AFVOA Newletters of Year 2013

Page 41 of 61 1610. The main facade is very elaborate compared to other Portuguese Churches in India. Architectural style resembles BOM Jesus Church in Goa. Sudama Temple. Porbandur. Porbandur is a coastal city and the birth place of Mahatma Gandhiji. The city is rich in cultural activities. Navarathri, Holi and many other traditional Hindu festivals are very famous here. The city had witnessed Harappan settlements between the 16th and 14th century BC. This is also birth place of Sudama, a friend of Lord Krishna.There are many historic temples in Porbandur. Sudama Temple is one among them. Sudama Temple was constructed between 1902 and 1907. Sri Ram Devii Jethwa was the ruler of the Jethwa dynasty who built the temple. Newly wed Rajput Kshathriya couples visit the temple and take blessings. Dwarakadhish Temple. Dwarakadhish Temple is the main Temple in Dwaraka situated in Gomti Creek. Originally believed to have been built 2,500 years ago by Vajranath, the great grandson of Lord Krishna. The worshipping Deity is Lord Krishna. It has exquisitely carved Shikar, 43 meters high. A huge flag of 52 yards of cloth is made to fly and can be seen from about 10 kms distance. There are 56 steps to reach the temple from the rear side from Gomti river. The temple is built of soft lime stone. There are ‘Swarga Dwar’ for entry to the temple and ‘Moksha Dwar’ for exit. The main part of the temple has five storeys reaching a height over 100 feet. This temple is one of the Panch Dwaraka temples. Bet Dwaraka Bet Dwaraka is popularly known as kingdom of Lord Krishna. The temple is situated in a small Island 30 Kms away from Dwaraka. The temple has a huge Idol of Lord Krishna plated in gold. It is said that due to destruction by the sea, some thousands of years ago, Dwaraka was submerged six times and modern day Dwaraka is therefore the seventh such city built in the same place. This temple again is one of the Panch Dwaraka temples. Nageshwar Jyothir Linqa Temple. Nageshwar Temple is located between Dwaraka and Bet Dwaraka on the coast of Saurashtra. This is an important Lord Shiva Temple. Shiva Linga is Jyothir Linga (Swayambhu-self existent). This is one of the Jyothir Linga temples in an underground sanctorum. A 25 meter tall Lord Shiva in sitting posture and a large garden are other attractions here. There is a mythological background to the evolution of this temple as found in Shiv Purana and Vamana Purana epics. Rukmini Temple Temple is nearer to Dwaraka. The exterior of the Temple is richly carved. Due to a curse of Maharishi Durvasa, Rukmini, for her impoliteness to the Saint, had to live separately from Lord Krishna. Thus the Rukmini temple came to prominence. Further, Rukmini having taken water to subdue her thirst without offering to Maharishi Durvasa, he further cursed that 12 kms around the place, the water will be salty and not potable. Even today the same condition remains and visitors offer donations for making available potable water to residents here.