Pindara, also known as Pindaraka or Pindataraka is a village near

Dwarka Dwarka () is a city and a municipality of Devbhumi Dwarka district in the state of Gujarat in Western India. It is located on the western shore of the Okhamandal Peninsula on the right bank of the Gomti river at the mouth of the Gulf of Kut ...

, on the shoreline of

Gulf of Kutch The Gulf of Kutch is located between the peninsula regions of Kutch and Saurashtra, bounded in the state of Gujarat that borders Pakistan. It opens towards the Arabian Sea facing the Osman Gulf. It is about 50 km wide at the entrance bef ...

, in

Devbhoomi Dwarka district Devbhumi Dwarka District is a district of India located on the southern coast of the Gulf of Kutch in the state of Gujarat. Its headquarters are located in the city of Jamkhambhaliya. The district was created on 15 August 2013 from Jamnagar distr ...

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

, India.

History

In literature

In the ''

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...

'' (3.82), Pindaraka is described as "One should proceed with subdued senses and regulated diet to Dwaravati, whereby bathing in the holy place called Pindaraka,

here Here is an adverb that means "in, on, or at this place". It may also refer to: Software * Here Technologies, a mapping company * Here WeGo (formerly Here Maps), a mobile app and map website by Here Television * Here TV (formerly "here!"), a TV ...

one obtain the fruit of the gift of gold in abundance". ''Anushasanaparva'' (25.57) of ''Mahabharata'' also mentions Pindaraka as a pilgrim site. It is situated Ujjyantha Parva, and also described in Mahabharatha as "Ujjayantaparvata, this mountain is situated in Saurashtra near Pindaraka temple. This mountain is said to have mystic powers as per Mahabharata Vanaparva Chapter 21." The temple was submerged in sea at the end of Dwaraka's Yadava clash among them. This is the place where the saints (

rishi ''Rishi'' () is a term for an accomplished and enlightened person. They find mentions in various Vedic texts. Rishis are believed to have composed hymns of the Vedas. The Post-Vedic tradition of Hinduism regards the rishis as "great yogis" or ...

s) cursed

Yadava The Yadava (literally, descended from Yadu) were an ancient Indian people who believed to be descended from Yadu, a legendary king of Chandravamsha lineage. The community was formed of various clans, being the Abhira, Andhaka, Vrishni, and Sat ...

clan, which resulted in the clan's destruction.

Archeology

The site was occupied in Early

Paleolithic The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic (), also called the Old Stone Age (from Greek: παλαιός ''palaios'', "old" and λίθος ''lithos'', "stone"), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone too ...

. An excavation had found Red Polished Ware and pieces of

amphorae An amphora (; grc, ἀμφορεύς, ''amphoreús''; English plural: amphorae or amphoras) is a type of container with a pointed bottom and characteristic shape and size which fit tightly (and therefore safely) against each other in storag ...

which suggested an early settlement with sea connection to

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...

. The site was a place of pilgrimage as early as 8th century. There is a group of five temples and a ''

mandapa A mandapa or mantapa () is a pillared hall or pavilion for public rituals in Indian architecture, especially featured in Hindu temple architecture. Mandapas are described as "open" or "closed" depending on whether they have walls. In temples, ...

'' near the village dated 7th to 10th century. They are protected monuments. The National Institute of Oceanography,

Goa Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the ...

discovered a submerged temple complex along the coast of Pindara. An onshore exploration on the northwestern Saurashtra revealed the remains of a temple complex currently in the tidal zone.

References

{{Reflist Locations in Hindu mythology Mahabharata Archaeological sites in Gujarat Villages in Devbhoomi Dwarka district