Bhalka - Revision history

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robot: Create/update articles in Category:Hindu gods.

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:02, 20 January 2023
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	\| country = {{flag\|India}}		\| country = {{flag\|India}}
	\| state = [[Gujarat]]		\| state = [[Gujarat]]
	\| district = Gir Somnath		\| district = [[Gir Somnath]]
	\| locale = [[Veraval]]		\| locale = [[Veraval]]
	\| elevation_m =		\| elevation_m =
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	\| monument_quantity=		\| monument_quantity=
	\| inscriptions =		\| inscriptions =
	\| temple_board = Shree Somnath Trust ~~of Gujarat~~		\| temple_board = Shree Somnath Trust
	\| website = [http://www.somnath.org somnath.org]		\| website = [http://www.somnath.org somnath.org]
	}}		}}

	'''Bhalka Tirtha''' (Bhalka Pilgrimage) ({{lang-hi\|भालका तीर्थ}}), located in the [[Veraval]] in [[Saurashtra (region)\|Saurashtra]] on the western coast of [[Gujarat]], [[India]], is the place where [[Krishna]] was killed by an arrow shot by a hunter named Jara~~, after which he worshipped [[Shiva]]~~, an act referred to in the [[Puranas]] as ''Shri Krishna Nijdham Prasthan Leela ({{lang-sa\|श्री कृष्ण ~~नीजधाम~~ प्रस्थान लीला}})''.<ref name="bhalka-somnath">{{cite web \| url=http://www.somnath.org/Bhalkha_Tirth.aspx \| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090729092550/http://www.somnath.org/Bhalkha_Tirth.aspx \| url-status=dead \| archive-date=29 July 2009 \| title=Bhalka Tirth \| publisher=Somnath Trust \| accessdate=12 April 2015 }}</ref><ref name="gujtour">{{cite web \| url=http://www.gujarattourism.com/destination/details/10/269 \| title=Gujarat Tourism \| publisher=Gujarat Tourism \| accessdate=12 April 2015 \| archive-date=27 March 2015 \| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150327055546/http://www.gujarattourism.com/destination/details/10/269 \| url-status=dead }}</ref>		'''Bhalka Tirtha''' (Bhalka Pilgrimage) ({{lang-hi\|भालका तीर्थ}}), located in the [[Veraval]] in [[Saurashtra (region)\|Saurashtra]] on the western coast of [[Gujarat]], [[India]], is the place where [[Krishna]] left this holy body as the story goes , it is said he was killed by an arrow shot by a hunter named Jara, an act referred to in the [[Puranas]] as ''Shri Krishna Nijdham Prasthan Leela ({{lang-sa\|श्री कृष्ण निजधाम प्रस्थान लीला}})''.<ref name="bhalka-somnath">{{cite web \| url=http://www.somnath.org/Bhalkha_Tirth.aspx \| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090729092550/http://www.somnath.org/Bhalkha_Tirth.aspx \| url-status=dead \| archive-date=29 July 2009 \| title=Bhalka Tirth \| publisher=Somnath Trust \| accessdate=12 April 2015 }}</ref><ref name="gujtour">{{cite web \| url=http://www.gujarattourism.com/destination/details/10/269 \| title=Gujarat Tourism \| publisher=Gujarat Tourism \| accessdate=12 April 2015 \| archive-date=27 March 2015 \| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150327055546/http://www.gujarattourism.com/destination/details/10/269 \| url-status=dead }}</ref> Bhalka is part of the Lord [[Krishna]] circuit ([[Mathura]], [[Vrindavan]], [[Barsana]], [[Govardhan]], [[48 kos parikrama of Kurukshetra\|Kurukshetra]] and [[Dwarka]]).

			Bhalka is located just 4 km from [[Somnath temple\|Somnath Temple]], a [[Jyotirlinga]], situated in [[Veraval]], [[Gujarat]], India.

			The site also has ancient history as [[Prabhas Patan]] was occupied during the [[Indus Valley Civilisation]], 2000–1200 BCE.

	==Background==		==Background==
	{{main\|Mausala Parva}}		{{main\|Mausala Parva}}
	[[File:Death of Krishna - Illustrations from the Barddhaman edition of Mahabharata.jpg\|thumb\|right\|220px\|The hunter Jara about to shoot arrow towards Krishna]]		[[File:Death of Krishna - Illustrations from the Barddhaman edition of Mahabharata.jpg\|thumb\|right\|220px\|The hunter Jara about to shoot arrow towards Krishna]]
	According to ''[[Mahabharata]]'', the [[Kurukshetra war]] resulted in the death of all the hundred sons of [[Gandhari (character)\|Gandhari]]. On the night before [[Duryodhana]]'s death, [[Krishna]] visited Gandhari to offer his condolences. Gandhari felt that Krishna knowingly did not put an end to the war, and in a fit of rage and sorrow, Gandhari cursed that Krishna, along with everyone else from the [[Yadu]] dynasty, would perish after 36 years. Krishna himself knew and wanted this to happen as he felt that the Yadavas had become very haughty and arrogant ''(adharmi)'', so he ended Gandhari's speech by saying "''tathastu''" (so be it).<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.happywink.org/janmashtami/lord-krishna-disappearance.html \|title=Lord Krishna's Disappearance, Disappearance of Lord Krishna, Life Span of Lord Krishn, Disappearance of Sri Krishna \|publisher=Happywink.org \|accessdate=2011-10-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.urday.in/mkrishnaheaven.htm \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090424155126/http://www.urday.in/mkrishnaheaven.htm \|url-status=dead \|archive-date=2009-04-24 \|title=MAHABHARATA -Krishna's Return to Heaven \|publisher=Urday.in \|accessdate=2011-10-23 }}</ref>		According to ''[[Mahabharata]]'', the [[Kurukshetra war]] resulted in the death of all the hundred sons of [[Gandhari (character)\|Gandhari]]. On the night before [[Duryodhana]]'s death, [[Krishna]] visited Gandhari to offer his condolences. Gandhari felt that Krishna knowingly did not put an end to the war, and in a fit of rage and sorrow, Gandhari cursed that Krishna, along with everyone else from the [[Yadu]] dynasty, would perish after 36 years. Krishna himself knew and wanted this to happen as he felt that the Yadavas had become very haughty and arrogant ''({{lang\|hi-Latn\|adharmi}})'', so he ended Gandhari's speech by saying "''tathastu''" (so be it).<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.happywink.org/janmashtami/lord-krishna-disappearance.html \|title=Lord Krishna's Disappearance, Disappearance of Lord Krishna, Life Span of Lord Krishn, Disappearance of Sri Krishna \|publisher=Happywink.org \|accessdate=2011-10-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.urday.in/mkrishnaheaven.htm \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090424155126/http://www.urday.in/mkrishnaheaven.htm \|url-status=dead \|archive-date=2009-04-24 \|title=MAHABHARATA -Krishna's Return to Heaven \|publisher=Urday.in \|accessdate=2011-10-23 }}</ref>

