When Faith Waits: and Blessings Arrive

Dwarika: When Faith Waits: and Blessings Arrive

By 1:00 p.m. on 5 January, it was time to move ahead on our journey. We boarded a sleeper bus to Dwarka, a comfortable ride that included two brief halts along the way- for lunch and refreshments. The journey felt calm, almost reflective, as if preparing us for what awaited. By 6:35 p.m., we reached Dwarka.

From the bus stop, we took an auto to Hotel Gomti, located along the Gomti riverfront and just a short walking distance from the back gate of Dwarkadhish Mandir. The location itself felt thoughtfully chosen- quiet, sacred, and close to the divine center of the town.

Soon after our arrival, the Pandit ji visited our hotel and accompanied us to the temple for Sandhya Aarti and darshan. As we entered the main mandir griha and were just about to behold Dwarkadhish, the curtains closed for bhog. In that very moment, emotions overwhelmed me. We had travelled nearly 1,500 kilometres for that single glimpse, and it felt as though destiny had paused just before granting it. Tears flowed uncontrollably.

Perhaps faith is tested most in such moments. A police security personnel, noticing my teary eyes and visible emotion, gently asked us to wait near the railing. He told us the curtains would reopen in about ten minutes and encouraged us to stay there. It was an extraordinary gesture- especially in a place where darshan usually lasts no more than a minute or two.

We stood there, silently, with tears flowing for those ten minutes. When the curtains finally opened and darshan resumed, I found myself unable to ask for anything. All I could do was silently apologise to Dwarkadhish for doubting my fortune. The blessing that followed felt far greater than what we had hoped for- calm, reassurance, and an unspoken sense of grace.

Later that evening, we went out for a Kathiyawadi dinner at a small, traditional kitchen. A local woman cooked bajra rotis and baingan bharta on a chulha, and the meal was served with warmth and genuine affection. It was not just food- it was hospitality rooted in culture and simplicity of Gujarat.

The day ended quietly, filled with gratitude, humility, and blessings. Dwarka did not just welcome us- it embraced us, reminding us that when faith waits patiently, it is often rewarded beyond expectation.

That night in Dwarka, we slept not as travellers, but as hearts deeply reassured.