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Hindu Epics such as Mahabharata have often been
described as myths. “On the same day
that Krishna departed from the earth the powerful dark-bodied Kali Age
descended. The oceans rose and submerged the whole of Dwaraka.“
According to Vishnu Purana - Dwaraka was submerged by the sea right after the death of Lord
Krishna. This was regarded as a grandiose metaphor, part of a story filled with great
myths. In the early eighties an important archaeological site was found in India, at
Dwaraka, the site of the legendary city of Lord Krishna. Now, it is discovered that
the whole coast of western India sank by nearly 40 feet around 1500 B.C. E. Why
is that the rediscovery of Dwaraka has not attracted the same degree of
attention in the West, as that of ancient Troy by Heinrich Schliemann?
The first clear historical record is dated 574
A.D. and occurs in the Palitana Plates of Samanta Simhaditya. This inscription
refers to Dwaraka as the capital of the western coast of Saurashtra and still
more important, states that Sri Krishna lived here. The establishment of one of
the four of his pithas at Dwaraka by Sankaracharya attests to the great
religious sanctity the place must have attained by the eighth century A.D.
Dr. S R Rao has written: "The discovery of
the legendary city of Dwaraka which is said to have been founded by Sri Krishna,
is an important landmark in the history of India. It has set to rest the doubts
expressed by historians about the historicity of Mahabharata and the very
existence of Dwaraka city. It has greatly narrowed the gap in Indian history by
establishing the continuity of the Indian civilization from the Vedic Age to the
present day."
Here is a
report about the latest excavations done by Dr. S.R. Rao of the Marine Archaeology Unit of the National
Institute of Oceanography of India. Following this report are a few articles and
images.
The Towering personality of
Lord Krishna
Sri Krishna is a towering personality and it is
difficult to separate the human aspect of his life from the divine in Krishna
concept. He is a grand mystery and everyone has tried to understand him in his
own way, according to his spiritual light or vision. The Yogis considered him to
be the absolute truth, the Gopis the highest object of love, the warriors as an
ideal hero, Kamsa as an object of fear and Sisupala as an object of hate.
Whether
one thinks of him as an object of love or hate, one attains him. Yudhishthira
attained him through friendship and Narada by devotion. Krishna is the
embodiment of intellectual and spiritual glory. No other single idea has so much
influenced the course of India's religion, philosophy, art and literature as the
life and personality of Krishna. As a child he was wonderful, as a youth he was
physically most perfect and beautiful. as an intellectual he was the very
embodiment of Vedic scholarship and his teachings in the Gita embody the
immortal message of desire less action, knowledge and single-minded devotion.
"As a fighter he was without rival, as a statesman most shrewd, as a social
thinker very liberal, as a teacher the most eloquent, as a friend never failing,
and as a householder the most idea." It is with his help that the Pandavas
were able to overcome all opponents and win the battle of Mahabharata.
In the words of
Annie Wood Besant
(1847-1933) was an active socialist on the executive committee of the Fabian
Society along with George Bernard Shaw. "He (Krishna) is so fundamentally the God, who is human
in everything, who bends in human sympathy over the cradle of the babe, who
sympathizes with the play of the youth, who is the friend of the lover, the
blesser of the bridegroom and the bride, who smiles on the young mother when her
first born lies in her arms, everywhere the God of love and human happiness;
what wonder that his winsome grace has fascinated the hearts of men."
(source: Discourses on
Hindu Avataras - By Annie Wood Besant).
Krishna-Kanhiya
(image source: Annals
and Antiquities of Rajasthan: or the Central and Western Rajput States of India
- By Colonel James Tod).
Listen to The
Bhagavad Gita podcast
- By Michael Scherer
- americanphonic.com. Watch
Scientific
verification of Vedic knowledge. Watch
Lost
/ submerged city of
Dwaraka
– The Learning
Channel video
***
Sister
Nivedita - Margaret Noble
(1867-1911 wrote: "The Grand Personality that towers over Kurukshetra
and enunciates the body of doctrines which all India knew....to be the core of dharma
combines within himself the divinity of the Indian Shiva, the virility of the
Greek Heracles, the simplicity of the Judian Christ, the tenderness of the
Buddha, the calm, austerity and learning of any teacher of the Upanishads."
It is however, essential to
note that the Mahabharata itself treats Krishna both as a God and as a man, so
does its essential part of the Gita. (IX. II).