	After 36 years passed, a fight broke out between the [[Yadava]]s, at a festival, who killed each other. His elder brother, [[Balarama]], ~~then gave up~~ his body ~~using~~ [[Yoga]]. Krishna retired into the forest and started meditating under a tree. The Mahabharata also narrates the story of a hunter who becomes an instrument for Krishna's departure from the world. The hunter Jara, mistook Krishna's partly visible left foot for that of a deer, and shot an arrow, wounding him mortally. After Jara realised the mistake, while still bleeding, Krishna told Jara, "O Jara, you were [[Vali (Ramayana)\|Vali]] in your previous birth, killed by myself as [[Rama]] in [[Treta Yuga]]. Here you had a chance to even it and since all acts in this world are done as desired by me, you need not worry for this". Then Krishna, with his physical body<ref name="bhagavatam.in">{{cite web \|url=http://www.bhagavatam.in/story/the-ascension-of-lord-krishna.php \|title=Srimad Bhagavatam :: Conto 11 - The Ascension of Lord Krishna \|website=Bhagavatam.in \|date= \|accessdate=2016-11-24 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161106145312/http://www.bhagavatam.in/story/the-ascension-of-lord-krishna.php \|archive-date=2016-11-06 \|url-status=dead }}</ref> ascended back to his eternal abode, [[Goloka]] and this event marks departure of Krishna from the earth.<ref>{{Harvnb\|Bryant\|2007\|pp=148}}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m16/m16004.htm\|title=The Mahabharata (originally published between 1883 and 1896)\|accessdate=2008-10-13\|publisher= Sacred Texts\|date= 2006\|author = Kisari Mohan Ganguli\|quotation=Book 16: Mausala Parva Sections 4-8}}</ref><ref>{{cite book\|author = Mani, Vettam\|title = Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary With Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature\|url = https://archive.org/details/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft\|publisher = Motilal Banarsidass\|year = 1975\|location = Delhi\|isbn = 0-8426-0822-2\|~~authorlink~~ =Vettam Mani\|page=[https://archive.org/details/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft/page/429 429]}}</ref> The news was conveyed to Hastinapur and Dwaraka by eyewitnesses to this event.<ref name="bhagavatam.in"/> The place of this incident is believed to be Bhalka, near [[Somnath temple]].<ref name="bhalka-somnath"/><ref name="gujtour"/>		After 36 years passed, a fight broke out between the [[Yadava]]s, at a festival, who killed each other. His elder brother, [[Balarama]], [[Samadhi\|left his body]] through [[Yoga]]. Krishna retired into the forest and started meditating under a tree. The Mahabharata also narrates the story of a hunter who becomes an instrument for Krishna's departure from the world. The hunter Jara, mistook Krishna's partly visible left foot for that of a deer, and shot an arrow, wounding him mortally. After Jara realised the mistake, while still bleeding, Krishna told Jara, "O Jara, you were [[Vali (Ramayana)\|Vali]] in your previous birth, killed by myself as [[Rama]] in [[Treta Yuga]]. Here you had a chance to even it and since all acts in this world are done as desired by me, you need not worry for this". Then Krishna, with his physical body<ref name="bhagavatam.in">{{cite web \|url=http://www.bhagavatam.in/story/the-ascension-of-lord-krishna.php \|title=Srimad Bhagavatam :: Conto 11 - The Ascension of Lord Krishna \|website=Bhagavatam.in \|date= \|accessdate=2016-11-24 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161106145312/http://www.bhagavatam.in/story/the-ascension-of-lord-krishna.php \|archive-date=2016-11-06 \|url-status=dead }}</ref> ascended back to his eternal abode, [[Goloka]] and this event marks departure of Krishna from the earth.<ref>{{Harvnb\|Bryant\|2007\|pp=148}}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m16/m16004.htm\|title=The Mahabharata (originally published between 1883 and 1896)\|accessdate=2008-10-13\|publisher= Sacred Texts\|date= 2006\|author = Kisari Mohan Ganguli\|quotation=Book 16: Mausala Parva Sections 4-8}}</ref><ref>{{cite book\|author = Mani, Vettam\|title = Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary With Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature\|url = https://archive.org/details/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft\|publisher = Motilal Banarsidass\|year = 1975\|location = Delhi\|isbn = 0-8426-0822-2\|author-link =Vettam Mani\|page=[https://archive.org/details/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft/page/429 429]}}</ref> The news was conveyed to [[Hastinapur]] and [[Dvārakā\|Dwaraka]] by eyewitnesses to this event.<ref name="bhagavatam.in"/> The place of this incident is believed to be Bhalka, near [[Somnath temple]].<ref name="bhalka-somnath"/><ref name="gujtour"/>

