Dwarkadhish Temple Timings 2026: Aarti Schedule, Afternoon Closure, Rules and a One-Day Dwarka Plan
Last verified: September 2026. Aarti times move by 15–30 minutes with the season and are extended on Janmashtami — confirm at the temple office or on the Devasthan Samiti’s notice board.
Dwarkadhish Temple — Jagat Mandir, the temple of the King of Dwarka — is one of the four Char Dhams and the reason the town exists. The 78-metre shikhar carries a flag that is changed five times a day, and the temple’s day runs on a Pushtimarg schedule of darshans and closed doors, like Nathdwara. Arrive between 1 and 5 PM and you’ll find the gates shut. This guide gives you the schedule, the rules, and what to combine it with so a Dwarka visit takes one well-planned day.
Dwarkadhish Temple Timings
| Session | Time |
|---|---|
| Morning darshan | 6:30 AM – 1:00 PM |
| Closed | 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM |
| Evening darshan | 5:00 PM – 9:30 PM |
Daily Aarti and Darshan Schedule
| Event | Approx. time |
|---|---|
| Mangla Aarti | 6:30 AM |
| Mangla darshan | 7:00 – 8:00 AM |
| Abhishek and Shringar (doors closed briefly) | 8:00 – 9:00 AM |
| Shringar darshan | 9:00 – 9:30 AM |
| Shringar Bhog / Rajbhog Aarti | 10:30 AM |
| Rajbhog darshan | 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM |
| Anosar (afternoon closure) | 1:00 – 5:00 PM |
| Uthappan darshan | 5:00 PM |
| Sandhya Aarti | 7:30 PM |
| Shayan Bhog / Shayan Aarti | 8:30 PM |
| Shayan darshan, temple closes | 9:00 – 9:30 PM |
Doors close for a few minutes before each aarti and bhog while the deity is dressed or fed. If you arrive and the sanctum is shut, wait — it reopens within 15–30 minutes.
Which to aim for: Mangla aarti at 6:30 AM (least crowded) or Sandhya aarti at 7:30 PM (the most atmospheric, after the sunset flag-change). Weekday mornings are calm; weekends and the Janmashtami week are shoulder-to-shoulder.
The Flag
The 52-yard flag on the shikhar is changed five times a day, each one sponsored by a devotee and carried up by the Abhoti Brahmin family who have done it for generations. Sponsorship is booked years ahead. Watching the change from the courtyard takes 10 minutes and is one of the few things at Dwarkadhish you can photograph — from outside the gates.
Darshan Rules
- Free entry; no ticketed or VIP darshan.
- No phones, cameras, bags, leather items or footwear inside. Free lockers and shoe stand at the Swarg Dwar (north gate) entrance; the Moksha Dwar on the Gomti side is the exit.
- Security check is thorough; 10–15 minutes on normal days.
- Dress modestly; traditional wear is common but not required.
- Prasad (mostly Chhappan bhog sweets and gopi chandan) is sold from counters inside and outside.
- Wheelchairs are available at the gate on request.
Around the Temple: Do These Before 1 PM or After 5 PM
- Gomti Ghat — steps below the Moksha Dwar down to the river’s mouth; bathe or just sit. Sunset here is the town’s evening ritual.
- Rukmini Devi Temple (2 km) — closed 1–5 PM too, so pair it with the morning session.
- Gopi Talav (20 km, on the way to Nageshwar) — source of gopi chandan.
- Nageshwar Jyotirlinga (17 km) — open 6 AM–12:30 PM and 5–9 PM.
- Bet Dwarka (Okha jetty, 32 km) — ferry or the Sudarshan Setu bridge; Krishna’s residence. Fits perfectly in the 1–5 PM closure window.
- Sudama Setu — the footbridge across the Gomti to the beach on the far side.
For the full three-day circuit see our Somnath to Dwarka road trip guide.
A One-Day Plan
- 6:30 AM — Mangla aarti
- 8:00 AM — Gomti Ghat, breakfast
- 9:00 AM — Rukmini Devi Temple
- 10:30 AM — Back for Rajbhog darshan
- 12:30 PM — Lunch; drive to Nageshwar
- 1:30 PM — Nageshwar darshan (open until 12:30 PM in the morning; the evening session opens at 5 PM, so go before 12:30 if you can, otherwise after 5)
- 2:00 PM — Okha and Bet Dwarka
- 6:00 PM — Sunset at Gomti Ghat
- 7:30 PM — Sandhya aarti
Where to Stay
Guest houses and hotels line the roads around the temple and the Gomti; ISKCON, the Devasthan Samiti and several trusts run cheap, clean guest houses. Book months ahead for Janmashtami (August) and Diwali–Annakut.
How to Reach
- Air: Jamnagar Airport, 130 km, 2.5 hours (limited flights); Rajkot, 225 km, 4.5 hours, better connected.
- Rail: Dwarka station, 2 km from the temple; direct trains from Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Okha.
- Road: Ahmedabad 440 km (7.5–8 hours), Rajkot 225 km, Somnath 235 km, Jamnagar 130 km. GSRTC and private buses from all major Gujarat cities.
Best Time to Visit
October to March. Summer is hot and windy; monsoon brings rough seas that stop the Bet Dwarka ferry. Janmashtami (August/September) is the temple’s biggest festival, with a midnight birth ceremony and extended darshan; Holi and Annakut (day after Diwali) are the other peaks.
Frequently Asked Questions
6:30 AM–1:00 PM and 5:00–9:30 PM daily.
Yes, from 1 PM to 5 PM every day.
Sandhya aarti at about 7:30 PM; Shayan aarti at about 8:30 PM.
No. Darshan is free and there is no paid fast queue.
No. Lockers are at the Swarg Dwar entrance.
17 km, about 30 minutes.
About 440 km by road, 7.5–8 hours. Verified against the temple’s published schedule, September 2026. Spotted a change? Email info@themandiryatra.com.
Editor at The Mandir Yatra. Covers the Himalayan and northern yatras (Kedarnath, Vaishno Devi, Govardhan, Narmada Parikrama) and the southern and eastern temples (Tirupati, Kanyakumari, Srikalahasti, Draksharamam, Jagannath Puri, Kamakhya). Every guide is checked against the temple trust’s official schedule before publishing and carries a last-verified date.
