The Forgotten Beaches of Bet Dwarka and Shivrajpur

“Sky above, Sand below, Peace within” – a perfect beach quote.

We all love beaches, just sitting by the shore, listening to the splashing water and dreaming. Sounds perfect, doesn’t it? However, whenever we think of a beach, the first thing that comes to our minds is Goa, or Bali, or Maldives or Mauritius…. In the midst of these fancy and uber names, we all seem to have forgotten one of the finest beaches that our own state – Gujarat has to offer.

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I am talking about the Shivrajpur beach, and the islands of Bet Dwarka, where, according to the epic Mahabharata, the golden palace of Lord Krishna exists under the Arabian Sea.

This Christmas, me and my family ventured out with Alpine Explorers, Rajkot, to discover the beauty these beaches have to offer us. Read further to know about a few important things about Bet Dwarka and enjoy as every second of the trip unfolds before you.

(Trip info- the cost was 3500/- per head, for 2 nights and 3 days. It included all to and fro travel, accommodation, food and local sight-seeing expenses. Basically, all inclusive. Activities like speed boating and Scuba diving were on ourselves though, 2500/- for Scuba, and you may get a bargain on speed boating. We left for the trip on the night of 24th, and returned on 28th, just before the curfew time started.)

DAY 1:

So, we began our trip on the night of 24th December, Thursday, at 8:00 pm. The bus picked us up first, and then we went about the city picking everyone up. Cause of the curfew, we had to leave Rajkot by 9 pm, so once everyone got into the bus, it took up pace. After we got out of Rajkot, we had to get some dinner. So, with a pole of votes, we decided on halting at “Jay Somnath”, Layyara. After a good dinner, we got back on track. We drove for about five hours (also stopped once for refreshing ourselves) and then, on reaching Dwarka, we stopped.

Initially, it was planned that we will spend the night in the bus, but since we weren’t that comfortable, our tour operator, Amit sir asked the manager of The Grand Radhe Hotel (which was booked for breakfast the next morning) for help. The hotel manager was kind enough to allow us to use their restaurant premises for some rest. So, some of us kids and men ended up sleeping on the SOFAS of the restaurant!!! It was really an unexpected thing, each one of us took one sofa each and slept peacefully. The ladies stayed back and took the 3 seaters’ side in the bus. Sleeping on the sofa of a restaurant sounds weird, but, believe me, it was really an unbelievable experience.

DAY 2 (officially day 1):

After a good sleep, we woke up the next morning, brushed, freshened up and quickly got dressed. We had a delish breakfast.

Separate arrangements were made for Jain food. After breakfast, we all piled up on the bus at around 8:15 and left for one of the most awaited experiences of the whole trip- Scuba Diving! After about an hour of driving, we reached Shivrajpur beach.

All of us who wanted to Scuba dive (about 15 of us), quickly got changed into our scuba gears. There weren’t any changing rooms but just a sort of shack built of jute with little compartments for changing. We got to the shore where the instructors gave us guidelines on how to use the oxygen regulators, taught us some signs to communicate underwater, etc.

Then, while the rest stayed at the shore, we got into a boat and got to the Scuba Diving Point.

There we were again taught a few things, and then one by one, we started going underwater. Basically, here’s the drill -

First, you have second thoughts about it while they make you wear the equipment. Once you get comfortable, you have to sit on the edge of the boat and they push you into the water. You float on the surface for some time where they train you and prepare you mentally to go underwater.

Once into the deep sea, you see corals, fishes, plants and, if you’re lucky maybe an octopus. They shoot a 2 min video of yours and send it to you.

If you don’t feel good or if you are scared, you can abort the mission. However, if you like it, you can see a different world altogether and can even get to walk on the seabed and enjoy. An experienced diver holds you from the back while you move in the water. After 20 minutes or so, they take you back up. You remove your gear and wait for others’ turns. On getting back up, I was FREEZING when I came up , and so was everyone who had their turns. We were advised by one of our team member to wear a life jacket to block the wind.

When everyone was done, we went back to the shore, changed and sat at the shore building sand castles, collecting shells and clicking photos.

The sea was fulfilling. It was cool and felt amazing. The sand felt soft and the water felt warm. We could only see water to the far stretch, and it was amazing how the waves came up to your feet while you peacefully sat there enjoying yourselves. Some of us also went speed boating.

After an hour or so, we left for our next destination, the campsite.

We started from Shivrajpur beach and reached Okha Jetty, from where we had to take our boat ride to our campsite on the island Bet Dwarka.

On reaching the campsite, we had lunch at around 3”. We got into our tents and rested for a while.

At around 4:30, we were all set to go to the beach, which was within walking distance from our campsite. When we got to the beach, we couldn’t believe our eyes. It was soo serene and soo calm and peaceful, I got a picture for y’all, look at this:

We all had a fantastic time at the beach and had a bath in the sea. We also got the opportunity to watch the beautiful sunset on the beach. Once it was dark, we had to come out of the sea (even though none of us was willing) After a great bath, all of us were hungry and the dinner was ready. We ran to stuff our faces and after a good dinner, we gathered for campfire, where we introduced ourselves, danced, cracked jokes and had great fun.

It was close to midnight and the next day we had to get up early so we got back to our tents and had a good night’s sleep.

The first day of our trip was quite enthralling and highly fulfilling.

Day 3

On day 3, we woke up at around 6:30, got freshened up and some of us went to the beach for sunrise. After having another healthy breakfast, at around 8:30, we went to the beach from where our boat was ready to take us to Bet Dwarka jetty. As it was low tide time, the boat could not come till the shore and hence we had to walk in waist-deep water, climb the ladder and get into the boat.