	According to [[Purana\|Puranic sources]],{{efn\|name=Krishna departs\|The ''[[Bhagavata Purana]]'' (1.18.6),<ref>{{Cite book \|chapter=Skanda I, Ch. 18: Curse of the Brahmana, Sloka 6 \|title=Bhagavata Purana \|url=https://archive.org/details/BhagavataPuranaMotilalEnglish/page/n141/mode/1up \|volume=Part I \|publisher=[[Motilal Banarsidass\|Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited]] \|year=1950 \|page=137 \|quote=On the very day, and at the very moment the Lord [Krishna] left the earth, on that very day this Kali, the source of irreligiousness, (in this world), entered here.}}</ref> ''[[Vishnu Purana]]'' (5.38.8),<ref>{{Cite book \|author-last=Wilson \|author-first=H. H. \|author-link=Horace Hayman Wilson \|year=1895 \|chapter=Book V, Ch. 38: Arjuna burns the dead, etc., Sloka 8 \|title=The Vishnu Purana \|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.47536/page/n73/mode/1up \|publisher=S.P.C.K. Press \|page=61 \|quote=The Parijata tree proceeded to heaven, and on the same day that Hari [Krishna] departed from the earth the dark-bodied Kali age descended.}}</ref> and ''[[Brahma Purana]]'' (2.103.8)<ref>{{Cite book \|chapter=Ch. 103, Episode of Krsna concluded, Sloka 8 \|title=Brahma Purana \|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.98294/page/n285/mode/1up \|volume=Part II \|publisher=[[Motilal Banarsidass]] \|year=1955 \|page=515 \|quote=It was on the day on which Krishna left the Earth and went to heaven that the Kali age, with time for its body set in.}}</ref> state that the day [[Krishna]] left the earth was the day that the ''[[Dvapara Yuga]]'' ended and the ''[[Kali Yuga]]'' began.}} Krishna's disappearance marks the end of [[Dvapara Yuga]] and the start of [[Kali Yuga]], which is dated to February 17/18, 3102 BCE.<ref>See: Matchett, Freda, ''"The Puranas"'', p 139 and Yano, Michio, ''"Calendar, astrology and astronomy"'</ref>		According to [[Purana\|Puranic sources]],{{efn\|name=Krishna departs\|The ''[[Bhagavata Purana]]'' (1.18.6),<ref>{{Cite book \|chapter=Skanda I, Ch. 18: Curse of the Brahmana, Sloka 6 \|title=Bhagavata Purana \|url=https://archive.org/details/BhagavataPuranaMotilalEnglish/page/n141/mode/1up \|volume=Part I \|publisher=[[Motilal Banarsidass\|Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited]] \|year=1950 \|page=137 \|quote=On the very day, and at the very moment the Lord [Krishna] left the earth, on that very day this Kali, the source of irreligiousness, (in this world), entered here.}}</ref> ''[[Vishnu Purana]]'' (5.38.8),<ref>{{Cite book \|author-last=Wilson \|author-first=H. H. \|author-link=Horace Hayman Wilson \|year=1895 \|chapter=Book V, Ch. 38: Arjuna burns the dead, etc., Sloka 8 \|title=The Vishnu Purana \|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.47536/page/n73/mode/1up \|publisher=S.P.C.K. Press \|page=61 \|quote=The Parijata tree proceeded to heaven, and on the same day that Hari [Krishna] departed from the earth the dark-bodied Kali age descended.}}</ref> and ''[[Brahma Purana]]'' (2.103.8)<ref>{{Cite book \|chapter=Ch. 103, Episode of Krsna concluded, Sloka 8 \|title=Brahma Purana \|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.98294/page/n285/mode/1up \|volume=Part II \|publisher=[[Motilal Banarsidass]] \|year=1955 \|page=515 \|quote=It was on the day on which Krishna left the Earth and went to heaven that the Kali age, with time for its body set in.}}</ref> state that the day [[Krishna]] left the earth was the day that the ''[[Dvapara Yuga]]'' ended and the ''[[Kali Yuga]]'' began.}} Krishna's disappearance marks the end of [[Dvapara Yuga]] and the start of [[Kali Yuga]], which is dated to February 17/18, 3102 BCE.<ref>See: Matchett, Freda, ''"The Puranas"'', p 139 and Yano, Michio, ''"Calendar, astrology and astronomy"'</ref>