***
The first possible recorded instance of a Krishna who may
be identified with the deity can be found in the Chandogya Upanishad (ca. 900
BCE). The teacher Ghora Angirasa discusses the nature of the soul with Krishna,
the son of Devaki. However, this teacher is never mentioned in connection with
Krishna in later works nor does any ancient or medieval author quote this
instance of Krishna, the deity. The exact words that Ghora speaks are treated by
some as praise of Krishna and most others as a praise of the Atman, whose
knowledge being imparted to Krishna. The doctrine taught by Ghora matches with
the Bhagavad-gita and the name of the mother is the same as in later Krishna
traditions.
Panini
(ca. 5th century BCE), in his Ashtadhyayi
explains the word "Vāsudevaka" as a Bhakta (devotee) of Vāsudeva.
This, along with the mention of Arjuna in the same context, indicates that the Vāsudeva
here is Krishna.
In the 4th century BCE, Megasthenes the Greek ambassador to
the court of Chandragupta Maurya says that the Sourasenoi (Surasena), who lived
in the region of Mathura worshipped Herakles. This Herakles is usually
identified with Krishna due to the regions mentioned by Megasthenes as well as
similarities between some of the herioc acts of the two. Megasthenes also
mentions that his daughter Pandaia ruled in south India. The south indeed had
the kingdom of the Pandyas with the capital at Madhura (Madurai), the name
similar to if not the same as Krishna's Mathura.
From 180-165 BCE, the Greek ruler Agathocles
issued coins with images of Vasudeva holding a chakra.
From 180-165 BCE, the Greek ruler Agathocles
issued coins with images of Vasudeva holding a chakra.
Watch
Lost
/ submerged city of
Dwaraka
– The Learning
Channel video
and
Underwater Worlds 3 Ancient Aliens - Dwaraka
(image
source: wikipedia.org).
***
The great grammarian
Patanjali, who wrote his commentary the Mahabhashya
upon Panini's grammar about 150 BCE, quotes a verse to the following effect: May
the might of Krishna accompanied by Samkarshana increase! One verse speaks of
Janardana with himself as fourth (Krishna with three companions, the three
possibly being Samkarshana, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha). Another verse mentions
musical instruments being played at meetings in the temples of Rama (Balarama)
and Kesava (Krishna). Patanjali also describes dramatic and mimetic performances
(Krishna-Kamsopacharam) representing the killing of Kamsa by Vasudeva.
Megasthenes,
the Greek ambassador in the court of Chandragupta Maurya (4th century B.C) makes
the first reference to the deification of Vasudeva. He says that Heracles (who
is closest to Krishna-Vasudeva) was held in high regard by the Sourasenoi (Surasenas)
who possessed two large cities namely Methora (Mathura) and Cleisobora (Krishnapura,
that is Vraja and Vrindavana). Apart from references by Megasthenes to the
deification of Krishna-Vasudeva, Buddhist texts mention the existence of shrines
dedicated to Vasudeva (Krishna) and Baladeva (Balarama).
Heliodorus,
the son of Dia (Dion), a resident of Taxila had come to Besnagar as an envoy of
the Greek king Antalikata (Antialkidas) to the court of Kasiputra Bhagabhadra
during his 14th regnal year. Antialkidas is placed between 175-135 B.C. The
Greek king Agathocles (2nd century B. C) was also devoted to the Bhagavata cult.
The figures of Krishna and Balarama are shown on his coins found in the
excavations at Al-Khanuram in Afghanistan.
Stambha or the
column had been erected in BC 113 by Heliodorus, a Greek ambassador to India,
a devotee of Krishna/Vasudeva at
Videsha.
Heliodorus’ Column publicly
acknowledged in the most conspicuous way that Vasudeva, or Krishna, as
the "God of gods."
Watch
Scientific
verification of Vedic knowledge.
Watch
Lost
/ submerged city of
Dwaraka
– The Learning
Channel video
***
1) Trini
amutapadani‹[su] anuthitani 2) nayamti svaga damo chago apramado "Three
immortal precepts (footsteps)... when practiced lead to heaven-self-restraint,
charity, consciousness." From this inscription
it is clear Heliodorus was a Vaisnava, a devotee of Visnu.
He
also had written on his column’s inscription that "Three immortal
precepts when practiced lead to heaven–self-restraint, charity, and
conscientiousness." These three virtues appear in the exact same order in
the great epic - The Mahabharata.
(For more
refer to The
Heliodorus Column - gosai.com). Refer to Vrindanet
- Poland
***
The column was ordered by Heliodurus, a Greek or
Greek-named envoy of the Indo-Bactrian king, Antialkidas. He came to the court
of King Kasiputra Bhagabhadra, the ruler of the Besnagar area, from Taxila. To
celebrate his conversion into Hinduism a pillar was erected which is dedicated
to Lord Vishnu. Heliodorus calls himself a devotee of Krishna/Vasudeva, one of
the names of Visnu. Such offerings were common in fulfillment of
religious vows (thus 'votive' offerings) at that time. This same column has
survived to the present, and is one of the primary pieces of evidence used to
prove the existence of Vasudeva-Krishna (Krishna-Balarama) worship in the
pre-Christian era. On the column erected in Besnagar in central India near
Vidisha, north of Madhyapradesh State, at 113 BC (sometimes also dated 140/150
BC ) he calls himself a worshiper of Vasudeva (Vishnu). This is the first known
record that other than Indian-born person became a follower of Vishnu (Vaishnava).
"This Garuda-column of Vasudeva (Visnu), the
god of gods, was erected here by Heliodorus, a worshiper of Visnu, the son of
Dion, and an inhabitant of Taxila, who came as Greek ambassador from the Great
King Antialkidas to King Kasiputra Bhagabhadra, the savior, then reigning
prosperously in the fourteenth year of his kingship." (Transliteration and
translation of this ancient Brahmi inscription was published in the Journal of
the Royal Asiatic Society (London: JRAS, Pub., 1909, pp. 1053-54.)
Dr. S. Radhakrishan
wrote: "The Bhagavad Gita is "both metaphysics and ethics brahmavidya
and yogasastra, the science of reality and the art of union with reality. The
truths of spirit can be apprehended only by those who prepare themselves for
their reception by rigorous disciplines"
Dwaraka had found a place in the texts on
grammar, for Panini, the great grammarian,
refers to Cakragirti, which is identified with Cakratirtha at the mouth of the
river Gomati where Dwaraka is situated. The durgavidhana and durganivesa
prakaranas of the Arthasastra of Kautilya
prescribe the layout of a city. The description of Dwaraka in the Mahabharata
and Jnata-dharma-katha as large, well-fortified and prosperous due to sea trade
confirms hat it was a port city.
(source: The
Lost City of Dvaraka - By S. R. Rao ISBN 8186471480 p. 1 -25 and
wikipedia.org).
Listen to The
Bhagavad Gita podcast
- By Michael Scherer
- americanphonic.com.
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of Page
Dwaraka – The Importance of
Heritage
Dwaraka has a special importance as one of the major Hindu pilgrim place, known as the
capital of Lord Krishna's Kingdom. It is also an important historical monument.
The region of the west coast, where Krishna was to settle the Yadavas was full
of flowering and fruit-bearing trees. Here grew the nagacampas, grapes, coconut
trees and many others. It was the land of the hunter Ekalavya. Dronacarya had
also lived here. Krishna decided to built a new city here and laid the
foundation at an auspicious moment. He named the new city Dvaravati. Much later
the poet Magha in his Sisupalavadha, sarga2,
describes in slokas 31 onwards, the city of Dwaraka, sloka 33 can be translated:
"The yellow glitter of the golden fort of
the city in the sea throwing yellow light all round looked as if the flames of
vadavagni came out tearing asunder the sea."
Literary texts like the Mahabharata, Harivamsha,
Sijupdlavadha and Puranas contain traditions about foundation of
Dwaraka, its planning
and glory. Before the legendary city of Dwaraka was discovered some scholars were of
the view that the Mahabharata being only a myth it would be futile to look for the
remains of Dwaraka and that too in the sea. Others held that the Mahabharata battle was a
family feud exaggerated into a war.
The Mahabharat war at
Kurukshetra with Lord Krishna as the charioteer to the Warrior Arjuna.
The
Bhagavad Gita has influenced great Americans from Thoreau to Oppenheimer. Its
message of letting go of the fruits of one’s actions is just as relevant today
as it was when it was first written more than two millennia ago.
For
more refer to chapter on Greater
India: Suvarnabhumi and Sacred
Angkor
Refer to Bhaja
Govindam - kamakoti.org.