We made our way to the jetty and transferred ourselves to a ship. We sailed deep into the Arabian Sea for more than 2 hours to spot dolphins. When in the middle of the Arabian sea, all we could see was water all around us, till the horizon.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t find any dolphins but we could see a few seagulls. Being in the middle of the Arabian sea for almost 5 hours did not bore us any second. We danced, played games, clicked photos and joked around. A time well spent.

Upon reaching Okha jetty, while we were getting out of the boat, my sister slipped and sprained her ankle badly. She was unable to walk and was in sever pain with her foot swollen. We still had a lot of distance to be covered on foot before we got a rickshaw and were bit worried on how my sister will make it till the rickshaw stand. A gentleman voluntarily offered us his cartwheel and suggested that she sit in the cartwheel and he will carry her till the rickshaw stand. He took us (me and my sis) to the market area on his cartwheel where we could get a rickshaw.

On reaching the rickshaw stand, when my father went to pay him for his help, this amazing man sternly refused. I would have NEVER sat on it if I knew he was not going to charge for this. This kind man saved the day AND did not even expect anything in return. He truly won our hearts.

Anyways, we returned to our campsite, had lunch and relaxed.

As my sister was severely in pain, we had to get her treated at the soonest, but there weren’t any doctors or hospitals on this small island. So, our cook took us to a 99-year-old experience lady who cured the people FREE OF COST. She did some twisting and pressing of my sister's foot and within 30 seconds (yaa just 30 seconds), her pain subsidised by around 75%. Truly amazing and unbelievable.

Here also, when my father was about to pay for her amazing service, she refused and said that she never takes a rupee from her patients. This is even when they barely managed two square meals a day!!!

This is another example of humanity! Our hearts melted upon experiencing such a warm gesture by the villagers.

Later, at around 4” we all gathered around as were gonna go for the coral trek. On either side of our campsite, we had the muddy surface beach and rocky surface beach. So, we opted for the rocky surface beach where we had to walk a long distance, but the view totally made up for it. We walked along the shore till we found ourselves standing on huge rocks which looked like corals.

There were miniature waterfalls as well in the middle, where we could see crabs, octopuses, puffer fishes, sea flowers and stuff like that.

Then, while the adults stayed back after some time, four of us kids still walked to a greater distance through water and just sat there for a while, dissolving all the beauty which surrounded us.

After a half-hour or so, we started trekking back to the beach. Some had a bath again in the beautiful sea while the rest of us just decided to sit there and dip our feet in the water. We watched one of the best sunsets ever and got back to our camps. We sat together and had a nice little chat until dinner was ready. At around 8:30 or so, we had dinner and gathered again for the campfire. Since I was very tired, I slept, but the rest of them played dumb charades, played games, sang songs etc. Later they called it a day and got to bed.

Day 4

We woke up at around 6.30, completed the regular activities (brushing, freshening up etc.) and at 8”, we had our last breakfast of this trip.

As the planned activities were completed, we were told that we were pretty much on our own to explore this tiny island. We could either go with the operator for the muddy face coral trek or go for a temple visit or kick back and do nothing. Some chose the coral trek, and some went for the temple visit.

We opted to get some Darshan at the temple. So, we got on the ride and went to the Dwarkadhish Mandir. Photo and videography were strictly prohibited, so we had to hand our phones and cameras over to the temple authorities. We got to the main area, where many others like us had gathered over where the priest gave us detailed knowledge about the temple and why it was called ‘Bhet Dwarka’ (as Sudama had brought over some rice as a ‘bhet’ (bhet means gift) for Shree Krishna).

We got inside the temple, prayed and then we were taken to another place which supposedly was the room where Krishna and Sudama sat together. Everyone donated as per their wishes (though it was not compulsory) and got the ‘Prashad’ (rice grains). There is an interesting belief that by keeping these grains of rice in our kitchen, there will be no shortage of food in one's house)

We also visited the ‘Raj Bhog Gruh’, Mata Rukmini, Mata Jambvati, Mata Satyabhama and Dau Balram’s temple within the premises.

We recollected our belongings and moved forward to the Hanumana and Makkardhwaj temple (around 6-7 kms), which apparently is the only temple in the world where Hanuman and his son Makkardhwaj are seen together. The priest there told us the story of Makardhwaj’s birth, his acquaintance and fight with his father and so on.

After these holy visits to the temples, we got back to the campsite. Since the trek people had yet not arrived, we decided to take a walk on the muddy surface beach for a while.

We also had to be quick as we had to reach Rajkot before 9”, so not wasting much time, we quickly got back to the campsite and had an early lunch. After that, everyone packed their bags and bid adieu to the campsite and at around 12”, took a rickshaw to Bet Dwarka Jetty and then a boat to Okha jetty, from where we boarded our bus to Rajkot to get back right on time.

We created a lot of good memories on this trip. We met new people, made new contacts, learned so many new things, and also learned a very important thing that travelling soothes our souls and teaches us so many things. We learn to adjust in any situation and still be happy, which is the greatest learning from this trip.

Overall, I’d give this trip a 9/10 and would absolutely love to go on more such trips.

I enjoyed this trip all the more, as we had started off with totally unknown people, and when we got back, it felt like we knew each other for long. With pleasant memories in our hearts and minds, we bid each other and happily returned home.

Thank you so much for reading my blog, hope you liked it!