Skip to main content

Dvārakā

  • Reference work entry
  • First Online:
Hinduism and Tribal Religions

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Indian Religions ((EIR))

  • 23 Accesses

Synonyms

Dvāravatī; Dwarka

Definition

Dvārakā is an ancient city mentioned in the Mahābhārata, Harivaṃśa and many Purāṇas, as the new capital built under the leadership of Śrī Kṛṣṇa after the Yādavas migrated from Mathurā. According to the Mahābhārata, this was a beautiful and strongly fortified city, which was eventually submerged in the sea after the death of Kṛṣṇa. In modern times, there have been many attempts at identifying the location of this now extinct city, without, however, leading to any agreement among scholars.

Introduction

According to the Mahābhārata and its supplement or appendix, the Harivaṃśa, Dvārakā, or Dvāravatī was the new capital built under the leadership of Kṛṣṇa when the Yādavas left Mathurā and migrated westward. The decision to abandon Mathurā was taken because of the repeated attacks of Jarāsandha, the king of Magadha, who was enraged at the death of his son-in-law Kaṁsa at the hands of Kṛṣṇa. Thereafter, the new capital of Dvārakā was built. The Mahābhārata...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 449.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 499.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Kosambi DD (2002) Combined methods in indology and other writings. Oxford University Press, New Delhi

    Google Scholar 

  2. Ansari ZD, Mate MS (1966) Excavations at Dwarka. Deccan College, Poona

    Google Scholar 

  3. Pusalker AD (1945) Dvārakā. In: Bhandarkar DR et al (eds) B C law volume, part I. The Indian Research Institute, Calcutta

    Google Scholar 

  4. Rao SR (1999) The lost city of Dvārakā. Aditya Prakashan, New Delhi

    Google Scholar 

  5. Pargiter FE (trans) (1904) The Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa. Asiatic Society, Calcutta

    Google Scholar 

  6. Gaur AS, Sundaresh VKH (2008) Underwater archaeology of Dwarka and Somnath. Aryan Books & National Institute of Oceanography, New Delhi

    Google Scholar 

  7. Iyengar RN, Radhakrishna BP (2005) Evolution of the western coastline of India and the probable location of Dwārakā of Kṛṣṇa: geological perspectives. J Geol Soc India 66:285–292

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Arpita Mitra .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 Springer Nature B.V.

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Mitra, A. (2022). Dvārakā. In: Long, J.D., Sherma, R.D., Jain, P., Khanna, M. (eds) Hinduism and Tribal Religions. Encyclopedia of Indian Religions. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1188-1_616

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics