Traditions say that the first temple was built here by Krishna’s great-grandson Vajranabha. After Dwarka was swept away by the ocean he went back and once again established the Yadava kingdom in Mathura. Vajranabha returned to Dwarka to build a temple to Krishna at the site of his personal palace called Hari Griha. Tradition says that a temple has stood here at the confluence of the Gomati River and the ocean since then. Adi Shankaracharya arrived here in the 9th century and renovated the temple and established the shrine of Adi Shakti on the fourth floor. During the medieval period, the temple was attacked by armies of Muslim sultans in the 13th and 16th centuries. During this time one image of Krishna was taken away and hidden in the island of Bet Dwarka to save it from destruction.

The present temple was built by a local ruler, Raja Jagat Singh Rathore in the 16th century and the sanctum is called Jagat Mandir. Very little is known about the history of the temple but it was probably built over an older structure as some sections have been dated to being at least a thousand years old. The temple stands in the middle of a crowded bazaar with a steep row of steps leading up to the porch. It is seven storeys high, built in granite and sandstone and shaped like a chariot.

The temple, also called Triloka Sundara Temple, is built in the Chalukya style that was popular in the Gujarat region and adheres to the Nagara architecture of North India. In this tradition steps lead to a porch over which is a decorative arch called torana. The torana gateways are topped by stone garlands in the snake like motifs. The porch opens into a series of halls that lead to the sanctum. The halls, called mandapams have spires and the highest spire or shikhara is over the sanctum or garbha griha. There is a path around the sanctum for devotees to circle the deity called the pradakshina patha. On the highest spire above the sanctum a huge silk flag flies called Dhwaja that is 52 yards long and is in seven primary colours.

The temple has two assembly halls supported by seventy two ornate pillars called the vimana mandapa and the natya mandapa. The halls are open with pillars and have carved tiered roofs. The shikhara over the garbha griha is topped by a carved pot shaped carving called the suvarna kalasha. From the entrance the vimana mandapa and the natya mandapa lead to the sanctum which is called Jagat Mandir or Nija Mandir. The whole temple is covered with ornate carvings and the walls and pillars have sculptures in floral and geometric motifs, images of gods and goddesses and decorative patterns. Many of these panels, especially in the lower sections of the temple can be dated to very ancient times.

There are two entrances to the temple called Swarga Dwar, the gateway to heaven and Moksha Dwar, the gateway to salvation. From the Swarga Dwar a flight of steps lead down to the Gomati River and pilgrims usually go there to bathe in the confluence of the river and the ocean before entering the sanctum area to watch the religious rituals and perform puja.