Sri Kalyana Narayana Perumal Temple, Dwaraka
Thiru Dwaraka
Photo: Vidaikodiselvar S. Danabala · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Krishna's royal capital; one of the Char Dham and one of the seven Mukti sthalams; the Moolavar faces west toward the sea.
Sthala Purāṇam
Thiru Dwaraka, at Dwaraka in Gujarat on the western coast, enshrines Sri Kalyana Narayana Perumal, also venerated as Dwarakanathji or Dwarakadhish, the form of Krishna as king of his island city; the Thayar is Kalyana Naachiyar (Lakshmi), worshipped with Rukmani. The sthala puranam continues Krishna's life-arc from his birth at Mathura and childhood at Aayarpadi to his royal reign at Dwaraka. When King Gargeya of Mathura performed severe penance to Shiva and obtained the warrior Kaalayavan to destroy the Yadavas, Krishna sought the aid of the ocean-king, and Vishwakarma built the splendid sea-girt city of Dwaraka ('the gateway to heaven'). When Kaalayavan attacked, Krishna led him into a cave where the long-sleeping Muchukunda (Musukundan) awoke and reduced the invader to ash with his glance. Another cherished episode is that of Kuchela (Sudama), Krishna's poor Brahmin friend, who offered humble beaten rice (aval) and was rewarded by Krishna with great prosperity. The Gomathi river and the Prabhas theertham (where the Gomathi meets the sea) are the sacred waters. As a Divya Desam, Dwaraka was glorified by several Alvars including Periyalvar, Andal, Thirumangai Alvar, Thirumazhisai Alvar and Nammalvar. A distinctive practice is the daily dressing of the deity in three forms before devotees: as a child, as a king, and as an aged sage.
Mangalāśāsanam — the Āḻvār pāsurams
The Lord Kalyana Narayanan (Dwarakadhish) with Kalyana Naachiyar (with Rukmani) of Thiru Dwaraka is glorified in 13 pāsurams by:
Thiru Dwaraka (Dwarakadhish, Gujarat) — the island-capital Krishna built and ruled, one of the Sapta Moksha Puris — is sung in Mangalasasanam by five Alvars: Periyalvar (5 pasurams), Andal (4 pasurams), Thirumangai Alvar (2 pasurams), Thirumalisai (Thirumazhisai) Alvar (1 pasuram) and Nammalvar (1 pasuram), totalling 13 verses (matching the input count). The Alvar verses celebrate Krishna as the king of Dwaraka (thuvarai/thuvarapathi) — His marriage to Rukmini, His Pandava embassy, and His sovereign glory — rather than describing the present-day shrine in detail.
Verses & references (1)
- Across the Divya Prabandham, Andal and the other Alvars invoke Krishna as 'thuvaraikkOn' / the Lord of Dwaraka — the King who reigned over the golden sea-girt city of Dwaraka, married Nappinnai/Rukmini, and served as the Pandavas' charioteer and envoy. These references constitute the Mangalasasanam of Thiru Dwaraka, glorifying the deeds of the Dwaraka-Krishna. — Andal, Periya Thirumozhi / Nachiyar Thirumozhi / Thiruvaaymozhi (composite Mangalasasanam) · source ↗
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