To Kerala.

The effect of watching the highly political English news channels as a matter of ritual and habit every evening and reading the news papers ,first thing in the morning ,brings to my mind the pet name conferred on the crown prince- Amul baby [there i have gone and done it again! mentioning the unmentionable inviting the wrath of the empire.Well my blogs would be drab and boring without a dab of politics, wouldnt it?],by that parties adversary, an octogenarian, in a recent elections, in the state i was visiting to have a darshan of the deities of 13 temples viz divya desams, that are all more or less aligned in a straight line on nearly half of the coast line of this small neighbouring state ofKerala.

In fact to our generation,Amul baby [or glaxo baby]referred to children who were healthy, fair, chubby and exceptionally charming and cute.'Amul' being the first indigenously spray dried baby milk powder, that was first processed in CFTRI labs, Mysore. The first picture adorning these baby powder tins were of my childhood friend's , the daughter of the director of that Lab's,[ then], baby photo.

Trivandram is the first place of halt . The famous temple of SriAnantha Padmanabha ,our first temple of call.

Thiruvanthapuram is also the place associated with my maternal grand fatherM.A.Ayengar,whose name 'Ananthasayanam' is in honour of the presiding deity of Thiruvanthapuram, where his father worked , at the time of his birth.

This place was also in news in recent times with the tales of fabulous wealth sealed in the vaults of the said temple that was being enumerated and its attendant wide publicity and the resultant salivating of any one and every one over the riches and a spate of discussions as to how best it could be utilised. The offerings of devotees!Maybe even my great grand parents offerings are in those vaults.

I have been twice or thrice before to Kerala and also to this temple in more sanguine times .More like a tourist than as a pilgrim.

Whilst my recent flight to Ahmadabad was smooth without a single rattle , the sky being absolutely cloudless, it was otherwise now, especially when we were in calling distance ,aeronautically speaking, from Thiruvananthapuram. The plane cleaved into thick rolling mass of clouds that made the plane jerk giving me the feeling of travelling over potholed roads.The air hostesses with heavy make up, back combed buff and in western outfits ,didn't bat an eyelid nor did those stewards who looked like a carbon copy of the good looking vampires currently stirring up Hollywood .

However the scene that greeted me on nearing the airport was absolutely beautiful.There was the Arabian sea on my left ,with waves ,frothing white as they poured over the enticingly curved beach and just below me was a carpet of dark green palms

The huge red orb of the sun setting between the palms as i waited for the cab at the airport ,signalled the end of the day and negated the chance of an evening darshan of Sri Padmanabhaswamy , the closing time of the temple barely ,half an hour away.

Photo.Approaching Thiruvananthapuram.

Note:Those who are interested in viewing my video's on Ananthapadmanabhaswamy ,Guruvayur and Thiru navaitemples ,the pampa, Bharatpuzha rivers,and papanasam/varkala beach , elephant camp and Kalady, kindly visit my you tube channel---sujataism1

Sri Hayagreeva Stotra of Sri Desikan.

This is the very first stotra that was written by Sri Desikan.

Hayagreeva is a avatar of Maha Vishnu. He has a face like a horse . He is as white as spatikas and arises out of a white lotus.This Bhagwan is considered as the foremost God of education.

Sri Desikan worshipped the idol of Hayagreeva ,daily.Those who recite these slokas on Hayagreeva are assured of scholarship and the highest degree of debating and elocutionary skills.

The following are two of the 33 slokas.

**Gyana nandamayam devam nirmala spatikakaithim,
adhaaram sarva vidyanam hayagreevam upasmaye'.

Meaning.My Bhagwan is personification of knowledge and bliss ,
He is as white as the spotless spatikam,
He is the repository of all skills and scholarship,
His face resembles a horse ,
I worship thee ,Sri Hayagreeva swamy!

**14,Manogtham pashyathi ya sadha tvam maneshinam manasa raja hamsam|
Svayam purobhav vivadha bhaja kingkurvadha thasya kiroyadharham|

Meaning: Sri Hayagreeva swamy! You are residing as a king of swans in the placid lakes of great scholars ,minds!
If any one places you in one's heart and sees you there ,
All skills and scholarship will flow effortlessly to be of service to oneself,
I pray to thee!

Why do i blog?

What induced ,prompted and goaded me to blogging was not because it was the' in thing to do' or put forth political adversial view points or to cleanse the system or provide an alternative clean political party,but purely and frankly a deeply disturbing emotion called ',guilt'.

The guilt of turning a deaf ear to my son's ,[who created this blog for me ],plea to write and express my views and went away within a few months to a unknown destination ,never to return.

I just didn't know what to write on a machine that was strange and threatening .But I had to.That drive was and is compulsive and i did treating my blog as a alternative to my diary and as a conduit to the conversations i often had with Vidat , narrating my personal experiences , travel stories and my views . That is how it is.

The comments in the early days of blogging revealed that those reading them were young , my son's friends ,sort of in the same wave length, and acquaintances whilst i was expecting their mothers to read them ! How far away i was from the reality of cyber world .

It scared me --i just didn't want to spoil impressionable minds with my grief and cynicism but couldn't change my ways and wished wholeheartedly that they would tire of me and drop by.

Then i came up with the might of the state and the party in power that has all the resources of this country under its grip ,the power derived from the people and ostensibly in consonance with the constitution and using it to censor my views that were perceived to be critical of its governance and not in consonance with its ideologies. Extremely unconstitutional,overbearing and revealing a paranoid mindset.It irritated me and still does.

It is an irritant [ at times even laughable] but nowhere in the scale i have been already dealt with.My censors may have a change of heart or drop out of the machinery altogether in the flux of political changes and the new dispensation may choose to totally ignore my existence!It is all so temporary and liable to changes unlike my real life situation that revealed to me the inexorable truth that no amount of anger, prayers and pleas can ever change the decision taken by the ultimate dispenser ,There is simply no scope of change of heart or change in that dispensation.

The harsh truth gives me the strength to carry on the conversation with my son,though it may not humour many, despite the various hurdles thrown on my way ,by mere mortals.

Security.

Sujataism1

I was unable to upload my video on the flight of the sea birds at Bet Dwaraka in this blog of mine but managed on my own to upload it on you tube for the public to view through sujataism1 , the name of my brand new youtube channel or blog or whatever it is called.

Those who are interested in the 2 mins 30 seconds video can do so at youtube under the heading 'Sea birds of BetDwaraka'.

RTI regarding acquisition of my cyber space.

I am tempted to file an application under RTI act against the party in power, govt and concerned ministries as to ...

1.Why am i being censored,monitered and controlled on line?

2.Why am i prevented from uploading my videos and photographs in my personal blog?

3.Since my posts are not inflammatory, communal [i have not derided any religion ] and do not incite any one to violence and is not a threat to the nation ,what is the basis for censoring them and acquiring my cyber space forcibly?

4. Why aren't the censorship norms uniform?There are more critical articles and graphic pictures uploaded than mine ,whose authors are given a free hand whilst mine is being tied?

5.Why are citizens prevented from expressing their views on politics, economy ,society and religion,more so in cyber space?Is this the sole prerogative of the privileged few like --politicians and journalists? are the rest of us ---1.2 billion dumb dodo's and robots?Who become parias,unseable and unhearable once the ritual of voting is done with?

6.Why is my phone being tapped?Does speaking one's mind fearlessly on issues constitute a threat? To whom and to what? To the nation or to those having an inordinate thirst for power and are therefore suspicious and fearful of every one and any one all the time?

Cotton on.

One more strand of unity to cotton on in modern Bharat.The farmers of Gujarat are as thin and worn out as their counterparts in Tamilnadu.

The happening street.

A reformed rowdy was hacked to death on one of the busiest roads that abuts a slum, last night back in here .At Chennai slums are found in and around the busiest as well as in the poshest places.

I got to know about this ,though the act took place just a few furlongs away ,only in the morning next ,from Tamil TV channels .

I did hear a lot of wailing late at that night and saw a group of policemen pacifying an agitated crowd.I learnt later that no sooner did that incident take place all the shops in the vicinity downed their shutters and people scurried to the safety of their homes.

Though i did not know about the act that night i could detect a change in the atmosphere in this area ,a normally noisy place had become unnaturally quiet and that seemed oppressive and uneasy and i couldnt quite put my finger into it.

The next day morn [sunday] when all temples would normally dispense devotional songs at high decibel compelling every one to spare a thought to the almighty ,were all silent.
The roads were deserted and only those present were Khakhi clad young, very young and willowy policemen and women and their middle aged bosses.Some of them camped right in front of our flat ,near the gate ,as also inside, all alert but also bored.

I took some snaps and video of them and was repeatedly thwarted in my attempts to copy or upload them [as well as those on birds and tiny animals]
I wanted my hand ful viewers ,i have only a handful, mind you, to see the 'happening street ' and show off my videographic skills [newly acquired]but was deprived of this small pleasure by even smaller minds.

The funeral procession was over in the evening with a lot of noise, dancing, whistling, bursting of crackers to the heavy roll of thapatai's [drums]drowning the wails.

The night that followed is quiet too quiet . A deathly silence has enveloped the entire area with police vans parked every where.
The enforcement of law, as effectively as is warranted to cap and contain boiling emotions.

It reminded me of the curfew at Ranchi,but with a big difference.The trust i had then that all human beings are basically decent,is no more whole,it has several dents now.

A spin off ,of this gory incident [according to dailies due to prior enmity] is that a posse of policeman have displaced my z category security[imaginary or otherwise] overnight and my mind is no longer jammed.

Hymns in praise of Dwaraka by Aazhwars. Translation

Several Azhwars have sung hymns in praise of Dwaraka like Peria azhwar, Andal, Thirumiszhai aazhwar,Thirumangai aazhwar and Nam aazhwar.
The following verses are from Naan mugan thiruvandadi by Thirimiszhai aazhwar.

**2452."Seyan anniyan siriyan migaperiyan aayan Duwaraikonai ninra mayan andru odhia vakadhanai kallar ullagathil yedhilorai meigyanam il."

Meaning: Bhagwan is as close as one's dear friend as well as distant as a stranger!
He is minute as well as infinite!
This miraclulous wonder, who ruled over Dwaraka has spoken words of wisdom [gita] at a battle field!
Those who donot learn and grasp the truths in those teachings are berefet of true spiritual knowledge.

Nam aazhwar has sung the following hymn in his Thiruvaimozhi

**3144.Annai yen seyyilea?oor yen solliyen?Thozhimeer!
Yennai inni umakku asai yillai agapaten muannai amarar mudalvan van Dwarapathi manan manivanan Vasudevan valaiulle!
Meaning:
What does it matter ,what my mother says or for that matter of people's taunts?
My friends,I am entangled in the charming web of the pearl hued Vasudevan the leader of Nitya suris , and the king of Dwaraka!
Your efforts to extricate me from this involvment will be of no avail!

8******************************8

video of sea birds

Birds at Gujarat.

Spot the eagle camoflouged in the neem tree at Ahmedabad.

The hidden face.

The eagle has revealed its face

A meditative crane at Neej dham theerth at Somnath.

Parrots at Sabharmathi ashram.

video of Birds at Gujarat.

ese sea birds entertained us with their innocent antics whilst waiting on a boat to take us across the Arabian sea to Okha from Bet Dwaraka ,after visiting Krishna's temple in that island, which was in ancient times the place of his residence and palace .The palace no longer exists.It has long since been taken away by the sea.

Neej dham prasthan theerth --.The place of death and Moksha of Krishna.

Rounded off the pilgrimage with a visit to a
temple at Somnath which is the place where Krishna was felled down by an arrow of a hunter that was aimed at his white feet mistaking it for a white pigeon .Lord Krishna breathed is last in this very place under a peepul tree [arasa maram]
The tree is still there with a temple built around it .
Seeing the saintly form of Krishna lying with blood soaked feet with a look of resignation [and a fierce looking hunter sitting with his folded palms at his feet ] brought tears to my eyes and i felt quite choked .
The lord of Dwaraka , so splendorous a form at Dwaraka lying stricken under this tree 300 kms away ,tugged at my heart.He was on the final analysis a mortal ,though an avatar purush.
Photo : On top .The tree is just visible around which the temple has been built.
Below.The trees around the temple.

Photos of Somnath temple.

Somnath.

The Somnath temple is a well designed and neatly executed temple complex.A designer temple, perfect ,without a single brick out of place or a crevice with wild plants.Berefet of ravages of time and seasons.

The statue of Sardar Vallabhai patel facing the Deity greets one at outer compound.
The security, as is the case elsewhere in this state is extremely tight and effective. No stone is left unturned . The bags of all irrespective of their age is thoroughly checked ,Since i visited the temple at night i could see the brilliant and powerful lights of a ship from the nearby sea ,sweeping the entire beach abutting the temple on and off.

The domes are exquisitely crafted and the marble floors sparkle in the bright lights .One can have a darshan of the Siva ling with the idol of Parvati at the back, from quite a long distance.Hence i was blessed not only with a good darshan but also was able to see the arti .It was a tame affair . The frenzied bhakthi of the devotees at Dwaraka was missing in here.
The vow undertaken in here is to pour water on the lingam .The priest instructs the devotees to pour it in a silver vessel that travels to the lingam and sprays over it.Devotees are not allowed to enter the sanctum ,as it is also at Dwaraka.

The next day's early morning arti was a bhakthi filled moment.100's of pilgrims ,even jeans clad college goers thronged the hall braving the cold winds blowing from the sea, and chanting 'Somnath ki ja'i
The sun that rises quite late in here [at 6 am it was pitch dark with all the stars glowing unlike at Chennai where dawn breaks before 6 ] shed its rays on the Siva lingam and was reflected all around, warming my bones that have grown cold and weary.

The parikrama amidst beds of flowers ,is near the compound wall that holds the gently murmuring waves of the Arabian sea at bay.
A beautiful experience!

photo. The Somnath temple.

The sea..

Photo:The Arabian sea seen from the car window. on the way from Dwaraka to Somnath.

Dwaraka to Somnath.

The trip to Somnath was not in the original itinerary of this pilgrimage.The distance between Dwaraka and Somnath which is 250 kms to be made by road was too daunting a thought to one who is no longer young and i had to travel another 450 kms there after to Ahmadabad by road.So in all i would be travelling 1200 kms on the road within 2 days!It also dawned upon me that in days to come as i get older there would be corresponding loss of health and energy.Hence i decided to bear the tedium of the journey to visit the temple known to me from childhood and to nearly all of us as the one that was continuously raided by Ghazni in the 11th cent ad.

It also the foremost of all the 12 Jyotir lingam sacred sites spread across Bharat.

The advt of Amitabh B on TV with a the characteristic shawl wrapped around his shoulders beckoning every one to visit the temple also goaded me, in a small measure to undertake this trip.

So after a trip to Bet Dwaraka and back and after a quick lunch we were on the road again.The landscape became more arid ,with a lot of cactus plants and very few habitations.The huts are rather cottages in here are generally built with stones or hollow blocks or wood as elsewhere enroute , in this state.
For most part the road was good but for the remaining ,I'll put it at 30 %,it was absolutely bone rattling.
After one such shake up i grumbled aloud from the back seat that the roads in Tamilnadu were much better at which the cabby a surly man who was tight lipped all through ,bristled and burst out saying that since these roads were very near the sea it corroded quickly and added to that trucks with heavy loads plied regularly on these roads which though well laid caused the rough patches and further added that Gujarat had a excellent network of roads.

I bit back the retort not wanting to court the risk of being offloaded in the middle of nowhere with a sparse population of mirror worked [gorgeous] back less choli,lehenga and chunni wearing tribal women and men with ear rings and nose rings with huge turbans and lazy camels pulling carts as the only company by further denting that stone wall of 'Gujarati pride'.The husband interceded that the state administration though at odds with the centre has achievements aplenty whilst at Tamilnadu they were coalition partners, for long. Then he turned around and asked 'all through our journey did the power fail even for a second at the places ,city or remote, we stopped or stayed?'The answere was in his question itself. It didn't.I let it go at that.

The cabby then put a full stop to the brief conversation with the confident assertion 'Woh Ajayenge'---he will win again.

We came across a very picturesque village an oasis amidst the aridity called Chorwod.A queer name for a nice looking place ,so i wondered when the surly cabby the man of very few words again burst out now with ill concealed pride in enlightening us that it was the ancestral village of Dhirubhai Ambani and looked as pleased as a cat that had its cream.As if to say another son of soil who has done the state proud!
Earlier we passed through Porbander ,the birth place of Ghandhiji.A big town ,with terrible roads.
Then i spotted pink flamingo's in the back waters of the Arabian sea which runs parallel to the road most of the way.A Nilgai crossed the road casually and disappeared into the thicket even before i fully registered the wild life's intrusion .A colourful swami narayan procession also passed us by.

As we neared Somnath[ 70kms] the landscape changed amazingly from scrub and cactus to lush coconut groves that rolled on as far as the eye could see, .Line of phatphatis were transporting the bounty of the land in steady streams.
Finally we reached Veraval which is the nearest town of Somnath.,that had the distinct odour of drying fish that reminded me of Rameshwaram.The cabby pointed to fishing boats bobbing in a inlet touching the road ,and glowered at them in anger and said that the boat used in 26 nov '8 attack was hired from there.If looks could kill , he would have burnt down those boats as well as the perpetrators to ashes then and there itself.The moment passed and we reached Somnath .The pungent smell of drying fish assailing my nostrils..

Photo.Mool Dwaraka temple,on the way to Somnath.Krishna and Siva are both enshrined in this temple.

Photo's of sea birds at Bet Dwaraka.

.These sea birds entertained us with their innocent antics whilst waiting for the boat to take us across the Arabian sea to Okha from Bet Dwaraka after visiting the Krishna temple there in .

Beyt Dwaraka.

After an early morning darhan at the Dwaraka temple the next day, we travelled by road to Okha port ,32 kms away to catch a boat there to reach Bet dwaraka .A huge factory of TAtAs ,manufacturing salt was on the way.

Bet Dwaraka is said to be the actual place of residence of Sri Krishna whilst Dwaraka was his seat of power.IT once held his palace. It is separated from the mainland by a strip of Arabian sea .May be the effect of an ancient tsunami.Pieces of ancient masonry whose carbon dating corroborates with Lord Krishna's reign as per ancient Hindu traditions has been found by archaeologists with the aid of under water swimmers .There is a move to exhibit them in a museum.

We caught a boat,literally!I am sure it was Dwarakanath who made me board and disembark the bobbing boat with a wobbly and painful knee,without a hitch! A powerful deity,indeed! The boat was put to the sea only when it was packed with devotees and locals to the brim . As we set forth pure white sea birds hovered around and above us, in thrilling formations and with enchanting fluttering of their snow white wings ,catching the nuts tossed in the air by the passengers.
A tour guide explained that these winged entertainers were migratory birds that flew away in the hot summer to return only in the winter.

What was amazing was their total lack of fear of human beings .Nearly pecking seeds from outstretched palms!What struck me on the whole about Gujarat is that it is a very bird friendly place .There are variety of birds flocking very near human beings, fearlessly .And the people feed them all ,lovingly with seeds.

Could it be that the birds know by instinct and historically that they needn't fear for their lives from a population that is mainly vegetarian?

The boat ride was barely 15 minutes over calm blue waters of the Arabian sea.But the walk to the temple was more time consuming .Many old women preferred being pushed on a hand cart by fierce looking locals for a fee ,on the long jetty.

Had a nice and peaceful darshan of Krishna as well as of the beautiful form of Lakshmi in an adjacent shrine.
But the temple is a disappointment.It is crumbling and looks totally run down though some renovation work is going on ,amidst a lot of encroachments.

As usual the security is very tight, efficient and meticulous at the entry like every where else be it at a temple or at the airport.

However more need to be done to restore the past glory of this temple and provide facilities [that are non existent] to 1000's who cross the sea to have a darshan of Krishna every day.

The trip back by boat was once again enlivened by the presence of the fearless and energetic sea birds.

Note:SinceRS. 200 crores has been allocated by the state govt for the upliftment of Dwaraka i am sure this temple and place will also get a face lift.
Bet dwaraka.
The boat on the seas between Okha and Bet Dwaraka
The dilapidated krishna's temple at Bet Dwaraka.This photo is of the outside.Cameras are strictly prohibited within.

Photo on top:The calm blue waters of Bet Dwaraka.

Panda's.

The cabby muttered derisively under his breath whilst warning us of the Panda's menace at Dwaraka.
I remember being similarly warned in Puri Jaganatha temple Orissa of the persistence f Panda's to extract money from pilgrims in the garb of conducting rituals ,on a visit to that temple decades back.

The panda's of Dwaraka are quaintly dressed ,with sleeveless colourful brocade waist coats over equally colourful silk dhoti's and adorned with ear rings ,a tiny tuft of protruding hair at the back of their heads and their forehead smeared with a red tilak.They were all around the place and at the temple.They reminded me of the Pottu dikshitars of Chidambaram koil at Tamilnadu ,whose life and livelihood is also similarily entwined with the temple.

No panda approached me.In fact it was i who approached them enquiring them about the availability of any special tickets for quick and easy darshan.They said that no such thing like special darshan, existed in this temple.In fact one young panda very kindly showed me the place where i could feel the arti after it is shown to Dwarkaadeesh.He said that he was a Brahman like all pandas are and that he had studied only upto 10 th and knew only a dash of Yajur Veda and that it was their duty and privilege since time immemorial to guide the devotees around this hoary place and enlighten them of the traditions associated with this temple.He didn't charge me for conducting me around.

My encounter with the young panda's was quite pleasant.They answered all my questions with a smile and wern't pushy or mean like the harassed middle aged panda's ,like any middle ager tends to generally be in their given professions..
Photos:On top Rukmani sthal.This is the place where the mariage of Krishna and Rukmini took place .It is 4 kms away from Dwaraka.The presiding deity of this marvellously sculpted temple is Rukmani.
Below.An young panda at Rukamni stahl.

Sun's last rays over India.Dwaraka

These are the last rays of sun that has travelled over India throughout the day.The time was around 6 .45 to 7 pm.Date--22.2.12
This place at Dwaraka is the last dipping point of the sun in Bharat.According to a plaque this is the western most tip of Bharat.Another view of this place.

The sunset at Dwaraka .Dwaraka is in the Western most tip of India.

My view on Dwaraka.

Being a major pilgrim spot with a constant floating population more resources should be pitched in to clean up the streets and clear the entrance to this great temple, of the numerous encroachments .

The crowd movements need to be regulated a bit just a bit, so that every single person gets a chance to see the aarti ,that lasts nearly for 20 minutes, without jostling, pushing and elbowing..

