D for Dwaraka’s Description - Mahabharata Mashup

Namaste,

Dwaraka (gateway to heaven) is a city Krishna and the Vrishni clan built as their safe haven when Jarasandha continued to attack Mathura. It is said to be built by Vishwakarman, the celestial architect. Dwaraka is an island kingdom (or a coastal region), with close association with the (now Arabian) sea. 

In Sabha Parva, we get a detailed description of Dwaraka during the Rajasuya yagna. Bhishma shared the story of Krishna’s greatness and why he was the right person to receive the honor of the yagna. 

According to the descriptions – 

The city was surrounded by exquisite gardens and trees on all sides. Fruits and sweet-smelling flowers were found in abundance. The buildings shone like the sun and moon and were sky-high, resembling the Meru Mountains. Moats surrounded the place, filled with lotus blooms and gliding swans. The gardens in Dwaraka were much like the celestial gardens and had a variety of plants. Just about every tree and herb grew in the city’s gardens. 

The Raivataka Hill was on the east, while the Latavesta Hill (also known as the Rainbow Hill) was on the south. Sukaksa Hill was on the west side, and Venumanta Hill was on the north. Krishna had personally planted Vaijayanthi flags on these hills. 

The western part of Dwaraka had a lake called Puskarini, which was measured as spread over a hundred bow lengths. Indradyumna is another large lake in the city. There were fifty gates to enter the city, with all entrances fortified with gigantic machinery and weapons to prevent invaders from entering. Eight thousand chariots lay waiting outside the city gates. 

The central area was eight yojanas wide and twelve yojanas long (one yojana is appx. eight kilometers). The adjoining regions were double in size. The city had eight main roads and sixteen large crossroads. By-lanes extended into the interior regions from seven main roads. 

Sweet music could heard anywhere in the city. The houses had large porches with gold-washed rooftops and whitewashed walls. The windows, domes, and grillwork were studded with gemstones. The houses were made of different materials to suit people’s tastes. Some were of gold, some of brick, and some of marble, with Jambu-gold (gold from River Jambu) and blue stone doors. All houses in Dwaraka had bells. 

Krishna’s palaces (all together) were four yojanas square and had so many rooms that it was impossible to not get confused. Krishna’s personal palace was one yojana square, built to suit Rukmini’s taste. Satyabhama’s palace was white and had gem-studded staircases designed for cooling effect. Between Rukmini and Satyabhama’s palaces was Jambhavti’s palace, reflecting her preferences. Similarly, the other five queens also had their own palaces. 

Then there was Viraja, Krishna’s favorite resting place with perfect symmetry. 

All this is only a part of the description. Just imagine how magnificent Dwaraka was. A fitting abode for Krishna! 

However, everything good has to come to an end. In Mausala Parva, we read about the destruction of Dwaraka and the end of Krishnavatar. 

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