Gujarat Coastal Plain

◍ Prabhasa Kshetra - Somanatha Jyotirlinga, Prabhasa Shakti Peetha and Dehotsarga Teertha:

- Prabhasa Kshetra (Jyotirlinga) (Shakti Peetha)
(Gir Somnath district, Gujarat)

Shiva: Somanatha Jyotirlinga
Devi: Prabhasa Shakti Peetha (Devi Chandrabhaga)
Krishna: Bhalka Teertha, Dehotsarga Teertha
Devas: Chandra deva

- Prabhasa Kshetra is the place where Lord Shiva abides as Somanatha Jyotirlinga.
- Prabhasa Kshetra is the place where Devi abides as Prabhasa Shakti Peetha.
- Prabhasa Kshetra is the place from where Sri Krishna returned to his divine abode.

☁ Sea Shore (Prabhasa Kshetra)
◉ Triveni Sangam: Rivers Hiran - Kapila - Saraswati Sangam (Confluence)
(Shiva Purana) (Skanda Purana - Prabhasa Khanda)
• Somanatha Jyotirlinga - Lord Shiva relieving Chandra deva from the disease of consumption due to the curse of Daksha (Somanatha Jyotirlinga)
(Shiva Purana - Koti Rudra Samhita - 14)
• Prabhasa Shakti Peetha: I meditate on the Prabhasa Shakti Peetha where the Udara (Stomach) of Devi had fallen. The Devi there is known as Chandrabhaga and the Bhairava is called Vakratunda. (Prabhasa Shakti Peetha)
(Peetha Nirnaya Tantra - Shakti Peetha Stotram - verse 43)
• Sri Krishna giving up his mortal body in Prabhasa Kshetra. (Bhalka Teertha, Dehotsarga Teertha)
(Srimad Bhagavatam - Skanda 11 - 30 to 31)

◍ Dwaraka Kshetra - Moksha Puri, Char Dham, Kingdom of Sri Krishna and Nageshwara Jyotirlinga:

► Dwarka (Moksha Puri) (Divya Desam) (Jyotirlinga) (All India Char Dham)
(Devbhoomi Dwarka district, Gujarat)

☁ Sea Shore (Dwaraka Kshetra)
▬ River Gomati flows
◉ Gomati - Sagara Sangam (Confluence)
☸ Daruka Vana (Puranic)
(Gujarat Coastal Plain)

• Krishna: Sri Krishna established his kingdom in Dwarka after leaving Mathura. Sri Krishna stayed in Dwarka for a long time (till his final departure) and performed various Leelas while staying in Dwarka:
- Abducting Devi Rukmini and marrying her
- Retrieving the Syamantaka jewel from Jambavan and marrying Devi Jambavati
- Marrying Devi Sathyabhama, the daughter of Satrajit.
- Marrying Devi Kalindi, the daughter of the Sun-god.
- Marrying Satya, the daughter of king Nagnajit of Ayodhya after subduing seven ferocious bulls.
- Marrying Lakshmana after abducting her from the Svayamvara ceremony.
- Marrying Bhadra, the sister of Santardana.
- Killing demon Mura and his seven sons.
- Killing demon Narakasura and destroying his entire army.
- Taking the Parijata tree to Dwaraka after defeating Indra.
- Marrying the sixteen thousand and one hundred women who were held captive by Narakasura.
- Destroying the pride of Banasura.
- Delivering king Nrga from the form of a lizard.
- Killing Paundraka (the false Vasudeva), Kasiraja and Sudakshina.
- Killing Sishupala during the Rajasuya yagna of king Yudhishthira and liberating him.
- Killing Salva who laid seige in Dwaraka.
- Killing Dantavakra and Viduratha.
- Receiving Sudama, accepting his flattened rice and turning his humble house into palace.
- Curse of sage Durvasa on Devi Rukmini and later boon of sage Durvasa to the devotees of Sri Krishna.
- Meeting the Gopis in Dwarka.
- Dwarkadheesh Temple (Main Temple)
- Nrga Kund (Delivering king Nrga)
- Bet Dwarka Temple (Meeting Sudama)
- Gopi Talav (Meeting Gopis)

• Devi Rukmini: Sage Durvasa cursed Devi Rukmini in Dwarka and separated her from Sri Krishna. Due to this, Devi Rukmini Temple is few km away from the main Dwarkadheesh Temple.
- Devi Rukmini Temple

• Shiva: Lord Shiva protected merchant devotee Supriya from the atrocities of demon Daruka and abided as Nageshwara Jyotirlinga.
- Kumaras created a Shiva Linga and worshipped Lord Shiva.
- Nageshwara Jyotirlinga
- Siddheshwara Mahadev (Kumaras worshipping)

