started for our Dwarka excursion. Few km away, on the outskirts of Dwarka town, the imposing solitary structure of Rukmini Temple stood on the barren patch of saline land. It was always intriguing as to why Krishna and Rukmini temples were located apart and at a distance.

The Rukmini Devi temple has richly carved exterior with the artfully sculpted panels depicting human figures together with sculpted elephants at the base. The shrine has Mandap, a large conventional hemispherical dome. The Garbhagruha, the inner sanctum sanctorum has an idol of Rukmini, the principal wife of Krishna, which was consecrated. It is believed that Krishna had more than 16,000 wives. The deity was attired in colorful embroidered silk costume and was adorned with a heavy matching jewelry. The sculptures of assorted Gods, Goddesses, together with the human figures of both genders were visible on the walls of this shrine. The temple priest offered special Sindoor, for putting on the forehead, to signify the blessings from the goddess, of wealth and happiness, in the matrimonial life.

The priest took great pride in narrating an old legend, which explains the distance between the shrines of Krishna and Rukmini. The narration was Krishna accompanied by his wife Rukmini went to extend lunch invitation to the Sage Durvasa. However the acceptance of the invitation had a precondition that the chariot carrying him be pulled only by Krishna & Rukmini, instead of any animal. While pulling the chariot, in order to quench the thirst of Rukmini, Krishna prodded his toe into the earth to draw a spring of the holy Ganga water. Rukmini took a sip of water without offering it first to Durvasa. The sage flew into a rage by her impoliteness and no amount of repentance could assuage his anger. He cursed Rukmini to live apart from Krishna for 12 years. He further cursed that no vegetation would grow in a radius of 12 km as the soil would turn unfertile and the water sultry. Hence Rukmini temple is located away from Dwarka's Jagat Mandir and the surrounding land has turned barren.

On the plot abutting the temple complex, there were more than 100 sadhus, clad in orange robes, seeking alms from wealthy pilgrims visiting the temple. They sat in neatly drawn rows and upon spotting a potential donor all of them would loudly shout slogans in the honor of Krishna in unison. It was considered that donating drinking water appeases the goddess of wealth. The donation made to the self appointed head of the herd would ensure equitable distribution of the amount donated, so we were told.

Dwarka was the administrative headquarter of Krishna and all decisions with regard to the governance of kingdom were taken from Dwarka. Whereas the royal abode was at Bet Dwarka or Shankhodar, the island, the major source of Shankh, conch shells. Bet Dwarka, is located about 30 kms from Dwarka requiring 45 minutes of road travel and a short ferry ride. The road passed through Mithapur, where Tata Group has a large salt processing plant. On both sides of the road there were big white mounds of unprocessed salt. A little distance away was Okha Port, from where we needed to board a ferry to the island.

There were a number of ferries, lined at the jetty, painted in bright colors with fluttering flags. We boarded a government operated ferry, for which the tickets were issued in the ferry itself. The seats were available on first-come-first-served basis and the ferry waited for quite long to get the adequate number of passengers to start it’s sailing. There were local travellers as well as Hindu devotees in large groups. There were few scantily clad international tourists with their sophisticated photography equipment trying to capture the details of ethnicity. As the ferry was getting filled to its brim, the passengers in the large groups kept busy in singing melodious bhajans, in chorus, glorifying the Ranchodji. Krishna has always been most adored and lovable god. The lyrics in honor were very meaningful and pleasing. The hawkers selling Murmura, the rice-flakes, in plastic pouches, were having a field day. The overpowering spirituality was in the air.

The engine motor roared, the ferry de-anchored and we were on the move. We hardly moved few meters and the enthusiast passengers opened their pouches of Murmura and started sprinkling them in the water. It was the feast to the fishes in the shallow waters. The flock of aquatic birds followed, the ferry in circles and were seen pouncing upon the fish, that surfaced to pick the grains of Murmura, in a swift reflex action. The photographers had a difficult time in aiming at those birds in the over-crowded ferry. The 3 Km ride lasted for about 20 minutes and we stepped onto Bet Dwarka. The island, a strip of sand and stone, measures northwest to southeast around 13 km with an average 4 km in east-west direction. The narrow path leading to the temple was lined with little shops selling shells, Krishna idols, and tempting tender coconut water on a sultry morning.

It is a belief that in order to find recluse from the scorching heat, Krishna spent endless hours of togetherness with his wife Rukmini in the premises of this temple. The temple has a huge gold plated statue of Krishna. The entire atmosphere was pious and full of spirituality. Sudama, Krishna's friend had travelled a long distance to present him with humble rice flakes. The tradition to donate rice to the priests has been religiously continued in the modern era.

Bet Dwarka is also associated with the legend where Vishnu slew the demon Shankhasura. Other smaller shrines, dedicated to Rukmini, Shiva, Vishnu, and Dandiwala Hanuman, were located in the vicinity. Additionally, there were Jain temples where one can worship all the 24 Jain Tirthankars and the seat of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Due to destruction in the sea thousands of years ago, Dwarka was submerged six times and the modern day Dwarka has emerged to be the seventh city, so is believed. The peace and the serenity in the environment were clearly perceivable, while sitting on the beach, filled with colorful corals and white sands.