Listen to The
Bhagavad Gita podcast
- By Michael Scherer
- americanphonic.com. Watch
Scientific
verification of Vedic knowledge. Watch
Lost
/ submerged city of
Dwaraka
– The Learning
Channel video
Watch
Krishna
- history or myth
***
Excavations done by Dr. S. R. Rao at Dwaraka prove that the
descriptions as found in these texts are not to be discarded as fanciful but are to be
treated as based on actualities as seen by their authors. The architecture of the old
Dwaraka of Shri Krishna is majestic and wonderful. The great poet Premanand has in his
"Sudama Charit" described its splendid beauty and majesty. Dwaraka is mentioned
as Golden City in Shrimad Bhagvad Gita, Skand Purana,
Vishnu Purana and also in Harivansha and Mahabharat.
Dwaraka on mainland which was one of the busiest
ports of the Mahabharata Period met a sudden end due to the fury of the sea.
After the Mahabharata War Krishna lived for 36 years at Dwaraka. At the end, the
Vrshnis, Bhojas and Satvatas destroyed themselves in a fratricidal feud at
Prabhasa but Krishna did not interfere to save them. The portends of destruction
seen by Sri Krishna who advised immediate evacuation of Dwarakaare stated in
Bhagavata Purana. Dwaraka abandoned by Hari (Krishna) was swallowed by the sea.
The submergence took place immediately after Sri Krishna departed from the
world.
Construction of Dwaraka
Interesting descriptions about its construction are found in Puranas.
"Fearing attack from
Jarasangh and Kaalayvan on Mathura, Shri Krishna and Yadavas left Mathura and arrived at
the coast of Saurashtra. They decided to build their capital in the coastal region and
invoke the Vishwakarma the deity of construction. However, Vishwakarma says that the task
can be completed only if Samudradev, the Lord of the sea provided some land. Shri Krishna
worshipped Samudradev, who was pleased and gave them land measuring 12 yojans and the Lord
vishwakarma build Dwaraka, a "city in gold".
This
beautiful city was also known as Dwaramati, Dwarawati and Kushsthali. Another story says
that at the time of the death of Shri Krishna, who was hit by the arrow of a hunter near
Somnath at Bhalka Tirth, Dwaraka disappeared in the sea.
The information and material secured through underwater excavation off Dwaraka
corroborates with the references to the City of Dwaraka, made in the Great Epic Mahabharata
and various other Sanskrit literary works. In Mahabharata,
there is a specific account about the submerging of Dwaraka, by the
sea which reads thus:
Sculpture of Vishnu from
onshore excavation, Dwaraka.
(image source:
The Lost City of Dvaraka - By S.R. Rao).
***
"The sea, which had been beating
against the shores, suddenly broke the boundary that was imposed on it by nature. The sea
rushed into the city. It coursed through the streets of the beautiful city. The sea
covered up everything in the city. Even as they were all looking, Arjuna saw the beautiful
buildings becoming submerged one by one. Arjuna took a last look at the mansion of
Krishna. It was soon covered by the sea. In a matter of a few moments it was all over. The
sea had now become as placid as a lake. There was no trace of the beautiful city which had
been the favourite haunt of all the Pandavas. Dwaraka was just a name; just a
memory."
The importance of the discovery of Dwaraka lies not merely in providing archaeological
evidence needed for corroborating the traditional account of the submergence of Dwaraka
but also indirectly fixing the date of the Mahabharata which is a landmark in Indian
history. The Thermoluminiscence date of the pottery from Bet Dwaraka which is also
connected with the Krishna legend is 3520 years Before Present. Identical pottery is found
in the submerged city of Dwaraka. Thus the results have proved that the account in
Mahabharata
as to the existence of a beautiful capital city of Dwaraka of Sri Krishna was not a
mere figment of imagination but it did exist.
Besides the sea-ports, there
were renowned cities which were washed away by the rivers on whose banks they were
situated. We may cite here the case of Hastinapura and Pataliputra, situated on the bank
of the river Ganga and falling victims to flood-fury. The Mahabharata mentions that
Hastinapura was washed away by the Ganga and consequently the Pandavas had to migrate to
Kaugdmbi. Pataliputra which was the premier city of the land (agranag-ara) and the
test of the excellence of all the cities (samasta-nagarf-nikasdyamand) in the words
of Dandin, the author of the DaSakumaracharita, later became the worst victim of
inundation. The submerged parts of these cities are to be treated as protected monuments
and great treasures of our ancient heritage. If Dwaraka excavations throw a flood of light
on the history of the city which was associated with the life events of Krishna, the
under-water excavations of Ayodhya situated on the bank of the river Sarayu might yield
valuable information about the historicity of Rama, his age and contemporary urban status.