• Sages: Sages associated with Dwarka:

○ Durvasa: Sage Durvasa cursed Devi Rukmini in Dwarka and later gave boons to the devotees of Sri Krishna and abided in Dwarka.
- Dwarkadheesh Temple - Durvasa shrine

○ Vasishtha: Sage Vasishtha brought river Gomati to Dwarka.
- Gomti Temple
- Gomti Ghat

○ The Gods brought five rivers in Dwarka which were purified by five sages. The collection of all the Teerthas became the Panchanada Teertha. The five rivers and the associated sages are:
1. River Gomati purified by sage Maricha
2. River Lakshmana (purified by sage Atri)
3. River Chandrabhaga purified by sage Angirasa
4. River Kushavati purified by sage Pulaha
5. River Jambavati purified by sage Kritra
- Panchanada Tirtha

• Saints: Saints associated with Dwarka:

○ Adi Shankaracharya (788 - 820 CE?): Sri Adi Shankaracharya (788 - 820 CE?) had set up one of his four monasteries in Dwarka. The monastery is known as Dwarka Sharada Peetha.
- Dwarka Sharada Peeth

○ Meerabai (1497 - 1557 CE): Sri Meerabai (1497 - 1557 CE) is said to have spent the last part of her life in Dwarka and finally merged with Lord Dwarkadheesh.

अयोध्या मथुरा माया काशी काञ्ची अवन्तिका ।
पुरी द्वारावती चैव सप्तैते मोक्षदायकाः ॥
- Sapta Mokshapuri Sloka (Dwaraka is a Moksha Puri)

कृष्ण गोविन्द हे राम नारायण श्रीपते वासुदेवाजित श्रीनिधे ।
अच्युतानन्त हे माधवाधोक्षज द्वारकानायक द्रौपदीरक्षक ॥
- Achyutashtakam - verse 4 (Sri Krishna had his kingdom in Dwaraka)

परल्यां वैद्यनाथं च डाकिन्यां भीमाशंकरम् ।
सेतुबंधे तु रामेशं नागेशं दारुकावने ॥
- Dwadasa Jyotirlinga Stotra - verse 2 (Dwarka has the Nageshwara Jyotirlinga)


(Srimad Bhagavatam)
(Skanda Purana - Dwaraka Mahatmya)

▬ Sri Krishna abducting Devi Rukmini, the daughter of Bhishmaka.
(Srimad Bhagavatam - Skanda 10 - 53)
▬ Sri Krishna marrying Devi Rukmini.
(Srimad Bhagavatam - Skanda 10 - 54)
▬ Sri Krishna retrieving the Syamantaka jewel from Jambavan.
(Srimad Bhagavatam - Skanda 10 - 56)
▬ Sri Krishna marrying Jambavati, the daughter of Jambavan.
(Srimad Bhagavatam - Skanda 10 - 56)
▬ Sri Krishna returning the Syamantaka jewel to Satrajit.
(Srimad Bhagavatam - Skanda 10 - 56)
▬ Sri Krishna marrying Satyabhama, the daughter of Satrajit.
(Srimad Bhagavatam - Skanda 10 - 56)
▬ Sri Krishna marrying Kalindi, the daughter of the Sun-god.
(Srimad Bhagavatam - Skanda 10 - 58)
▬ Sri Krishna marrying Satya, the daughter of king Nagnajit of Ayodhya after subduing seven ferocious bulls.
(Srimad Bhagavatam - Skanda 10 - 58)
▬ Sri Krishna marrying Lakshmana after abducting her from the Svayamvara ceremony.
(Srimad Bhagavatam - Skanda 10 - 58)
▬ Sri Krishna marrying Bhadra, the sister of Santardana.
(Srimad Bhagavatam - Skanda 10 - 58)
▬ Sri Krishna killing demon Mura and his seven sons.
(Srimad Bhagavatam - Skanda 10 - 59)
▬ Sri Krishna killing demon Narakasura and destroying his entire army.
(Srimad Bhagavatam - Skanda 10 - 59)
▬ Sri Krishna taking the Parijata tree to Dwaraka after defeating Indra.
(Srimad Bhagavatam - Skanda 10 - 59)
▬ Sri Krishna marrying the sixteen thousand and one hundred women who were held captive by Narakasura.
(Srimad Bhagavatam - Skanda 10 - 59)
▬ Sri Krishna destroying the pride of Banasura.
(Srimad Bhagavatam - Skanda 10 - 63)
▬ Sri Krishna delivering king Nrga from the form of a lizard.
(Srimad Bhagavatam - Skanda 10 - 64)
▬ Sri Krishna killing Paundraka (the false Vasudeva), Kasiraja and Sudakshina.
(Srimad Bhagavatam - Skanda 10 - 66)
▬ Sri Krishna killing Sishupala during the Rajasuya yagna of king Yudhishthira and liberating him.
(Srimad Bhagavatam - Skanda 10 - 74)
▬ Sri Krishna killing Salva who laid seige in Dwaraka.
(Srimad Bhagavatam - Skanda 10 - 77)
▬ Sri Krishna killing Dantavakra and Viduratha.
(Srimad Bhagavatam - Skanda 10 - 78)
▬ Sri Krishna receiving Sudama, accepting his flattened rice and turning his humble house into palace.
(Srimad Bhagavatam - Skanda 10 - 80 to 81)
▬ Curse of sage Durvasa
(Skanda Purana - Dwaraka Mahatmya - 2 to 3)
▬ Boon of sage Durvasa
(Skanda Purana - Dwaraka Mahatmya - 4)
▬ Sri Krishna delivering king Nriga
(Skanda Purana - Dwaraka Mahatmya - 10)
▬ Sri Krishna meeting Gopis in Dwaraka
(Skanda Purana - Dwaraka Mahatmya - 12 to 13)
▬ Penance of Kumaras and emergence of river Gomati
(Skanda Purana - Dwaraka Mahatmya - 5)
▬ Gomati - Sagara Sangama
(Skanda Purana - Dwaraka Mahatmya - 8)
▬ Panchanada Teertha
(Skanda Purana - Dwaraka Mahatmya - 14)
▬ Siddheshwara and Rishi Teertha
(Skanda Purana - Dwaraka Mahatmya - 15)
▬ Nageshwara Jyotirlinga - Lord Shiva protecting devotee Supriya from the atrocities of demon Daruka
(Shiva Purana - Koti Rudra Samhita - 29 to 30)

