How to Reach Somnath and Dwarka in Gujarat from Mumbai?

How to Reach Somnath and Dwarka in Gujarat from Mumbai?

Exploring Gujarat was a part of my bucket list since I heard of Holy Place Dwarka and Jyotirlingas. These places are located in Gujarat state of India. The western coast of Gujarat is surrounded by the Holy Places. Somnath and Nageshwar are one of those Holy Places which is known as two Jyotirlingas among 12. A Dwarka is the place of Nandalal Lord Krishna. These sacred places have got so much importance to their devotees and these are amongst the famous sacred places. Somnath Jyotirling, Nageshwar Jyotirling, and Dwarkadhish temples of Lord Krishna are located in the Gujarat state of India. These places are majorly visited places every year.

How to Reach Somnath from Mumbai and Other Cities?

Gujarat is one of the prominent states of India. It can be accessible by Air, Rail, and Road services from any state of India.

By Air

Diu and Rajkot are two domestic airports that are closest at a distance of less than 100 km. Once you get down at the Airport head towards the bus stop and catch a direct bus going towards Somnath or Dwarka. you can either start from Somnath or Dwarka.

By Train

Verawal and Dwarka are two major railway stations to reach your destination. Many express trains take their halt at this station. Both railway stations are quite busy and accessible by many large states like Ahmadabad, Rajkot, Vadodara, Maharashtra, Bangalore, and Chennai. From the railway station, the destination is within auto-driving distance. 

By Road

Many tourists run their bus service to and fro Gujarat from many major cities. The booking can be made through online websites like Red Bus, and Go Ibibo. The Gujarat local ST are well connected from Somnath to Dwarka and vice versa. One can also prefer to drive own vehicle from your respective location.

My Experience of exploring Somnath, Nageshwar, and Dwarka in three days.

Many of you might have questioned how many days are enough to explore these holy places, right? Let me take you through my blog where I had recently been to Gujarat and explored these holy places in three days. A random discussion of exploring Jyotirlingas came up with a fixed plan. We booked the ticket two weeks before. 

Day 1 (Mumbai to Verawal train journey)

As decided the departure day was right here. We packed up everything as we approached our departure time and left the home but today luck was not in our favor. Guess why? The plan was to leave home by 11:30 pm and reach around 1:30 pm so that we could easily catch the 1:40 pm train from Bandra Mumbai. We left a little late, we missed the local train to reach Bandra then we got down in the middle of the train station and hired a cab so we could reach on time. The cab expected timing of reaching was 1:50 pm and the train was at 1:40 pm. Now you guys can imagine what I must be thinking in the cab. For a second thought came to mind that now we don't have any option other than canceling this trip but some positivity was still there back of my mind as we kept our fingers crossed and started muttering Om Namah Shivay. The cab driver never drove his vehicle above 60 kph speed but trust me it was the first time when he took his speed to 80. By the time it was 1:44 pm and the train almost left the platform. We found one policeman on the platform and we requested him to help us to stop the train as we needed to get in. He pulled the chain of trains and he stopped the train. This is how we managed to get in to train. This was possible all because of Lord Shiva who came in the form of Policemen. It took us 17 hours from Bandra in Maharashtra to Verawal in Gujarat.

Day 2 (Exploring Somnath and nearby places)

Since we had pre-booked our stay from Yatra Dham online we checked in to Balaji Guest House which was quite reasonable and decent for a family stay. As we got fresh, it was about 12 noon. We started moving a bit faster toward the main temple of Somnath. We went to attend Aarti at the main temple of Somnath. The aarti time was at 12 noon and we reached around 12:15 pm so we could at least get a chance to feel some positive vibes of Aarti music (vadak). After entering the main temple I was completely speechless and overwhelmed. The emotion, feelings, and positive energy were enchanting. No matter how strong you are but you still have that touch with God. After visiting the temple it was time to have lunch (Mahaprasad) which was provided by Somnath temple trust for their devotees and that too free of cost. The afternoon climate was too sunny and dry so we decided to be inside the hotel. In the evening we went to explore Somnath beach which was exactly closer to the temple. By the time it was 6:30 pm, we went back to the temple to attend the full Aarti and laser show of the temple. The aarti usually happens for 30 min and after the post-evening aarti, you get to see a light sound show. The musical show was all about the history of the Somnath Temple and it is the peculiarity of Somnath Jyotirlingas. One should not miss this laser show.

It was too crowded in the evening as most devotees flocked in the evening. Post-laser show we moved to have dinner which was provided free of cost by the temple trust.

