Dwarkadish temple in Gujarat closed for visitors in view of cyclone Biparjoy

New Delhi: The ancient Dwarkadish temple in Gujarat has been closed for visitors in view of cyclone Biparjoy that is likely to make landfall near Jakhau Port in the state's Kutch district late Thursday night, a senior official said.

Dwarkadhish group of temples with its outer compounds is a protected site under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

The main temple at Dwarka, situated on Gomti creek, is known as jagat mandir (universal shrine) or trilok sundar (the most beautiful in all the three worlds), according to the official website of Devbhumi Dwarka district.

The India Meteorological Department said Biparjoy is likely to make landfall near Jakhau Port late Thursday night as a 'very severe cyclonic storm' with wind speeds reaching a maximum of 140 kilometres per hour, due to which more than 94,000 people in eight coastal districts have been shifted to temporary shelters.

"Among the ASI sites in Gujarat, the Dwarkadish temple is located in coastal area, so it has been closed for visitors today, in view of the expected landfall of cyclone Biparjoy," a senior ASI official of Rajkot Circle told PTI over the phone.

Asked what preparations have been done to protect ASI sites that may get affected by the cyclone, he said, "One cannot build a wall against a natural calamity" but efforts are being made to ensure safety of human lives.

"The temple is an ancient structure and must have seen and weathered many cyclones since it was built, ages ago," he said.

Asked if the revered temple will be closed on Friday as well, the ASI official said, "As of now, the decision was taken to close it for visitors only on Thursday as the landfall is expected today. For tomorrow, we will act according to the situation, and in accordance with the directions of the district administration".

In its latest bulletin, the IMD said the landfall process of the cyclone would begin in the evening and will continue till midnight.

The IMD said the cyclone would bring extremely heavy rainfall and cause 'astronomical tide' with a storm surge of 2-3 metres height that could inundate low-lying areas in Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka, Porbandar, Jamnagar and Morbi districts during landfall.

Gujarat is dotted with a large number of centrally-protected monuments as well as state-protected sites across the districts.

The senior official said there are "170 sites under the Vadodara Circle of the ASI and 46 under its Rajkot Circle".

Devbhumi Dwarka, Morbi, Kutch, Porbandar, Rajkot, Jamnagar, among other districts come under the Rajkot Circle of the ASI.

Believed to have bene built more than 2,500 years ago, the Dwarkadish temple is a glorious structure seeming to rise from the waters of the Arabian Sea, says the official website of Devbhumi Dwarka district.

"Its exquisitely carved shikhar, reaching 43 m high and the huge flag made from 52 yards of cloth can be seen from as far away as 10 km. The grandeur of the temple is enhanced by the flight of 56 steps leading to the rear side of the edifice on the side of the river Gomti," it says.

The temple is built of soft limestone and consists of a sanctum, vestibule and a rectangular hall with porches on three sides. There are two gateways: 'swarga dwar' (gate to the heavens), where pilgrims enter, and 'moksha dwar' (gate to liberation), where pilgrims exit.

Asked if any arrangements have been made at the Dholavira site in view of the, the ASI official said it is an archaeological site and not located in coastal area.

Dholavira, a site from the Harappan era, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Gujarat.