Since all temples in the Bet Dwarka remain closed between 12:00 Noon to 04:00 pm, the ferry services remains suspended after 12:30 pm till about 03:00 pm. We took the return ferry to Okha Jetty for continuing our exploration by the car. About 20 Kms from Okha, our next halt was at Gopi Talab, which was a small unkempt pond with sandal like yellow soil.

There were many legends associated with Gopi Talab. One of them suggests that Krishna engaged himself in Raasleela with the Gopikas at this place. Mischievous Krishna, playing a prank, hid their clothes while they were bathing in the pond. Upon realization of the prank, the Gopikas were enraged. In order to assuage their anger, Krishna granted a boon to them that all his devotees will sport a tikka of the yellow soil, on their forehead to mark their reverence towards him.

There is yet another legend, which says that Krishna had 16000 Gopikas devoted to him. After Krishna's Nirvan at the end of Dwapara Yug, all those Gopikas jumped into this pond and vanished forever. The soil in the pond thereafter became yellow, which is known as Gopi-Chandan.

According to Vaishnava tradition, Gopi-Chandan, is applied on the body at twelve places while offering prayers to Vishnu. This purifies one's body, offers peace and drive away all evil spirits. There were lots of shops selling rolls & cubes of Gopi-Chandan, which pilgrims visiting this place carry it along to their respective abodes.

Although many pilgrims visit this pond and the surrounding shrines everyday, it lacked the basic cleanliness and appeared to be a very neglected place.

Located in between Dwarka city and Bet Dwarka Island was Nageshwar Temple dedicated to Shiva. It has been enshrined by one of the 12 Swayambhu, self-existent, Jyothirlingas in India, in an underground sanctum. Jyoti means radiance and linga means image of Shiva (one of the limited meanings is Phallus, but it has a deeper theistic symbolism). Thus Jyotirlinga means the “The Radiant Sign of The Almighty Shiva”.

Nageshwar is also known as 'Darukavana', an ancient epic name of a forest in India. According to one of the legends, 'Balakhilyas', a group of dwarf sages worshipped Shiva in Darukavana. Shiva appeared to them as a nude ascetic wearing only Nagas, serpants, on his body to test their patience and devotion. The wives of sages were attracted to the saint and followed him by deserting their husbands.

The Sages lost their patience and were outraged. They cursed the ascetic to loose his linga. Consequently, Shivalinga fell on the earth resulting in a great tremor. Thereafter, Brahma and Vishnu, of Holy Hindu Trinity, requested to Shiva to take back his linga and save the earth from destruction. Shiva acceded to their request promised his divine presence in Darukavana as 'Jyotirlinga” into eternity.

Twenty-five meter tall statue of Shiva, in sitting posture, dwarf the red-coloured Nageshwara Temple. Since the temple lies in the Dwarka Exploration Circuit, there was a constant movement of buses. There were vendors selling grains to the pilgrims for feeding the large flock of pigeons. The presence of pigeons in large number was making the complex very messy, though.

Despite the presence of large number of devotees, the movement in the queue was quite quick and orderly. The pooja material was available in the queue itself. As we neared the sanctum sanctorum, the priest offered us an opportunity to enter the basement and seek the darshan. After making small donation, we were directed to change into Dhoti. It was available free-of-cost in the changing room. We sought the divine blessing and marked the end of our Dwarka expedition.

The evening was spent in taking a leisurely stroll on the beach and on the banks of Gomati, followed by Dwarkadhish Aarti. The religious mission successfully accomplished and the time for refreshment and relaxation was nearing.

In the whole of Gujarat, it is very difficult to spot a restaurant serving non-vegetarian food. Despite being a coastal town, there was not a single seafood restaurant. However, our quest for the seafood drove us to small eatery near the bus stand on the outskirts of the town. It offered limited variety of local fish dishes. Neither the ambience nor the location was good enough for the family dining. After picking up our parcel of fried fish and fish curry, we retreated to the hotel.

The sun had set, the temperature was dropping and it was a good time to consume the forbidden liquid in the state of Gujarat. There was a child-like thrill to do what was forbidden. The due care was taken by us to carefully smuggle the desired quantity, of our favorite scotch brand, in our checked-in luggage. “Sir John” in a black robe, who keeps walking “day & night”, having emigrated from Scotland, waited for us to uncork him and release into the glasses…

The dinner consisted of fish “parceled” and supplemented with hot Rotis, Rice, Dal and Vegetarian gravy cooked in the Toran Bungalow’s kitchen. To aid the digestion of the heavy meal … walk in the complex lawns with an resolve to retire soon to rise early for tomorrow’s long drive … The religious discourse faintly audible in the distant background … Subtle roaring of the sea waves … Beams originating from the lighthouse…. The moon floating gently in the Western direction…. Weak stars falling in the dark sky…. Feet directed room-wards…. To mark the end of the current religious outing….

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