Dwarka and Somnath : Route Queries

ASHISHPALLOD · 10th July 2010, 23:01

I am planning a trip to Dwarka and Somnath in near future.
There will be three pax, me and parents.
Mostly, i will travel by train from Mumbai to Dwarka,
by taxi from Dwarka to Somnath/veraval,
by train from Veraval to Pune.

I need info about stay options at Dwarka and Somnath.
Is it good to stay at Somnath or Veraval?
How much time should be alloted for both places?
Which is best time to visit those places?[ no rush time]

Any nearby attractions at Dwarka and Somnath please.

aaggoswami · 10th July 2010, 23:06

1) Its better to stay at Somnath. The accomodation is not that costly and many options are available for overnight stay to choose from. We have done Vadodara-Somnath-Vadodara in one day.
But ealier my parents used to halt there for one night in somnath. I will talk with my parents and let you know if they remember any name.
But there are many options, less congesation and sea is just a few hunderd mtrs. walk in Somnath.

2) The only attraction near by Somnath IMO is Junagarh. But its impossible to reach the top. Again will let you know is more information is available. The sea at Chorwad and Mangrol is good enough, but not that good to warrant a visit.

ASHISHPALLOD · 10th July 2010, 23:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by aaggoswami

1) We have done Vadodara-Somnath-Vadodara in one day.
But ealier my parents used to halt there for one night in somnath. I will talk with my parents and let you know if they remember any name.

2) The only attraction near by Somnath IMO is Junagarh. Again will let you know is more information is available. The sea at Chorwad and Mangrol is good enough, but not that good to warrant a visit.

@aaggo,
Thanks for quick reply.

This is pilgrimage visit and mostly, i will avoid the places where too much walk/climb required.

I heard that there is one island near okha named bet dwarka.
Is it worth to visit that place in line with pilgrimage?

Looking forward for info from you.

hvkumar · 11th July 2010, 00:21

Asish, in Dwaraka, apart from the Dwarakadish temple, you have the Rukmini temple. Okha is 30-60 minutes drive, from where you take a 15-30 minute boat ride to Bet Dwaraka, which is a must-visit place. On your way back to Dwaraka, at Mithapur you can take a small detour and visit Nageshwar which is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga temples.

If you arrive in the early morning in Dwaraka, you can spent one day in this circuit.

It is 250 kms from Dwaraka to Somnath which you can cover in 4 hours. On the way, you could drop in at Gandhiji's ancestral house in Porbandar.

At Dwaraka, there are many hotels, I have stayed in GTDC hotel which is 2 kms from the temple but in an uncluttered location near the beach.

Avoid travel during Diwali, any other time is OK. Ideally, December.

Near Somnath, you can take a day off to visit Sasan Gir for the lions, not sure if it is open during the monsoons (may not be).

m-hawk · 11th July 2010, 02:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by ASHISHPALLOD

@aaggo,

I heard that there is one island near okha named bet dwarka.
Is it worth to visit that place in line with pilgrimage?

Looking forward for info from you.

A visit to dwarkadeesh without bet dwarka makes your visit incomplete it s a must !!! What I dont understand is why are you taking a train the road all the way till. Jamnagars proper two way and last 95 odd kms is average road on the very first day it. One can comfortably reach rajkot and further depending on your drivng style . If ok with family do not miss the opportunity of driving on beautiful Gujrat roads

ASHISHPALLOD · 11th July 2010, 10:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by hvkumar

1] in Dwaraka, apart from the Dwarakadish temple, you have the Rukmini temple.
2] Okha is 30-60 minutes drive, from where you take a 15-30 minute boat ride to Bet Dwaraka, which is a must-visit place.
3] On your way back to Dwaraka, at Mithapur you can take a small detour and visit Nageshwar which is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga temples.

4]It is 250 kms from Dwaraka to Somnath which you can cover in 4 hours. On the way, you could drop in at Gandhiji's ancestral house in Porbandar.

5]Near Somnath, you can take a day off to visit Sasan Gir for the lions, not sure if it is open during the monsoons (may not be).

Thanks Kumar sir.
I will surely visit the places you mentioned,
@sasan gir, visit depends upon season and mood/health of parents.

Quote:

Originally Posted by m-hawk

What I dont understand is why are you taking a train the road all the way till. Jamnagars proper two way and last 95 odd kms is average road on the very first day it.

As earlier mentioned, its pilgrimage with parents and they are not comfortable with so much journey on road.
Mumbai-Jamnagar flight timings are not suitable, thats why i opted for comfortable train ride.

aaggoswami · 11th July 2010, 20:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by ASHISHPALLOD

@aaggo,
Thanks for quick reply.