(note: Lord
Krishna was born at midnight on Friday July 27, 3112 BCE. This date and time has
been calculated by astronomers on the basis of the planetary positions on that
day recorded by Sage Vyasa. Mahabharata War took place on November 22, 3067
BCE. The Bhagavad Gita was compiled around 500 BCE. - source: The Hindu Mind - By
Bansi Pandit).
Marine
archaeology is a new subject and a little-explored one, mainly due to the lack
of funds, scientific and other necessary equipment and even trained divers,
besides a dearth of qualified marine archaeologists.
 A
pioneer in this field is Dr S R
Rao, formerly of the Archaeological Survey of
India (ASI) and now with the National Institute of Oceanography in Goa. With all
the existing limitations, he has done considerable work in the Bet Dwaraka
region, where he found an entire submerged city, with rubble and masonry
structures, several shell and pottery items and seals. The
Mahabharata and Harivamsha describe Krishna‚s capital Dwaraka and how it was
submerged by the sea in great detail, a description that coincides in many ways
with what the divers found. Unfortunately, the doubting
Thomases of our historical world, a school of Indian historians who regard
Indian literature as, myth do not want to acknowledge this interpretation, in
case it gives credence to the story of Krishna, whose capital was submerged by
the sea.
It is ridiculous not to correlate archaeology and literature. Mythology is, the
science of primitive man, his manner of explaining the universe. Records of
natural phenomena and historical events ˜ invasions, migrations, etc. ˜ are
stored as myths. If literature and archaeology had not been correlated, we would
never have known the history of ancient Greece. And
how many people are aware of the fact that the only (ancient) temple for Matsya
˜ Vishnu's incarnation at the time of the great flood ˜ is to be found at
Shankhodhara in Bet Dwaraka.
(source:
Marine
archaeology and the study of the past - By Nanditha
Krishn - newindpress.com).
Watch
Scientific
verification of Vedic knowledge
and
Watch
Lost
/ submerged city of
Dwaraka
– The Learning
Channel video
Top
of Page
Articles
Further Excavations of the Submerged City of Dwaraka
- S. R. Rao
Legend
of Dwaraka - By T.R.
Gopaalakrushnan
Underwater museum, in
Dwaraka yet to surface
Dwaraka
museum in Gujarat likely to throw light on Indus Valley civilisation
Dwaraka
remains may soon be protected as underwater world cultural heritage site
Dwarika
- The
Eternal City - By Brinda
Ramesh
Photos
of Marine Excavations at Dwaraka
The Flooding
of Dwaraka and the descent of the Kali Yuga - By Graham Hancock
Preserve
underwater cultural heritage of Dwarka, says expert
How
marine archaeologists found Dwaraka – By V Gangadharan
Significant finds at Dwaraka
Wooden
piece at Dwarka site to tell all... date, time
New
finds take archaeologists closer to Krishna
'Lord
Krishna existed. School texts are wrong'
How science discovered
the historical Krishna
Further Excavations of the
Submerged City of Dwaraka
- By S.R. Rao - Recent
Advances in Marine Archaeology
(Proceedings of Second Indian Conference of Marine Archaelogy of Indian Ocean
countries.Jan1990)
Published for the Society for Marine Archaeology National Inst. of Oceanography India. 1991
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 Dvaraka in the coastal waters of Dwaraka in Gujarat. Brief accounts of the
findings of the underwater search for the lost city have appeared in Progress and
Prospects of Marine Archaeology in India, 1987, Marine Archaeology of Indian Ocean
Countries, 1988, 40 years of Research - A CSIR Overview, 1988 and Journal of Marine
Archaeology, 1990. The present paper deals with the more significant results of
further excavations in 1988 and 1989 and discusses archaeological and literary evidence
for the identification of the port city of Dvaraka of the protohistoric period. It also
draws attention to the scientific data available from the underwater excavations in the
Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Kutch.
