Amazing were the activities of Lord Shri Krishna and amazing was his friendship whose example is given till today. Bet Dwarka is a symbol of that friendship. Do you know the history of Bet Dwarka? If not, then today’s blog is for you only.
So without any delay, let’s go straight towards Bet Dwarka. This place is located about 30 kilometers away from main Dwarka. Lord Shri Krishna met his childhood friend Sudama at this place, due to which it was named Bet Dwarka. Later due to Gujarati language its name was changed to Bet Dwarka. Bet Dwarka is situated on an island in the sea which appears in the shape of a conch, due to which this place is also known as Shankhadhar. This place is surrounded by water on all sides and can be reached by boat or small ship. It is said that when Dwarka was sinking into the sea, this place was saved from sinking. In ancient times this Bet was connected to Dwarka mainland. Like the main Dwarka, here too there is a wonderful temple of Lord Shri Krishna in which many statues of Sudama Krishna are installed. This temple was built 500 years ago by Saint Vallabhacharya Maharaj. There is no peak of this temple. The temple has a flat roof instead of a peak.
Nathdwara temple of Rajasthan also does not have a peak and has a flat roof. We find mention of this meeting between Sudama and Shri Krishna in Vishnu Purana. In ancient times, there was a Gurukul of Maharishi Sandipani in a city named Avantika. Today we know Avantika as Ujjain. Lord Shri Krishna received his education from the Gurukul of Maharishi Sandipani.
In Gurukul itself, Lord Shri Krishna had a close friend whose name was Sudama. Sudama was a poor Brahmin. There was a tradition in the Gurukul that they used to send students to the village to beg for alms. In the evening, all the students used to come to the Gurukul with alms from the village and dedicate all their alms to the Gurukul but Sudama faced a big trouble on the way. Felt hungry. Due to which he used to eat half of the food given in alms and take the remaining to Gurukul. Lord Shri Krishna had saved his friend Sudama many times from the scolding of his Guru. When the Gurukul studies were over, Shri Krishna returned to Mathura and Sudama went to his village Asmavatipur which we know today as Porbandar. Sudama was very poor, he used to feed his wife Sushila and his children by begging. He used to narrate the stories of Gurukul and his friend to his wife Sushila that how Shri Krishna used to save him from the scolding of his Guru. One day his wife Sushila said that your friend Dwarkadhish does welfare of the whole world, you should ask him for help and he will definitely help us too. He will definitely rescue us from this poverty. At first Sudama hesitated but after repeated insistence of his wife, he agreed. Sushila gave him a bundle of roasted rice for his friend Shri Krishna. Sudama reached his friend’s palace with the bundle. The gatekeeper stopped him outside the palace and asked him – Who are you and whom have you come to meet? Sudama said that he has come to meet his friend Krishna. At first the gatekeeper had some doubts that this ragged man was a friend of Shri Krishna, but on the insistence of Sudama, he went inside the palace and informed Lord Shri Krishna. It is said that a Brahmin named Sudama has come outside to meet you. As soon as Lord Shri Krishna heard the name of Sudama, tears started flowing from his eyes out of joy. He lost all his senses and ran straight towards the door and as soon asHe saw Sudama and immediately embraced him. There was an atmosphere of happiness all around as if flowers were raining.
Shri Krishna brought Sudama to the palace with full respect and made him sit on a soft velvet cushion and wash his feet with his tears. Seeing this scene, Rukmani was surprised and started wondering who is this whose feet the Lord of the three worlds himself, Dwarkadhish, is washing. Lord Shri Krishna prepared special dishes for his friend Sudama in the dinner at night. After having the meal, when Sudama was sleeping, he kept that bundle of rice at his bedside. Lord Shri Krishna thought that his sister-in-law must have sent something as a gift for him and he saw that bundle at the bedside of Sudama. Seeing the magnificence of Shri Krishna, Sudama thought it appropriate not to give the bundle, but Lord Krishna, the Lord of Leelas, tasted the rice from that bundle. As soon as Lord Shri Krishna put the first morsel in his mouth, Sudama’s house was transformed into a palace. There was no dearth of comfort, his palace was filled with wealth and diamonds and jewels. When Lord Shri Krishna bid farewell to Sudama the next day after feeding him, then while going on the way, Sudama thought that his friend Krishna did not give him anything in farewell, then later he thought that perhaps he might be getting carried away by the arrogance of wealth. Perhaps this was the reason why his friend did not give him anything, but as soon as Sudama reached his home, he found that his house had been transformed into a magnificent palace in which all the luxuries of heaven were present. As soon as he saw this, he understood the leela of Shri Krishna and dedicated his entire life to the devotion of Shri Krishna. The place where Lord Shri Krishna and Sudama met was known as Bhent Dwarka. Just as Lord Shri Krishna had removed the poverty of Sudama, in the same way he removes all the troubles of his devotees. For this reason, there is a tradition of offering rice in the temple of Sudama Shri Krishna. It is said that Rukmani herself had made the idols of Sudama and Shri Krishna. At this very place, behind a big four walls, there is Panch Mahal where Lord Shri Krishna lived with his queens and queens.
Silver workmanship can be seen on the doors and windows of these palaces, even silver working can be seen on the throne of Lord Shri Krishna and the seats of his queens.
Bet Dwarka temple has many statues of Krishna and his queens. Which are decorated with silk clothes, gold and diamonds. There is a description of the childhood pastimes of Shri Krishna on the walls of this temple. Like lifting Govardhan Mountain on the finger, lifting an elephant by holding its tail, Shri Krishna playing the flute in the forest. He performed these pastimes in Mathura, Gokul and Vrindavan. There are many ponds at this place which were used as drinking water in ancient times. Radhika Temple, Balram Temple, Devaki Temple and many temples of Lord Krishna are present in Bet Dwarka.
Rani Mirabai was born in Chittor, Rajasthan in the 16th century. He had a close relationship with Bet Dwarka. He spent his last days in Bet Dwarka itself. Meerabai was a great devotee of Shri Krishna. Despite being born in a royal palace, she left all the comforts and spent most of her time in the streets of Mathura and Gokul. During her last days (1547 AD), when Mirabai Bet was in Dwarka, one day she expressed her desire to offer food to Lord Shri Krishna. She entered the temple with the permission of the temple pundits and it is said that she never came out of the temple and She got absorbed in the same idol forever.
So this was the story of Bet Dwarka in whose every particle Shri Krishna resides.
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