◍ Bhrigukaccha (Bharuch) - Place of Lord Shiva, sage Bhrigu, Vamana Avatara and Narmada-Sagara Sangam:

- Bharuch
(Bharuch district, Gujarat)

Vamana: Vamana Temple
Shiva: Nava Natha Lingas
Narmada: Narmada Temple

- Bharuch is the place identified with the puranic Bhrigukaccha.
- Puranic Bhrigukaccha is the place where Lord Vamana visited the yagna of king Mahabali (Srimad Bhagavatam).
- Bharuch is the place where river Narmada merges with the Sea at Mithi Talai. It is an important place of Narmada Parikrama where the pilgrim crosses over to the other bank of river Narmada.

Sages: Bhrigu (Bhrigu Temple)

- Puranic Bhrigukaccha is the place created by sage Bhrigu with the blessings of Lord Shiva (Skanda Purana - Reva Khanda).

☁ Sea Shore (Mithi Talai)
▬ River Narmada flows
◉ Narmada - Sagara Sangam (Confluence) at Mithi Talai

(Srimad Bhagavatam) (Skanda Purana - Reva Khanda)
• Lord Vamana visited the yagna of king Mahabali at Bhrigukaccha. (Vamana Temple)
(Srimad Bhagavatam - Skanda 08 - 15 to 23)
• Sage Bhrigu created Bhrigukaccha with the blessings of Lord Shiva. (Bhrigu Temple)
(Skanda Purana - Reva Khanda - 181 to 182)

◍ Mahisagar Sangam Kshetra - Mahi-Sagara Sangam and where Kumara installed Shiva Lingas (Stambheshwar Mahadev):

- Mahisagar Sangam
(Anand district & Bharuch district, Gujarat):

Shiva: Stambheshwar Mahadev
Kumara: Stambheshwar Mahadev
Mahi: Mahisagar Mata

- Mahisagar Sangam is the place where Kumara installed five Shiva Lingas after defeating Tarakasura in the battle. One of the Shiva Lingas is known as Stambheshwara. Stambha means Pillar, so the Stambheshwara Linga represent the Pillar of Victory.
- Mahisagar Sangam is the place where river Mahi merges with the Sea. This is considered to be a very sacred place according to the Puranas.

☁ Sea Shore (Mahisagara Sangam)
▬ River Mahi flows
◉ Mahi - Sagara Sangam (Confluence)

(Skanda Purana - Kaumarika Khanda)
• Kumara installed Shiva Lingas near Mahisagar Sangam after slaying demon Tarakasura.
(Skanda Purana - Kaumarika Khanda - 32 to 36)