This is pilgrimage visit and mostly, i will avoid the places where too much walk/climb required.

I heard that there is one island near okha named bet dwarka.
Is it worth to visit that place in line with pilgrimage?

Looking forward for info from you.

1) Dwarka visit is never complete without BetDwarka. A visit is a must, but recently my friends visited the place and said that its not that clean a place, but yes, Dwarka + BetDwarka = Complete visit of Dwarka.

2) Sasan-Gir, well, if its a pilgrimage visit then best avoided during this season.

3) Purely IMO, best options is to stay in Somnath and enjoy the stay there. The chaos in Dwarka is higher ( we visited this place a few months ago ) and one more weird thing about Dwarka temple.

There are some weird timings for getting Darshan of God. Its from xx:xx am to xx:xx pm, etc. Other times, the doors are closed for darshan of God. This is one thing that irritated me a lot. Do confirm the timings when the doors are open.

I hope you are getting what I am trying to inform. Sorry for my poor presentation.

ASHISHPALLOD · 12th July 2010, 13:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by aaggoswami

I hope you are getting what I am trying to inform. Sorry for my poor presentation.

Got the info.

Most probably, i will be in Gujrat in Aug or Nov this year.

MX6 · 12th July 2010, 14:02

Here's all you can cover.
I'd suggest you go first to Veraval. There's direct train from Mumbai to Veraval. Stay at Veraval. You can start first at Somnath. The Jyotirlinga built by Moon God. Don't miss the museum out there which has some history of Somnath and how it was raided by the tyrant 17 times. Sardar Patel vowed to bring Somnath to past glory. You can see the ruins as small rocks behind the current massive edifice. Night time lighting is mind blowing.
Neax to Somnath is Prabhas Pathan. The place where Krishna's toe was mistook for a doe's eye and a hunter shot an arrow killing him. Next to that is Balram Gupha where Lord Balram is supposed to have transformed back to Shesh Nag and went to Patala Loka.
Proceed from Veraval on a taxi. Stop at Madhavpur which was the place where Krishna Abducted Rukmini and married here. There's an ancient temple of Krishna. Also there's an old Ganesha temple which Krishna is supposed to have prayed too and has resurfaced from the sea, with telling signs that the temple was once under the sea.
Enroute do stop by at Porbandhar for Gandhi's home, Kasturba's home and some historic temples. Next from Porbandhar, don't miss out on Gopi talav, a 6000 year old place/ temple where Krishna is supposed to have done all the Ras leelas. There's a temple for Radha as well here and it's archeologically dated over 5000 years old. The place looks like just out of a painting.
There are also 5 Shiva temples prayed by the Pandavas during their Agyathvas somewhere in this route. And you can easily find out which one Bheem used to pray!
At Dwaraka, go ahead to the evening arati of Dwarakadeesh Maharaj. Getting goose bumps now when I'm typing about that evening arati.
Don't miss out of Bet Dwaraka. You'd find an idol of Krishna there allegedly prayed by Satyabhama. The identical idol is now in Udupi which was allegedly prayed by Rukmini.
Also drop by at Naagesham Darukavane (Nageshwar at Dwarka).
If it interests you, stop at Chorwad (25 kms from Veraval)to see the ancient haveli of a maverick industrialist born there, who was called Dhirubhai Ambani.
Chorwad also has a beach, which is rocky. they were planning an adventure resort there ages back.
Go in Nov as weather would be better in Coastal Gujarat. Also you wouldn't know when a cyclone will hit the coast in Aug. Unpredictable weather pattern you see. But the best time to be in Gujarat is during the Garbha.

ASHISHPALLOD · 12th July 2010, 14:20

@MX6,
Wow,
thats load of info.
Just called parents and they are more inclined towards the trip in Deepavali vacation with their grandchildren.
I am little worried about the rush during that period.

MX6 · 12th July 2010, 14:25

Don't worry about the rush. Anytime after August is rush time in Gujarat. I took my parents on this circuit in 2000, when I was stationed in Veraval. I even took them to the Sasan Gir (jungles)
If you are alone, I'd have suggested you many places around, like Girnar, Junagarh fort, Palitana - absolute no miss place), Akshardham and Modera (near Ahmedabad).
Rush is never a problem in Gujarat! Facilities are good.
I've been thinking of a trip to those places too. But then, I have to finish Kashi first, later this year. Also, I want to go to Gir in Spring. Looks like yesterday. But has been 10 long years, since I left Gujarat.