 A brief account of the discovery of the submerged city of Dwaraka
of Mahabarata fame and the salient features of the structures exposed as a result
of underwater excavation con-ducted at Dwaraka and Bet Dwaraka by the Marine Archaeology
Unit of the National Institute of Oceanography under the direction of the author from 1983
to 1987 appeared in 1988 (Rao, S.R. 1988, 47-53). Offshore exploration of the legen-dary
city at Dwaraka was resumed in 1988 and continued through 1990, further seaward of the
Temple
of Samudranardyana (Sea God) at Dwaraka with a view to trace the plan and extent
of the port-city and the purpose of the massive stone walls built on the banks of ancient
Gomati. It was also necessary to ascertain whether its architectural features were in
conformation with the description of the city of Dwaraka given in the epic
Mahabharata.
A second object was to obtain more corroborative evidence for reclamation referred to
in the epic. Thirdly, the nick point where the ancient Gomati river joined the sea had to
be determined. Lastly, the cause of submergence of the city was another problem that
needed further investigation.
Onshore and offshore excavation in the
island of Bet Dwaraka which, according to tradition, was the resort of Sri Krishna was
resumed in November, 1987 and continued through 1988. The main objective was to trace the
landward extension of the submerged protohistoric township near Balapur Bay where, in the
intertidal zone a submerged wall had been traced in the earlier expedition (Rao, S. R.
1988, 49).
Marine
Archaeological expedition at Bet Dwaraka
The trenches dug by the Public Works Department
in the 'Talao' area near Balapur village for building an earthen embankment were examined,
but no remains of any protohis-toric settlement came to light confirming thereby that
there was no landward extension of'the ancient town. Most part of the ancient township was
swallowed by the sea and the mud flats of Balapur extending over I km seaward had buried
the ancient relics. One Trench (A) to the south of the Old Cus-tom House, and the other
itrench (Al) in the intertidal zone at the toot of the Custom House mound were sunk to
estab-lish the sequential relationship between the two sectors of habitation. (Fig. 1) The
short duration of 3 or 4 hours at low tide when land was exposed near the shore, rendered
excavation in ::Iavev deposit very difficult. Even so, a rubble foundation, 35 cm broad,
and a few sherds of a large storage jar lying on the floor of the house were exposed in
Trench (Al). Several worked columella of conch shell found lying in a line suggested that
the house belonged to a shell-worker. Excava-tion had to be abandoned after digging to a
depth of 20 cm because of high water table in lowest tide also. Trench Al was however
extended on the west and the extension was marked XA1, but no structure came to light.
Layer I of trench Al is surface humus, layer 2 consists of fine grained silty sand mixed
with shingle and layer 2A, where shells and pottery are found, is darkish clay. No pottery
was found in layers 2 and 2A of XA I.
A
trench '2 x 2 m was laid above the rain gully in the Custori-. House mound to ascertain
the cultural sequence. In all, 10 layers were distinguished. Layers I to 4 upto lm depth
yielded Muslim glazed ware and Ted ware of early medieval period. In Layers 5 and 6 in
1-1.3m depth the Red Polished Ware assignable to the first five centuries of the Christian
era was found. One sherd inscribed with the letter sya meaning I of in Brahmi
characters of the lst-2nd century A.D. was recovered Layers 8-10 yielded a few
sherds of the Lustrous Red Ware and coarse red ware of the post-Harappan phase. Natural
soil could not be reached. A large number of shell bangles and a couple of worked
columella were found in the medieval and early historic deposits. A bead of li3h bone is
the only find from the post-Harappan deposit. It was decided to postpone to a later date
the excavation of the intertidal zone and- the mound further north of the earthen
embank-ment of the Talao where Late Harappan pottery has been found.
Massive
stone protection wall-cum-pier in BDJ VIII
In the course of exploration of the near shore
and intertidal zones south of Balapur Bay on 4th January, 1988 Mr Rajan,
diver-archaeologist and Mr Sirsath, photographer discovered a massive rubble wall exposed
in lowest low tide and the site has been designated as BDK Vill (Pi. 18-19). The wall
remains submerged at high tide under a column of 2 in water above its top. Excavation was
conducted on both the sides of the eastern arm of this structure on the 9th and 10th
January in order to expose to full extent the height of the structure and determine ' the
nature and purpose of constructing such a large enclosure which is 558 m in its peripheral
length. (Fig.2)
 Trenches measuring 1 x 1.2 m were laid on its
southern and northern faces. In all, 9 courses of dressed and undressed stones, of which 4
courses are covered by silty clay deposit were traced The wall was constructed on the bed
rock. The stone masonry is heavily incrusted with barnacles and other sea organisms. It is
very difficult to remove the incrustation with-out chiselling it. Originally the wall must
have been atleast 2.5 to 3 m high. Presently it is only 1.5 m in height. The enclosure
wall is an irregular hexagon on plan. An interesting feature of construction is the use of
wedge-shaped blocks of stone for the shell, while the core is made up of rubble-filling.
