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Bhalka
Death-place of Krishna in Gujarat, India From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Bhalka Temple, also known as Bhalka Tirtha (transl. Bhalka pilgrimage), is a hindu temple located in Veraval, Gujarat on the western coast of India. Revered as a sacred pilgrimage destination for Hindus, this site is believed to mark the place where Krishna drew his final breath. It is said that the hunter Jara ended Krishna life by an arrow shot to Krishna's foot, later suffering severe and subsequently fatal injuries. In Puranas, this site is called as Shri Krishna Nijdham Prasthan Leela.[1][2] Bhalka temple is part of the Lord Krishna circuit (Mathura, Vrindavan, Barsana, Govardhan, Kurukshetra and Dwarka).
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Legend
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According to Mahabharata, the Kurukshetra war resulted in the death of all the hundred sons of Gandhari. On the night before Duryodhana's death, Krishna visited Gandhari to offer his condolences. Gandhari felt that Krishna knowingly did not put an end to the war, and in a fit of rage and sorrow, Gandhari cursed that Krishna, along with everyone else from the Yadu dynasty, would perish after 36 years. Krishna himself knew and wanted this to happen as he felt that the Yadavas had become very haughty and arrogant (adharmi), so he ended Gandhari's speech by saying "tathastu" (so be it).[3][4]
After 36 years passed, a fight broke out between the Yadavas, at a festival, who killed each other. His elder brother, Balarama, left his body through Yoga. Krishna retired into the forest and started meditating under a tree. The Mahabharata also narrates the story of a hunter who becomes an instrument for Krishna's departure from the world. The hunter Jara mistook Krishna's partly visible left foot for that of a deer, and shot an arrow, mortally wounding him. After Jara realised his mistake, while still bleeding, Krishna told Jara, "O Jara, you were Vali in your previous birth, killed by myself as Rama in Treta Yuga. Here you had a chance to even it and since all acts in this world are done as desired by me, you need not worry for this". Then Krishna, left his physical body[5] ascended back to his eternal abode, Vaikuntha and this event marks departure of Krishna from the earth.[6][7][8] The news was conveyed to Hastinapur and Dwaraka by eyewitnesses to this event.[5] The place of this incident is believed to be Bhalka.[1][2]
According to Puranic sources,[a] Krishna's disappearance marks the end of Dvapara Yuga and the start of Kali Yuga, which is dated to 17/18 February 3102 BCE.[12]
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Story
As per the writing in Ramayana, Rama, that is, Krishna in his earlier Rama avatar (Avatars) is supposed to have given a boon to a Vanar king Vali (Hindu mythology) whom Rama killed stealthily by shooting an arrow, while hiding behind a bush when Vali was engaged in a battle with his younger brother Sugriva, thus fulfilling his promise of protecting Sugriva's life. The above action of the hunter in Krishna avatar (Avatars) is supposed to be in compliance to the boon of Rama. It is believed that Krishna left his footprints and he transformed the hunter back into vali who went back to Indraloka.
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Location
Bhalka temple is located in the coastal city of Veraval in Gujarat. The temple is located just 4 km from Somnath Temple, another important hindu pilgrimages site in the city. Presently the government has planned to develop this temple also into a major tourist attraction.[1]It is about 2.3 kilometres (1 mi) southeast of the Veraval Junction railway station, about 700 metres (0 mi) east of Veraval port and about 85 kilometres (53 mi) west of the Diu airport.
Connectivity
Bus services are available from places like Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot, and Dwarka.
Nearest Railway Station: Veraval Junction[13] - It is 2.3 km by road from Bhalka Temple.
Nearest Airport: Keshod airport - It is 52 km away from Bhalka Temple.
Gallery
Bhalka Temple
Bhalka Teerth
Sign Board depicting the importance of the place
Sign Board depicting the importance of the place
See also
Notes
- The Bhagavata Purana (1.18.6),[9] Vishnu Purana (5.38.8),[10] and Brahma Purana (2.103.8)[11] state that the day Krishna left the earth was the day that the Dvapara Yuga ended and the Kali Yuga began.
References
Sources
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