The Important timing you must know

Aarti Timing-daily 7 am, 12 noon, and 7 pm

Musical fountain show- 8 pm to 8:45 pm

Musical fountain ticket -30 INR per head

Somnath Beach entry charges are 5 INR per person and it is open post 5 pm in the evening

Day 3  (Somnath to Dwarka-250km)

On the third day, we checked out of the room by 8 am and after breakfast, we caught a local ST to Dwarka. The journey was quite tiring as it took 6 hours to reach our destination but the road to Dwarka was parallel to the Sea coast. Since we had pre-booked the room at the Gayatri hotel in Dwarka which was beach-facing and the distance from the bus stop was just 1 km. The Dwarkadhish Temple was just 500 meters from our stay so we moved to meet Lord Shri Krishna. As the Holy festival was approaching the place was quite overcrowded. There was a long queue that started from Gomti Ghat near Dwarkadhish temple. We submitted our bags and phone at the Digi lockers and started moving further to take blessing or Lord Krishna. The majestic temple of Dwarkadhish has situated next to Gomti ghat and I was completely melted down with emotions. Due to the festival season, we also got a chance to play Garba near the main temple. After visiting Dwarkadish temple you may feel the real beauty is limited to the Dwarkadish area only. The area is as beautiful as that.

Local Bus Charges (Somnath to Dwarka -190 INR)

If you want to travel by private travels then the charges are 250 INR

Dwarkadhish Temple 

Gayatri Shaktipeeth Temple of Sati and Gayatri hotel is next to the temple

Day 4 (Site Seeing near Dwarka)

We started at 7 am in the morning and hired a private auto rickshaw for sightseeing.

As per the plan, we started with the Nageshwar Jyotirling of Lord Shiva one of the sacred places in Dwarka. One can find a long statue of Lord Shiva next to the temple. After exploring Nageshwar Temple we also explored the places like Gopi Talav of Lord Krishna, Bet Dwarka, and Rukhmini Temple. It is said that if you don't visit Bet Dwarka then your Dwarka trip will be incomplete. Bet Dwarka is the place where Lord Krishna used to stay. We took a jetty to reach Bet Dwarka. Playing a colorful holy festival with Lord Krishna is the desire of everyone. We were fortunate enough that we got a chance to play holy with Lord Krishna in his temple. After the visit to Bet Dwarka, we moved to explore the Rukmani Temple. All these sites seeing places are located within 25 km of Dwarkadhish Temple. The evening was well spent at Samudra Mudra Temple which was situated on the edges of the Arabian Sea.

Jetty charges to reach Bet Dwarka-20 INR

Temple Timing- 5 am to 12:30 pm and 5 pm to 10 pm

A jetty takes you to the Bet Dwarka Island

Nageshwar Temple statue of Lord Shiva

Day 5 ( Unwanted return journey from Dwarka to Mumbai Train)

We started our day by visiting Bhatkeshwar Temple which was next to Gayatri Peeth where we had our stay. After check out we reached Dwarka Railway Station as the train time was at 11:40 pm.

Bhatkewhar Temple is mainly visited at sunset time

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can you stay while visiting these holy places?

Many people prefer to stay at budget hotels while traveling and guess what? I am one of those who don't spend much on stay. There is one site Yatradham where one can book their budget stay at all the holy places of India. We booked our stay in advance for Somnath and Dwarka.

We booked Balaji Guest House which was 300 meters from Somnath Temple and the charge per room per night was 700 INR.

For Dwarka, the stay charges at Gayatri Shantivan were 800 INR per night. There are some high-budget hotels too with extra amenities.

Which is the best time to visit these Holy Places?

Somnath and Dwarka can be visited throughout the years. Somnath is one of the Jyotirling of Lord Shiva, it can be visited any time in a year. On the auspicious day of Mahashivratri, one can witness large numbers of people flocking here for the celebration. While visiting Dwarka some of the days to remember are Holy, Diwali, and Dahihandi. Otherwise, it can also be visited throughout the years. The festival time here is overcrowded.

What is the food availability in Somnath and Dwarka?

Mahaprasad ( lunch and dinner) are served daily without any charges for their devotees. The daily timings are 11 am to 2 pm and 7 pm to 11 pm. The quality of the food is delicious. The only thing you should like is the taste of Gujarati food. Every state has its own taste and flavor.

How to explore the sightseeing places at Somnath and Dwarka?

Auto rickshaws are available on a daily rental basis. The charges for half a day are 700 INR to 1500 INR depending on the number of places you want to visit. If you want to travel with a private four-wheeler then options are open as per the budget. I would suggest hiring an auto if you are a group of 5 to 6 people.

How many days are required to explore Somnath and Dwarka?

Somnath can be explored in one day and you should have a minimum of two days to explore Dwarka. There are many small temples to visit here.

What are the major things to remember before you step inside the Main temple of Somnath, Nageshwar, and Dwarka?

Mobiles, Cameras, Smartwatches, Purses, and Bags are not allowed inside the temple. There are digital locker services to keep your phones and cameras. It is better not to carry expensive phones and cameras while visiting the main temple.