Dwarka Is in Gujarat: Devbhoomi Dwarka District, PIN 361335

How to Reach Dwarka from Different States

Being in Gujarat — India's westernmost state — Dwarka is accessible from neighbouring states by multiple routes. From Rajasthan (Jodhpur–Barmer corridor): take NH25 to Bhuj, then NH27 to Dwarka — approximately 700 km, 10–12 hours. From Maharashtra (Mumbai): Konkan route by train is not direct — travel to Surat or Ahmedabad first, then connect to Dwarka by train or road. Fastest route from Mumbai is Dwarka Express train (departs Mumbai Central, 26+ hours). From Madhya Pradesh: via Vadodara or Ahmedabad, then Dwarka Express — approximately 20–24 hours total. The entire state of Gujarat is dry (no alcohol) — Dwarka follows Gujarat prohibition law strictly.

Dwarka is part of the Char Dham pilgrimage circuit established by Adi Shankaracharya — the four dhams represent the four geographical corners of India: Badrinath (north, Uttarakhand), Puri (east, Odisha), Rameswaram (south, Tamil Nadu), and Dwarka (west, Gujarat). All four are in different states, each with distinct culture, climate, and travel requirements. Completing all four Char Dham is considered a spiritually significant lifetime achievement in Hindu tradition — and Dwarka is the westernmost point of this sacred cross-continental journey.

The administrative district that contains Dwarka is called Devbhoomi Dwarka. This district is relatively new in administrative terms — it was carved out of the larger Jamnagar district in 2013. The name "Devbhoomi" is deeply intentional: it means "Land of the Gods" in Sanskrit, a tribute to the density of sacred sites within the district's boundaries. The district headquarters is located at Khambhalia, a town about 40 km inland from Dwarka.

Before 2013, the entire area including Dwarka, Okha, and Khambhalia fell under Jamnagar district. The bifurcation acknowledged the unique administrative and pilgrimage demands of the coastal zone. Devbhoomi Dwarka district now manages the Dwarka municipality, the port town of Okha (the departure point for Bet Dwarka ferries), and the broader coastline stretching down to the Gulf of Kutch.

The district contains several other notable locations beyond Dwarka town itself. Okha is 36 km from Dwarka and serves as the mainland port for reaching Bet Dwarka island. Nageshwar Jyotirlinga temple, one of India's 12 Jyotirlingas, lies 22 km from Dwarka near Okha. Beyt Dwarka, also called Bet Dwarka, is an island in the Gulf of Kutch accessible by ferry from Okha. All of these fall within Devbhoomi Dwarka district.

Geographically, Dwarka sits at the extreme western tip of the Saurashtra peninsula. Saurashtra (also called Kathiawar) is the large peninsula that juts westward from the main body of Gujarat into the Arabian Sea. The peninsula is bounded by the Gulf of Kutch to the north, the Arabian Sea to the west, and the Gulf of Khambhat to the east.

Dwarka's precise location at the convergence of the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Kutch gives it a dramatic coastal character. The town is essentially surrounded by water on three sides. The Gomti River, a tidal channel that rises and falls with the sea, runs through the town and meets the Arabian Sea at Gomti Ghat, just below the Dwarkadhish Temple complex. This geography is partly why ancient texts describe Dwarka as an island city — at high tide and in rough weather, the landward connections would have been tenuous.

The GPS coordinates of Dwarkadhish Temple are approximately 22.2378°N 68.9674°E. Dwarka is the westernmost city in India where a major railway station exists (Dwarka station, code DWK). Beyond Dwarka, the land narrows toward the Okha port before terminating in the sea. This extreme western position is also why Adi Shankaracharya chose it as the western Char Dham — it literally faces the setting sun over the Arabian Sea.