And I did notice that you mentioned Deepavali instead of Diwali

Any history attached?

ASHISHPALLOD · 12th July 2010, 14:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by MX6

And I did notice that you mentioned Deepavali instead of Diwali

Any history attached?

Arrrr,
No history, no present and no future because i am more like Kartik swami the brother of Ganesha!!

[ My wife says so, not me

:].

Btw, i always mention the festival of deep as Deepavali and not Diwali!!!

ASHISHPALLOD · 27th August 2010, 14:09

The trip is finalized in the third/fourth week of nov.

Thanks to mx6 for the ujjain travelogue from where i got the inspiration to add omkareshwar and ujjain.

I will travel like
pune-train-khandwa-taxi-omkareshwar-taxi-ujjain-train-somnath-taxi-dwarka-train-mumbai.

The trip will cover four out of twelve jyotirlings and one dhaam i.e. dwarka in seven days.

The train tickets and mptdc resort at omkareshwar are booked.

1] what are the attractions between omkareshwar and ujjain?
2] what are the attractions between somnath and dwarka other than porbandar?
3] should i stay at veraval or somnath? there are some good resorts at somnath itself.
4] which is best place to stay at dwarka? which location at dwarka i should prefer?

hvkumar · 27th August 2010, 14:16

Somanath is a preferred place for stay.
In Dwaraka, I have stayed in Gujarat Tourism, but there are several private lodges closer to the temple.

ASHISHPALLOD · 27th August 2010, 14:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by hvkumar

there are several private lodges closer to the temple.

Thats what i am looking for.
I need the stay option near the temple, that will be easier for my parent.

The hotel websites of damji hotel, dwarka residency, city palace etc don't show exact location of the hotel.
It just mention that it is 5 min walking distance from the temple but...
....i will not get convinced till i see the location on google earth.

10th July 2010, 23:01	#1
ASHISHPALLOD Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: MH42 Posts: 2,014 Thanked: 346 Times View My Garage	Dwarka and Somnath : Route Queries I am planning a trip to Dwarka and Somnath in near future. There will be three pax, me and parents. Mostly, i will travel by train from Mumbai to Dwarka, by taxi from Dwarka to Somnath/veraval, by train from Veraval to Pune. I need info about stay options at Dwarka and Somnath. Is it good to stay at Somnath or Veraval? How much time should be alloted for both places? Which is best time to visit those places?[ no rush time] Any nearby attractions at Dwarka and Somnath please. Last edited by ASHISHPALLOD : 10th July 2010 at 23:03.
	() Thanks

10th July 2010, 23:06	#2
aaggoswami Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Vadodara Posts: 4,997 Thanked: 3,000 Times	1) Its better to stay at Somnath. The accomodation is not that costly and many options are available for overnight stay to choose from. We have done Vadodara-Somnath-Vadodara in one day. But ealier my parents used to halt there for one night in somnath. I will talk with my parents and let you know if they remember any name. But there are many options, less congesation and sea is just a few hunderd mtrs. walk in Somnath. 2) The only attraction near by Somnath IMO is Junagarh. But its impossible to reach the top. Again will let you know is more information is available. The sea at Chorwad and Mangrol is good enough, but not that good to warrant a visit.
	() Thanks

11th July 2010, 00:21	#4
hvkumar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 7,369 Thanked: 3,466 Times	Asish, in Dwaraka, apart from the Dwarakadish temple, you have the Rukmini temple. Okha is 30-60 minutes drive, from where you take a 15-30 minute boat ride to Bet Dwaraka, which is a must-visit place. On your way back to Dwaraka, at Mithapur you can take a small detour and visit Nageshwar which is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga temples. If you arrive in the early morning in Dwaraka, you can spent one day in this circuit. It is 250 kms from Dwaraka to Somnath which you can cover in 4 hours. On the way, you could drop in at Gandhiji's ancestral house in Porbandar. At Dwaraka, there are many hotels, I have stayed in GTDC hotel which is 2 kms from the temple but in an uncluttered location near the beach. Avoid travel during Diwali, any other time is OK. Ideally, December. Near Somnath, you can take a day off to visit Sasan Gir for the lions, not sure if it is open during the monsoons (may not be).
	() Thanks

12th July 2010, 14:02	#9
MX6 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: City of seven islands. Posts: 2,878 Thanked: 235 Times	Here's all you can cover. I'd suggest you go first to Veraval. There's direct train from Mumbai to Veraval. Stay at Veraval. You can start first at Somnath. The Jyotirlinga built by Moon God. Don't miss the museum out there which has some history of Somnath and how it was raided by the tyrant 17 times. Sardar Patel vowed to bring Somnath to past glory. You can see the ruins as small rocks behind the current massive edifice. Night time lighting is mind blowing. Neax to Somnath is Prabhas Pathan. The place where Krishna's toe was mistook for a doe's eye and a hunter shot an arrow killing him. Next to that is Balram Gupha where Lord Balram is supposed to have transformed back to Shesh Nag and went to Patala Loka. Proceed from Veraval on a taxi. Stop at Madhavpur which was the place where Krishna Abducted Rukmini and married here. There's an ancient temple of Krishna. Also there's an old Ganesha temple which Krishna is supposed to have prayed too and has resurfaced from the sea, with telling signs that the temple was once under the sea. Enroute do stop by at Porbandhar for Gandhi's home, Kasturba's home and some historic temples. Next from Porbandhar, don't miss out on Gopi talav, a 6000 year old place/ temple where Krishna is supposed to have done all the Ras leelas. There's a temple for Radha as well here and it's archeologically dated over 5000 years old. The place looks like just out of a painting. There are also 5 Shiva temples prayed by the Pandavas during their Agyathvas somewhere in this route. And you can easily find out which one Bheem used to pray! At Dwaraka, go ahead to the evening arati of Dwarakadeesh Maharaj. Getting goose bumps now when I'm typing about that evening arati. Don't miss out of Bet Dwaraka. You'd find an idol of Krishna there allegedly prayed by Satyabhama. The identical idol is now in Udupi which was allegedly prayed by Rukmini. Also drop by at Naagesham Darukavane (Nageshwar at Dwarka). If it interests you, stop at Chorwad (25 kms from Veraval)to see the ancient haveli of a maverick industrialist born there, who was called Dhirubhai Ambani. Chorwad also has a beach, which is rocky. they were planning an adventure resort there ages back. Go in Nov as weather would be better in Coastal Gujarat. Also you wouldn't know when a cyclone will hit the coast in Aug. Unpredictable weather pattern you see. But the best time to be in Gujarat is during the Garbha. Last edited by MX6 : 12th July 2010 at 14:04.
	(2) Thanks

12th July 2010, 14:20	#10
ASHISHPALLOD Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: MH42 Posts: 2,014 Thanked: 346 Times View My Garage	@MX6, Wow, thats load of info. Just called parents and they are more inclined towards the trip in Deepavali vacation with their grandchildren. I am little worried about the rush during that period.
	() Thanks

12th July 2010, 14:25	#11
MX6 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: City of seven islands. Posts: 2,878 Thanked: 235 Times	Don't worry about the rush. Anytime after August is rush time in Gujarat. I took my parents on this circuit in 2000, when I was stationed in Veraval. I even took them to the Sasan Gir (jungles) If you are alone, I'd have suggested you many places around, like Girnar, Junagarh fort, Palitana - absolute no miss place), Akshardham and Modera (near Ahmedabad). Rush is never a problem in Gujarat! Facilities are good. I've been thinking of a trip to those places too. But then, I have to finish Kashi first, later this year. Also, I want to go to Gir in Spring. Looks like yesterday. But has been 10 long years, since I left Gujarat. And I did notice that you mentioned Deepavali instead of Diwali Any history attached?
	(1) Thanks

27th August 2010, 14:09	#13
ASHISHPALLOD Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: MH42 Posts: 2,014 Thanked: 346 Times View My Garage	The trip is finalized in the third/fourth week of nov. Thanks to mx6 for the ujjain travelogue from where i got the inspiration to add omkareshwar and ujjain. I will travel like pune-train-khandwa-taxi-omkareshwar-taxi-ujjain-train-somnath-taxi-dwarka-train-mumbai. The trip will cover four out of twelve jyotirlings and one dhaam i.e. dwarka in seven days. The train tickets and mptdc resort at omkareshwar are booked. 1] what are the attractions between omkareshwar and ujjain? 2] what are the attractions between somnath and dwarka other than porbandar? 3] should i stay at veraval or somnath? there are some good resorts at somnath itself. 4] which is best place to stay at dwarka? which location at dwarka i should prefer? Last edited by ASHISHPALLOD : 27th August 2010 at 14:26.
	() Thanks

27th August 2010, 14:16	#14
hvkumar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 7,369 Thanked: 3,466 Times	Somanath is a preferred place for stay. In Dwaraka, I have stayed in Gujarat Tourism, but there are several private lodges closer to the temple.
	() Thanks