Dvārakā, also known as Dvāravatī, is a sacred historic city in Hinduism, Jainismand Buddhism. It is also alternatively spelled as Dvarika. The name Dvaraka is said to have been given to the place by Bhagwan Krishna, a major deity in Hinduism. Dvaraka is one of the Sapta Puri of Hinduism. In the Mahabharata, it was a city located in what is now Dwarka, formerly called Kushasthali, the fort of which had to be repaired by the Yadavas. In this epic, the city is described as a capital of the Anarta Kingdom. According to the Harivamsa the city was located in the region of the Sindhu Kingdom. In the Hindu epics and the Puranas, Dvaraka is called Dvaravati and is one of seven Tirtha sites for spiritual liberation. The other six are Mathura, Ayodhya, Kashi, Kanchipuram, Avantika and Puri.
Description in the Harivamsa
In Harivamsa, Dvaraka is described as largely built on "submerged land", "released by the ocean".
The city was the former "sporting ground of the King Raivataka" called "Dvāravāti", which "was squared like a chess board".
The city was measured by Brahmins; the foundations of the houses were laid and at least some of the houses were built by the Yadavas.
It was built by Vishwakarman in one day "mentally".
It had surrounding walls with four main gates.
Its houses were arranged in lines and the city had "high buildings" "made in gold", which "almost touched the sky" and "could be seen everywhere like clouds".
It had a temple area with a palace for Krishna himself, which had a separate bathroom.
It was a very rich city and "the only city on earth which was studded with gems".
The following description of Dvaraka during Krishna’s presence there appears in the Bhagavata Purana in connection with the sage Narada’s visit. The City was filled with the sounds of birds and bees flying about the parks and pleasure gardens, while its lakes, crowded with blooming indivara, ambhoja, kahlara, kumuda, and utpala lotuses, resounded with the calls of swans and cranes. Dvaraka boasted 900,000 royal palaces, all constructed with crystal and silver and splendorously decorated with huge emeralds. Inside these palaces, the furnishings were bedecked with gold and jewels. Traffic moved along a well laid-out system of boulevards, roads, intersections, and marketplaces, and many assembly houses and temples of demigods graced the charming city. The roads, courtyards, commercial streets, and residential patios were all sprinkled with water and shaded from the sun’s heat by banners waving from flagpoles. In the city of Dvaraka was a beautiful private quarter worshiped by the planetary rulers. This district, where the demigod Vishvakarma had shown all his divine skill, was the residential area of Lord Hari Krishna, and thus it was gorgeously decorated by the sixteen thousand palaces of Lord Krishna’s queens. Narada Muni entered one of these immense palaces. Supporting the palace were coral pillars decoratively inlaid with vaidurya gems. Sapphires bedecked the walls, and the floors glowed with perpetual brilliance. In that palace Tvashta had arranged canopies with hanging strands of pearls; there were also seats and beds fashioned of ivory and precious jewels. In attendance were many well-dressed maidservants bearing lockets on their necks, and also armor-clad guards with turbans, fine uniforms, and jeweled earrings. The glow of numerous jewel-studded lamps dispelled all darkness in the palace. My dear king, on the ornate ridges of the roof danced loudly crying peacocks, who saw the fragrant aguru incense escaping through the holes of the latticed windows and mistook it for a cloud.
Events
Pandu's sons lived in Dwaraka during their exile to woods. Their servants headed by Indrasena lived there for one year .
One should proceed with subdued senses and regulated diet to Dwaravati, where by bathing in "the holy place called Pindaraka", one obtaineth the fruit of the gift of gold in abundance.
King Nriga, in consequence of a single fault of his, had to dwell for a long time at Dwaravati, and Krishna became the cause of his rescue from that miserable plight..
Sage Durvasa resided at Dwaravati for a long time.
When the Pandavas retire from the world they visit the place where Dvaraka once used to be and see the city submerged under water.
Archaeological findings
During 1983-1990, the Marine Archaeology Unit of India's National Institute of Oceanography carried out underwater excavations at Dwarka and Bet Dwarka. According to S. R. Rao "The available archaeological evidence from onshore and offshore excavations confirms the existence of a city-state with a couple of satellite towns in 1500 B.C." He considered it reasonable to conclude that this submerged city is the Dvaraka as described in the Mahabharata.
Submergence
In the Mausala Parva of the Mahabaratha, Arjuna witnesses the submergence of Dvaraka and describes it as follows:
