Kingdom of the Mahabharata
Dwaraka
द्वारका
Kingdom of Krishna and Yadavas
Dwaraka: Kingdom of Krishna and Yadavas, located at coordinates 22.23°N, 68.97°E.
Key Facts
| Type | Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Sanskrit name | द्वारका |
| Coordinates | 22.23°N, 68.97°E |
| Significance | Kingdom of Krishna and Yadavas |
About Dwaraka
The legendary city of Krishna, built on the coast of Gujarat. A city of gold that was later submerged in the sea.
Why it matters: Kingdom of Krishna and Yadavas
Rulers and Custodians
- Vasudeva
- Krishna
- Balarama
Details
- Builder
- Vishwakarma, built on land reclaimed from the sea
- Fate
- Submerged in the sea after Krishna's departure
- Notable
- Krishna's Sudarshana Chakra protected this city
On the Map
Dwaraka sits at 22.23°N, 68.97°E.
View on the full mapEvents at Dwaraka
- Sudama Visits KrishnaYear -35Sudama, Krishna's poor childhood friend, visits Dwaraka with only a handful of beaten rice as a gift.
- Arjuna Elopes with SubhadraYear -29Arjuna falls in love with Subhadra, Krishna's sister. With Krishna's approval, he abducts her according to ancient warrior tradition.
- Krishna and the Flying City - The Fall of SaubhaYear -20To avenge Shishupala, King Shalva attacks Dwaraka with Saubha, a flying iron city granted by Shiva, while Krishna is away at the Rajasuya. Young Pradyumna holds the walls; Krishna returns, chases the city across the sea, survives its cruelest illusion - his own father's staged beheading - and cuts Saubha in half with the discus.
- Krishna's DepartureYear 23Krishna's Yadava clan destroys itself in a civil war. Krishna is accidentally killed by a hunter. Dwaraka sinks into the sea.
- The Jewel of the SunYear 23When a brilliant sun-jewel goes missing, the greedy Satrajit accuses Krishna of murder and theft. To clear his name, Krishna patiently traces the truth into the forest - a lion, a bear-king's cave - and battles the immortal Jambavan for days, until the bear recognizes the Lord he served as Rama in a former age. Krishna returns with the jewel and his name cleared, proving the patient truth the answer to every lie.
- The Sea Takes DwarakaYear 36After Krishna's departure and the Yadava self-slaughter, Arjuna evacuates the women and elders of Dwaraka - and as the last of them leave, the ocean closes over the golden city.
- The God of Love RebornYear 47The god of love, burned to ashes by Shiva, is reborn as Pradyumna, son of Krishna and Rukmini. The demon Shambara, fated to be slain by the child, steals the newborn and casts him into the sea - but a fish swallows him and carries him into the demon's own household, where Mayavati (his destined wife, Rati, in disguise) raises him. Grown, he slays Shambara and returns to Dwaraka in joy.
- The King Who Became a LizardYear 53King Nriga, famous for giving cattle beyond counting, gives away by oversight a single cow that was not his; for that one injustice with another's property he is cursed to live ages as a lizard, until the touch of Krishna frees him - a warning to all who hold power over others' wealth.
- The Bride From Another AgeYear 73Princess Revati waits with her father in the Creator's timeless hall while ages pass on earth; her whole world long gone, she is given to Balarama of a later age. Too tall, being of an older and greater race, she is brought to his stature by the touch of his plough - a tale of the vastness of time.
Stories Set at Dwaraka
The Theft of Rukmini
How Krishna Won His Queen at the Edge of a Wedding
The Imperial Sacrifice
Indraprastha, Jarasandha, and the Rajasuya Yagna
The Great Departure
Krishna's Death, the End of the Yadavas, and the Pandavas' Climb to Heaven
The Iron Maces
Book 16 - The Curse That Destroyed Krishna's People
Arjuna's Wandering Year
Three Wives in Three Kingdoms
The Friend Who Brought Rice
Sudama and the Grace of Krishna
The Jewel of the Sun
Krishna, the Syamantaka, and Jambavan
The Slaying of Naraka
Krishna, Satyabhama, and the Festival of Lights
The Thousand-Armed King
Usha, Aniruddha, and the War of Banasura
The God of Love Reborn
Pradyumna, Shambara, and the Return to Dwaraka
The King Who Became a Lizard
Nriga's long penance for one careless wrong
The Bride From Another Age
A princess of a former yuga wed across the ages
Krishna and the Flying City
The Fall of Saubha