That the structure is man-made becomes apparent from the use of dressed stones closely
laid and also from the box technique of construction. The thickness of the wall at the
base is 2.5m while the extant tapering top is 1.5 to 2m thick. The pottery found in the
trench is coarse grey ware but heavily rolled resulting in the disappearance of the slip
and decoration if any. Only one sherd of the sturdy red ware of the post-Harap-pan phase
was found in the extremely small trench. Provision-ally the structure is datable to 15th
century B.C. on the basis of the sturdy red ware. Within the enclosure there must have
been very important public buildings - may be warehouses and other structures relating to
shipping, for, not far from here are two rock-cut stipways for launching boats. The
massive protection wall could have also served as a pier.
(Artwork
courtesy of The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc. www.krishna.com).
Dwaraka
The Research Vessel Vedhavati arrived on
31st December at Dwaraka duly equipped with diving gear, echosounder, heavy compressor,
airlift etc. For the next three days Sri. Srinivasa Bandodkar, Chief-diver-photographer
and other divers and diver trainees searched for and cleared the sub-merged structures of
the ancient city exposed in the earlier expeditions. They were found partly disturbed and
partly covered by sediments and vegetation. Swells and currents had disturbed a few blocks
of the top courses of walls. They were photographed and marked by fresh buoys. New areas
beyond 500 m seaward of the Samudrandrayana temple were explored and the thick growth of
vegetation on ancient build-ings were removed. On 3rd January a small stone structure was
found 200 m north of buoy 35, and the overburden of 2-3 m thickness was airlifted before
exposing the topmost course of dressed stones. Lying nearby is a partly damaged bastion
which is semi-circular in plan (PI. 20). The dressed stones used in its construction are I
' -2 m long 0.3 m thick. A lunate-shaped dressed block appears to be the chandrtdild (moonstone
of a temple).
Dwarakadish temple on the river Gomati, Dwaraka
Watch
Scientific
verification of Vedic knowledge.
Watch
Lost
/ submerged city of
Dwaraka
– The Learning
Channel video
(image source:
The Lost City of Dvaraka - By S.R. Rao).
***
Two stone walls, one each near buoys 40 and 41, were
laid bare (PI. 21-24). The stones used in the construction are I to 2 m long, 0.5 to 0.7 m
wide and 0.3 m thick. All structures near here arc gridded and their position is fixed by
sextant. Excavation in layer 3 yielded a sherd of a miniature bowl with everted rim in
Lustrous Red Ware of Rangpur III type. The slip has how-ever completely disappeared and
the core of the fabric has a pitted surface due to wave action. The sea became choppy and
the currents strong from 15th to 21st January and the boats were heavily rolling. In an
attempt to reach the shore the crew of the dingy was thrown out by heavy breakers but
there was no serious injury to anyone. Underwater explora-tion was suspended for 3 days
and limited search was underta-ken next 3 days. In the solstice (14th January) arbital
move-ments seem to be responsible for the abnormal roughness of the sea with waves
breaking 3ni high near buoy 19 and causing considerable damage to ancient structures in
the sea bed. Taking advantage of the lowest tide - 0.12 (Okha) on 21st January the sea bed
of nearshore zone front Samudra-narayana Temple to the Light House was surveyed. Some well
dressed architectural members including a semicircular moonstone (chandrafila) of a
public building were exposed 30m seaward of Samudrandrayana indicating the existence of an
earlier temple. Two rock-cut channels were also expo-sed to the north of Samudranar5yana.
A few iron rings fixed in the wavecut bench at the foot of Samudrandrayana indicated that
small boats could be ferried through the rock-cut channels from the sea and river channel
and secured to mooring rings in the early centuries of the Christian era.