	==Story==		==Story==
	As per the writing in [[Ramayana]], [[Rama]], i.e. [[Krishna]] in his earlier [[Rama]] Avatar ([[Avatar]]s) is supposed to have given a boon to a ~~monkey~~ king [[Vali (Hindu mythology)]] whom Rama killed stealthily by shooting an arrow, while hiding behind a bush when Vali was engaged in a battle with his younger brother [[Sugriva]], thus fulfilling his promise of protecting Sugriva's life. The above action of the hunter in [[Krishna]] avatar ([[Avatar]]s) is supposed to be in compliance to the boon of [[Rama]] i.e. [[Krishna]] in his earlier Avatar. It is believed that Krishna left his footprints. It is a common site of pilgrimage for people who visit Somnath.{{citation needed\|date=August 2017}}		As per the writing in [[Ramayana]], [[Rama]], i.e. [[Krishna]] in his earlier [[Rama]] Avatar ([[Avatar]]s) is supposed to have given a boon to a Vanar king [[Vali (Hindu mythology)]] whom Rama killed stealthily by shooting an arrow, while hiding behind a bush when Vali was engaged in a battle with his younger brother [[Sugriva]], thus fulfilling his promise of protecting Sugriva's life. The above action of the hunter in [[Krishna]] avatar ([[Avatar]]s) is supposed to be in compliance to the boon of [[Rama]] i.e. [[Krishna]] in his earlier Avatar. It is believed that Krishna left his footprints. It is a common site of pilgrimage for people who visit Somnath.{{citation needed\|date=August 2017}}

	==Location==		==Location==
Line 51:		Line 55:

	==See also==		==See also==
	* [[~~Burial~~ places of founders of ~~world religions~~]]		* [[Dwarka]]
			* [[Mathura]]
			* [[Vrindavan]]
			* [[Barsana]]
			* [[List of burial places of founders of religious traditions]]

	==Notes==		==Notes==
Line 58:		Line 66:
	==References==		==References==
	{{Reflist}}		{{Reflist}}

			==Sources==
			* {{Citation\|last=Bryant \|first = Edwin F. \|authorlink=Edwin Bryant (author) \|year=2007 \|title = Krishna: A Sourcebook \|publisher = Oxford University Press \|isbn = 978-0-19-514891-6\|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=HVDqCkW1WpUC\|volume=}}


	{{Hindu temples in Gujarat}}		{{Hindu temples in Gujarat}}
			{{Krishna}}

	[[Category:Krishna]]		[[Category:Krishna]]
	[[Category:Hindu temples in Gujarat]]		[[Category:Hindu temples in Gujarat]]
	[[Category:Samadhis]]		[[Category:Samadhis]]
			[[Category:Hindu holy cities]]
			[[Category:Hindu pilgrimage sites]]
			[[Category:Hindu pilgrimage sites in India]]
			[[Category:Vaishnavism]]
			[[Category:Religious tourism]]
			[[Category:Religious tourism in India]]
			[[Category:Krishna temples]]

>Fotfoti: improved the explaination

2021-07-02T12:42:53Z

improved the explaination

New page

{{short description|Place where Krishna is said to have left the earth for the heavenly abode}}
{{Infobox Hindu temple
| name = Bhalka Tirtha
| image = BHALKA-06.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| map_type = India Gujarat#India
| map_caption = Location within Gujarat
(around 3)
| coordinates = {{coord|20|53|16.9|N|70|24|5.0|E|type:landmark_region:IN|display=inline,title}}
| native_name = भालका तीर्थ
| country = {{flag|India}}
| state = [[Gujarat]]
| district = Gir Somnath
| locale = [[Veraval]]
| elevation_m =
| deity = [[Krishna]] his [[Death]]
| temple_quantity =
| monument_quantity=
| inscriptions =
| temple_board = Shree Somnath Trust of Gujarat
| website = [http://www.somnath.org somnath.org]
}}

