According to Hindu legend, Dwarka was built on a piece of land that was reclaimed from the sea by Krishna. The Mahabharata tells the story of sage Durvasa's visit to Krishna and his wife Rukmini. The sage demanded that the couple pull his chariot like horses, and they agreed. However, during the journey, the sage struck Rukmini when she fell, and she became tired and asked for water. Krishna, using his powers, dug a hole that brought in river Ganga to the place, which made the sage angry and he cursed Rukmini to remain in the place. The temple where Rukmini's shrine is found is believed to be the place where she stood. In the epic, Durvasa found no fault with the divine couple and blessed Krishna with invincibility everywhere except the soles of his feet. He also declared that Rukmini would be the foremost of the deity's spouses and would be his eternal companion in the next world as well.

The town of Dwarka, located in Gujarat, has a rich history that dates back centuries. It is mentioned in the Mahabharata epic as the Dwaraka Kingdom and is situated on the banks of the river Gomti. According to legend, this town was also the capital of Krishna. Though some evidence such as a stone block with script, the way the stones were dressed, and an examination of anchors found on the site suggest that the harbor site dates only to historical times, with some of the underwater structure being late Medieval. Coastal erosion was probably the cause of the destruction of what was an ancient port. In the fifteenth century, the Raja of Dwarka was a Vadhel named Bhim who also ruled the local Vagher pirates. One day, a maulana named Mahmud Samarqandi was undergoing a sea voyage when a storm caused his vessel to go towards the coast of Dwarka. There, the ship was attacked by Vagher pirates who plundered the ship, kidnapped his women, and left Mahmud and his sons adrift. Mahmud Samarqandi brought this matter to Sultan Mahmud at his court in Mustafabad. The sultan decided to capture Dwarka and in 1473 began marching towards the city. The Raja of Dwarka Bhim and his Rajputs fled the city to the island fortress of Bet, allowing Mahmud Begada to plunder Dwarka, destroy buildings and the Dwarkadhish temple, and destroy its idol.