 |
| Dwarka the sunken city
|
Not so long ago some Indian scientists accidentally discovered the
lost city of Dwaraka, submerged off the north western coast of India near the
Gulf of Cambay or Khambat. The first archaeological excavations at Dwaraka were
done by the Deccan College , Pune and the Department of Archaeology, Government
of Gujarat, in 1963. Since 1983 the Marine Archaeology Unit of the National
Institute of Oceanography is engaged in the offshore exploration and excavation
of the legendary city of Dwaraka.
A few years ago a
team of NIOT scientists while working for British Gas in the Gulf of Cambay
region were stunned to see images of objects and things, completely alien to
the marine domain. Samples collected include artifacts, wood pieces, pottery
materials, hearth pieces and animal bones which were sent to Manipur
University, Oxford University, London, Institute of Earth Sciences, Hanover,
Germany for analysis and dating. On analysis and dating of the samples
collected it was found that the samples were about 9000 years old, about the
same time when the Ice Age ended. Some of the artifacts discovered dated as far
back as 32,000 years. Perhaps, this is the discovery of one of the oldest
civilizations known to mankind.
Marine archaeological explorations off Dwarka have brought to light a
large number of stone structures. They are are semicircular, rectangular and
square in shape and are in water depth ranging from inter tidal zone to 6 m.
They are randomly scattered over a vast area. Besides these structures, a large
number of varieties of stone anchors have been noticed along the structures as
well as beyond 6 m water depth.
These findings suggest that Dwarka was one of
the most busy port centers during the past on the west coast of India. The
comparative study of surrounding sites indicates that the date of the
structures of Dwarka may be between Historical period and late medieval period.
Mainstream scientists maintain that ancient Indian
culture/civilization goes back some 4-5 thousand years. Yet the ruins below the
Gulf of Cambay go back at least 9 thousand years, i.e. to the time when the
area submerged under water.
This means
that the city must have existed before the flooding, i.e. at least 9 thousand
years ago.
The explorations conducted in the
Gulf of Cambay waters revealed sandstone walls, a grid of streets and some
evidence of a sea port 70 feet under water. The ruins have been proclaimed the
remains of the legendary lost city of Dwarka which, according to ancient Hindu
texts, was the dwelling place of the deity known as Krishna.
Until recently the very existence of the city of Dwarka
was a matter of legends. Now, that the remains have been discovered under
water, and with many clues seeming to suggest that this, indeed, is the
legendary Dwarka, dwelling place of lord Krishna, could it be that lord Krishna
and his aerial battle with king Salva were more than just a legend?
The implications of accepting the
archeologists’ finds as proof that the sunken city is indeed the legendary
Dwarka would be very significant for the understanding of what the Mahabharata
is. It would no longer be merely a book of myths and legends, but in fact, at
least to some extent, a genuine account of past events.