'''Bhalka Tirtha''' (Bhalka Pilgrimage) ({{lang-hi|भालका तीर्थ}}), located in the [[Veraval]] in [[Saurashtra (region)|Saurashtra]] on the western coast of [[Gujarat]], [[India]], is the place where [[Krishna]] was killed by an arrow shot by a hunter named Jara, after which he worshipped [[Shiva]], an act referred to in the [[Puranas]] as ''Shri Krishna Nijdham Prasthan Leela ({{lang-sa|श्री कृष्ण नीजधाम प्रस्थान लीला}})''.<ref name="bhalka-somnath">{{cite web | url=http://www.somnath.org/Bhalkha_Tirth.aspx | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090729092550/http://www.somnath.org/Bhalkha_Tirth.aspx | url-status=dead | archive-date=29 July 2009 | title=Bhalka Tirth | publisher=Somnath Trust | accessdate=12 April 2015 }}</ref><ref name="gujtour">{{cite web | url=http://www.gujarattourism.com/destination/details/10/269 | title=Gujarat Tourism | publisher=Gujarat Tourism | accessdate=12 April 2015 | archive-date=27 March 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150327055546/http://www.gujarattourism.com/destination/details/10/269 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Background==
{{main|Mausala Parva}}
[[File:Death of Krishna - Illustrations from the Barddhaman edition of Mahabharata.jpg|thumb|right|220px|The hunter Jara about to shoot arrow towards Krishna]]
According to ''[[Mahabharata]]'', the [[Kurukshetra war]] resulted in the death of all the hundred sons of [[Gandhari (character)|Gandhari]]. On the night before [[Duryodhana]]'s death, [[Krishna]] visited Gandhari to offer his condolences. Gandhari felt that Krishna knowingly did not put an end to the war, and in a fit of rage and sorrow, Gandhari cursed that Krishna, along with everyone else from the [[Yadu]] dynasty, would perish after 36 years. Krishna himself knew and wanted this to happen as he felt that the Yadavas had become very haughty and arrogant ''(adharmi)'', so he ended Gandhari's speech by saying "''tathastu''" (so be it).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.happywink.org/janmashtami/lord-krishna-disappearance.html |title=Lord Krishna's Disappearance, Disappearance of Lord Krishna, Life Span of Lord Krishn, Disappearance of Sri Krishna |publisher=Happywink.org |accessdate=2011-10-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.urday.in/mkrishnaheaven.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090424155126/http://www.urday.in/mkrishnaheaven.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2009-04-24 |title=MAHABHARATA -Krishna's Return to Heaven |publisher=Urday.in |accessdate=2011-10-23 }}</ref>

After 36 years passed, a fight broke out between the [[Yadava]]s, at a festival, who killed each other. His elder brother, [[Balarama]], then gave up his body using [[Yoga]]. Krishna retired into the forest and started meditating under a tree. The Mahabharata also narrates the story of a hunter who becomes an instrument for Krishna's departure from the world. The hunter Jara, mistook Krishna's partly visible left foot for that of a deer, and shot an arrow, wounding him mortally. After Jara realised the mistake, while still bleeding, Krishna told Jara, "O Jara, you were [[Vali (Ramayana)|Vali]] in your previous birth, killed by myself as [[Rama]] in [[Treta Yuga]]. Here you had a chance to even it and since all acts in this world are done as desired by me, you need not worry for this". Then Krishna, with his physical body<ref name="bhagavatam.in">{{cite web |url=http://www.bhagavatam.in/story/the-ascension-of-lord-krishna.php |title=Srimad Bhagavatam :: Conto 11 - The Ascension of Lord Krishna |website=Bhagavatam.in |date= |accessdate=2016-11-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161106145312/http://www.bhagavatam.in/story/the-ascension-of-lord-krishna.php |archive-date=2016-11-06 |url-status=dead }}</ref> ascended back to his eternal abode, [[Goloka]] and this event marks departure of Krishna from the earth.<ref>{{Harvnb|Bryant|2007|pp=148}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m16/m16004.htm|title=The Mahabharata (originally published between 1883 and 1896)|accessdate=2008-10-13|publisher= Sacred Texts|date= 2006|author = Kisari Mohan Ganguli|quotation=Book 16: Mausala Parva Sections 4-8}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author = Mani, Vettam|title = Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary With Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature|url = https://archive.org/details/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft|publisher = Motilal Banarsidass|year = 1975|location = Delhi|isbn = 0-8426-0822-2|authorlink =Vettam Mani|page=[https://archive.org/details/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft/page/429 429]}}</ref> The news was conveyed to Hastinapur and Dwaraka by eyewitnesses to this event.<ref name="bhagavatam.in"/> The place of this incident is believed to be Bhalka, near [[Somnath temple]].<ref name="bhalka-somnath"/><ref name="gujtour"/>

