GOD OMNIPRESENT IN DWARKA

 “More things are wrought with prayers than the world dreams of…” so said Tennyson. We all believe in God. Why? We cannot prove the existence of God, but there are many reasons why belief in God is reasonable. Just as the existence of a computer demonstrates that there is someone who invented it, so the world in all its beautiful complexity points to the existence of a Creator, God. Allah, Rahim, Nanak, Christ or Ram….it is the belief in some superpower that has carried us through all struggles of life. Sure, God is omnipresent, but this realization has not undermined the importance of place of worship. People of every religious belief have held faith in a community place of worship. And with world class infrastructural development, cosmopolitan Dwarka too now has many places of worship of all religions. With a proclaimed stance professing faith in secular principles, the DDA has for a long time back allotted land for a church, mosque and Gurdwara. 

In Dwarka there is a church for Christians, a mosque for Muslims and a Gurdwara for Sikhs. Earlier there were very few Hindu temples in the sub city. As compared to the vast Hindu population in the sub city, the number of temples were minimal. Tired of waiting, many societies found a solution and constructed temples in the society premises. Thus many societies in almost all sectors have a temple inside the premises. There are society temples in Akriti, Sector-4, Himachal, Sector-5, Rajasthan CGHS, Sector-4, Beverly park in Sector-22, Lovely apartments, Sector-5, New Jai Bharat, Sector-4, and even in DDA flats of Sector-6 and 9. There are more temples in Ketki CGHS Ltd, MK Residency sec-11, New Kanchanjanga, Sec-23, Airlines apartment Sec-23, Himalaya apartment, Sec-22, Subham apartment, Sec-22, Defence officers, Sec-4 and Heritage Towerm, Sec-3. But then society temples have restrictions. Outsiders cannot get entry into the temple. Thus, there is still a need for a separate temple for Dwarkaites, where anyone can go and take darshan of deities, attend religious functions and worship at will. Dwarka now has quite a few places of worship- "Pracheen Dwarakadheesh Temple" in Sector-12- The temple was made in 2001 and is one of the oldest temples of Dwarka. While few temples were demolished, this temple is visited by many and is flourishing day by day. Vijay Gupta said, “Religion is not only personal but a social issue too. A temple plays a vital role in the integration and the development of the entire community. It can act as strengthening bonds amongst people of similar faith. Besides, amidst the hustle-bustle of the city, temples can be places where one can be mentally recharged to take challenges of life.” Pt. Visnu Sharma, priest of Dwarkadheesh Temple says, “This temple has been a place of worship for the last 20-25 years. People from all over Dwarka come here. The temple is not on the road and only God fearing people come here.”

ISKCON - Sri Sri Rukmini Dwarakadhish Temple, prominently known as ISKCON Dwarka. The presiding deities at the temple are Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai, Sri Sri Rukmini Dwarkadhish and Sri Sri Jagannath Baladev Subhadra Maharani. Preaching and construction for ISKCON Dwarka started under a tree during the summers of 2012. Heavily bushed and wild, the land was infertile. But, the land was waiting for the blessings of Lord Krishna. In January 2013, the ceremony of Bhoomi Pujan was held, and after few months, on 23 June 2013, the temple was inaugurated and deities were installed. Presently, the temple construction is temporary, but it offers an absolute experience of culture and tradition. The main temple construction is going on next to the temporary construction and is going to be huge. ISKCON Dwarka Delhi’s main aim is to create a Center of Permanent Happiness, provide vedic knowledge and preach Krishna consciousness.
Goluk Dham - Goluk Dham at Sector 10, Dwarka is one of the main centers of Raganuga Bhakti established under the inspiration from Jagadguru Shri Kripalu ji Maharaj. There the enchanting images of Radha- Krishna steals every devotee’s heart. More than 30 thousand devotees visited Golok Dham at Janmashtami, listening to the discourse by Dr. Yogeshwari Devi, enjoyed the bliss of Sankeertan, divine Prasad and Cultural program. All major festivals are celebrated at Golok Dham. Regular Sankeertans are held from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. every Sunday.
Sri Ram Mandir- Sri Ram Mandir complex consists of Lord Sri Ram Darbar, Lord Kameshwar (Shiva in Linga form), Devi Kameshwari, Lord Ganesh, Lord Hanuman and Navagraha in the Ground floor and Lord Ranganathar (Lord Vishnu in sleeping mode) in the first floor. Regular pujas are conducted by learned Pujaris having undergone Gurukul Vedic training at Veda Patashala in Tamil Nadu and well versed with Sastras and rituals. Abhishekam / Pujas / Archanas / Homams (Havana) are conducted regularly to all deities. On Saturdays Special Archanas to Lord Shani Devta is performed on behalf of the devotees. On every 1st Sunday Ganapathy Homam / Navagraha Homam (Havan) is performed against booking. On every 2nd Sunday Lagunyasa Rudra Japam and Abhishekam is performed to all deities. On every 3rd Sunday Special Abhishekam is done to Lord Ranganathar.
The Sikh Community goes to Gurudwara. The gurdwara, the Sikh place of worship, has an important role within the Sikh community and is open to everyone regardless of faith. Sikh practices within the religion include prayer, meditation, ceremonies, festivals and pilgrimage. The Guru Granth Sahib (the Sikh scripture) is treated with great respect and honour. The gurdwara is not just a place to meditate and pray. It is also the main place for the Sikh community, the sangat, to gather together. There are some services in the gurdwara that can last up to five hours, although many Sikhs stay for only some of this time. There is no expectation for Sikhs to attend the gurdwara at all. However, because it is a place of welcome and community, many Sikhs choose to attend the gurdwara on a regular basis. Sri Guru Singh Sabha, Sector-11- This is the only Gurudwara in Dwarka in Sector 11. It’s highly well maintained, neat and clean. Best is they have charitable dispensaries including homeopathy. You can donate raw food items like rice, atta for Langar. The main hall on the first floor is good enough to accommodate 200 people. Basement hall is being used for Langars. One can have food every evening. Gurdwara was open for meals to the needy from the day Covid started. Imbibe yourself in peace calm and tranquillity here. Besides, there is Gurudwara Har Rai Sahib ji, Sec-16A.

For Muslim community the place of worship is a mosque or Masjid. A Mosque means many things to many people. For some, it’s a community centre to meet friends and local loved ones. For others, it’s a sanctuary to escape the hustle and bustle of life. While many children attend ‘Madrassah classes’ every evening to learn about and connect with their faith. Whether it’s part of your daily routine, or just on a Friday, Mosques are a pivotal part of faith that comes with great reward. A prayer done in congregation is highly encouraged. In fact, the reward is 27 times more than a prayer offered alone, as narrated in Bukhari and Muslim. One of the reasons for this is Islam’s great emphasis on community, brotherhood and unity.

Besides there is Siddhi Vinayak Ganesh Mandir in Sector-12, Vindhyavasini Temple and Sai Temple in Sector-22.

One of the most common places for Christians to worship is within local churches. The “church” is the overall Body of Christ throughout the world. This means that all who believe in Christ as their savior are added to the family of God. This aspect of the church well advances the construction of a local church. However, “a church” is a local gathering of believers. There are quite a few churches in Dwarka. This includes St. George Orthodox Church, Sec-9, The church of Our Lady of Lourdes, Sec-19. St. Pius X syro-malabar church, Sector-23. Christmas is celebrated with pomp in all churches. Every Sunday mass is held. There are regular activities that go on in the churches.