On my return to Ahmadabad after 2 days i.e on 24 th Feb i read the news that Rs 200 crores has been allocated to build an airstrip at Dwaraka and also to improve amenities ,in the current budget session of the state legislature.

I am sure it will fructify and i may even be able to have darshan of Dwarakadeesh ,in future ,with ease!

If the allocation of resources is the impact of my blog or even if i am deluding myself at my post's importance, i am truly thankful for myself as well as on behalf 1000's of people who are unable to undertake the long journey by train ,car or bus but are longing to pay their obeisance to Dwarakadeesh at least once in their lifetime .

Dwaraka.

An ancient town that still looks ancient and seeped with history.
The five storyed temple is a beauty that words cannot describe.[cameras are strictly prohibited within].My pranams to the architect and the sculptors of the 16 th century, when this temple was built on a pre existing, dilapidated one.A fitting abode for Krishna avatar!

Luckily my very first visit to this temple in the evening coincided with a darshan that is known as 'Chappan Bhog.'A spread of 100's of savouries and sweets was offered by some devotee in pursuance of a vow,before the charming black idol of Krishna ,decorated in strings of pearls ,holding diamond encrusted shanku and chakram .
The spread reminded me of the sweets and savouries prepared at home and offered to Krishna on Krishna jeyanthi [birthday],every year, though it is a fraction of what was laid there at Dwaraka before Dwarakadeesh ! At Dwaraka the only other time such a amazing spread of dishes is laid out is on Deepavali.It was literally a feast fit only for gods!

Had a splendid darshan with crowds of devotees milling and pushing around and chanting aloud 'Dwarakadeesh ki jai' in unison.
A very touching scene of devotion. A full flow of bhakthi that was electric as it is at Tirupati and Guruvayoor .I forgot what i wanted to seek travelling after having100's of miles and just stood soaking in the sacred beauty of Krishna as Narayana.

Kulasekara azwars [800AD] lines came to my mind

" I feel blessed if i smear the mud that has turned into slush by the tears of your devotees on my forehead,Ranganatha"
Though he was a mighty king ,he nevertheless bowed before the faith of the humble devotees of Krishna.

And ThondaradipodiAzhwar's [9 th cent AD] heartfelt verses:

'On seeing your sacred form Sri Ranga ,my head spins and i whirl around forgetting myself and at the same time my legs melt and is unable to support me .Seeing me thus many call me mad! What do i care? Without bhakti in you, they appear to be mad to me!



I couldn't and didn't see the arthi ,having pushed away by the devotees all crowding in that small hall and staying put at the space before the deity each eager to behold the sight .A tall man eclipsed my view completely as well as 'Devaki matha's' ,whose idol is enshrined right in front of her son,a few yards away.

Southindians, Gujarati's, Bengali's Marati's, tribals, pandas ,rich and poor people from various parts of Bharat mingled together and swayed with palms folded to the pealing of bells and rent the air with intermittent chant 'Victory to thee lord of Dwaraka'.

There are several shrines for other deities ,as well as for Adi Shankara around the main sanctum on the outside ,within the temple complex.In one of his visits Adi Shankara established his 'mutt' at Dwaraka in the 7 th cent AD.

Next day in the morning i was quite blessed to see the flag being changed on the top of the temple.This is also in fulfilment of vows taken ,costing more than a lakh , with the queue ---6 months long!
The only unsatisfactory note in this wonderful spiritual experience is that unlike Thirupullani, Puri and Badrinath--the other char dhams where one can can take a dip in the sea and the hot spring [which i have done],in here one is unable to do so .but can take bath in the river flowing by in its confluence with the sea.

The beach looks moss laden and rocky and was dissuaded by the hotel manager and others who said it was unfit for bathing and quite dangerous to do so in these seas.
A side view of the Dwaraka temple.
A flag being hoisted by a person associated with the temple.
A close up of the main tower enshrining Dwarakadeesh within and the flag flying above.

Top photo.Dwarakadeesh temple at Dwaraka.