According to [[Purana|Puranic sources]],{{efn|name=Krishna departs|The ''[[Bhagavata Purana]]'' (1.18.6),<ref>{{Cite book |chapter=Skanda I, Ch. 18: Curse of the Brahmana, Sloka 6 |title=Bhagavata Purana |url=https://archive.org/details/BhagavataPuranaMotilalEnglish/page/n141/mode/1up |volume=Part I |publisher=[[Motilal Banarsidass|Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited]] |year=1950 |page=137 |quote=On the very day, and at the very moment the Lord [Krishna] left the earth, on that very day this Kali, the source of irreligiousness, (in this world), entered here.}}</ref> ''[[Vishnu Purana]]'' (5.38.8),<ref>{{Cite book |author-last=Wilson |author-first=H. H. |author-link=Horace Hayman Wilson |year=1895 |chapter=Book V, Ch. 38: Arjuna burns the dead, etc., Sloka 8 |title=The Vishnu Purana |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.47536/page/n73/mode/1up |publisher=S.P.C.K. Press |page=61 |quote=The Parijata tree proceeded to heaven, and on the same day that Hari [Krishna] departed from the earth the dark-bodied Kali age descended.}}</ref> and ''[[Brahma Purana]]'' (2.103.8)<ref>{{Cite book |chapter=Ch. 103, Episode of Krsna concluded, Sloka 8 |title=Brahma Purana |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.98294/page/n285/mode/1up |volume=Part II |publisher=[[Motilal Banarsidass]] |year=1955 |page=515 |quote=It was on the day on which Krishna left the Earth and went to heaven that the Kali age, with time for its body set in.}}</ref> state that the day [[Krishna]] left the earth was the day that the ''[[Dvapara Yuga]]'' ended and the ''[[Kali Yuga]]'' began.}} Krishna's disappearance marks the end of [[Dvapara Yuga]] and the start of [[Kali Yuga]], which is dated to February 17/18, 3102 BCE.<ref>See: Matchett, Freda, ''"The Puranas"'', p 139 and Yano, Michio, ''"Calendar, astrology and astronomy"'</ref>

==Story==
As per the writing in [[Ramayana]], [[Rama]], i.e. [[Krishna]] in his earlier [[Rama]] Avatar ([[Avatar]]s) is supposed to have given a boon to a monkey king [[Vali (Hindu mythology)]] whom Rama killed stealthily by shooting an arrow, while hiding behind a bush when Vali was engaged in a battle with his younger brother [[Sugriva]], thus fulfilling his promise of protecting Sugriva's life. The above action of the hunter in [[Krishna]] avatar ([[Avatar]]s) is supposed to be in compliance to the boon of [[Rama]] i.e. [[Krishna]] in his earlier Avatar. It is believed that Krishna left his footprints. It is a common site of pilgrimage for people who visit Somnath.{{citation needed|date=August 2017}}

==Location==
Bhalka Teerth is situated almost 4 kilometers away from the [[Somnath temple]]. Presently the government has planned to develop this temple also into a major tourist attraction.<ref name="bhalka-somnath"/>

Somnath/Veraval City/Bhalka is very well connected via road and rail network. Nearest railway station is Veraval<ref name="toi-1">{{cite web | url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolhapur/Addl-trains-chief-demand-at-rly-meet/articleshow/46053899.cms | title=Addl trains chief demand at rly meet | publisher=Times of India | date=Jan 29, 2015 | accessdate=7 April 2015}}</ref> and the nearest airports are [[Diu Airport|Diu]] & [[Rajkot Airport|Rajkot]]. Bus services are available from [[Ahmedabad]], [[Vadodara]], [[Rajkot]], [[Dwarka]] etc.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
BHALKA-04.jpg|Bhalka Teerth
BHALKA-07.jpg|Sign Board depicting the importance of the place
BHALKA-05.jpg|Sign Board depicting the importance of the place

</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Burial places of founders of world religions]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist|30em}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Hindu temples in Gujarat}}

[[Category:Krishna]]
[[Category:Hindu temples in Gujarat]]
[[Category:Samadhis]]