 A
pier-like structure was exposed on the left batik of the channel opposite buoy 35 and the
construction suggests that it could be used as a jetty or quay on the river bank, for
several triangular and prismatic stone anchors were found lying nearby. Further seaward a
large area was searched manually and buoys 41 to 54 were placed to indicate the location
of structures or anchors. On the left bank 3 anchors were found near buoy 53, one each
near buoys 50 and 51 -and three more near buoy 55. Trench 15 was laid near buoy 53.
Airlifting was done near buoy 54 for collecting samples. Layer 1 consisted of fine sand;
layer 2 was slightly coarse sand, and layer 3 con-sisted of coral and shingle covering bed
rock. The total thickness of sediment is I in. A slierd of a large sturdy jar and stein of
a dish-on-stand were recovered from layer 3. Two bastions were exposed near buoy 59 on the
right bank and Trench 12 was sunk here for obtaining stratigraphic evidence and
pot-tery
for determining tile age of the structures. Stone anchors found near buoys 45, 46, 47, 48
and 51 have been documented. A large single-holed semispherical stone base of a flag post
(Fig. 3) was found in situ near buoy 48. It is 53 cm in diameter at the base and
the height is 30 cm.
The larger triangular 3-lioled anchors are 63 to
95 cm in length, 43 to 50 cm broad at the base and 25 to 29 cm at the top (Fig. 4). The
prismatic anchors are 1.2 to 2.3 m long, 33 cm broad at the base and are tapering at the
top.
Excavation near buoy 35 yielded a copper Iota
and a white marble statue with broken legs, but the rest of the body is missing. A
pedestal of black stone with 4 pointed feet for em-bedding in the earth mty be an altar
and it is doubtful if it was used as quern because there is no depression caused by
rubbing Fartlier away near buoy 55 on the left bink a trench (15)was sunk and the
sediments were removed through fanning action. It is here that a copper bell and brass
parts of what looks like a miniature cliariot (PI. 26) were recovered.
The perforated arches might have supported a canopy of a wagon
type chariot. As reverting was known to the Harap-pans it is no wonder if the metalsmith
of protohistoric Dwaraka could also revet the bars and drive holes in the brass-like
metal. The metal objects of the Dwaraka chariot are found to be made of brass.
Unfortunately very little information is available on the antiquity of brass before 300
B.C. at Taxila and at Prakash in the late phase of NBP. The brass from Prakash is either
copper-Zinc alloy (17.75% Zinc, remainder copper) or leaded brass (25.86% Zn, 8.34% Ph and
remain-der copper). Lead was used in Lothal in 2000 B.C. as can be seen from two lead
pieces one containing 91.42% and the other 99.54% pure. The sleeved axe of Lothal contains
96.27 copper, and 2.51% lead, while the grooved rod contains 57.75 copper, 9.02 tin and
3.31%. The advanced metal technol-ogy can be inferred from the use of iron stakes in Bet
Dwaraka to which reference is made in the Mahabharata. Ancient Indian steel dates
back to 600 B.C. at Rajghat (Bharadwaj 1984, 143), but iron technology was developed by
1500 B.C. at Dwaraka in Gujarat and at Gufkrol in Kashmir (A.K. Sharma in this volume).
The presence of several structural remains
between buoys 51 and 55 and also between 51 and 53 necessitated gridding the entire area
for purposes of preparing the site plan of the township. Further west near buoy 59 a stone
pillar with a square base and cylindrical shaft was found in the seabed. It is indicative
of the fact that a public building of religious or secular importance existed here. Two
triangular anchors were found near buoy 58 and a single-holed anchor was traced near buoy
53.
Artist's view of ancient
fortified Dwaraka in Kusasthali
(image source:
The Lost City of Dvaraka - By S.R. Rao).
***
In the absence of Mini Ranger III needed
for very accurate fixing of positions, the sextafit was used and checked with the
distances between structures measured manually. For instance, buoy 53 is about 1200 m from
Samudrandrdyana and the bastion of inner gateway (str. 1) at buoy 35 is 200 m sea-ward of
buoy 8 which itself is 200 m seaward of Samud-randrdyana. The bastion of the outer gateway
is near buov 59. The position of buoys especially those marking bastions, gate-ways and
protection walls had to be rechecked subsequently with the help of Mini Ranger III.
Two coils of steel wire lost by a boat in
comparatively recent times were found near buoy 35. As they were heavily damaged their
retrieval was not attempted. A large prismatic anchor 137 cm long was recovered from the
station marked by buoy 46. Rajan took soundings at 50 m intervals along the banks of the
Gomati channel and across it also for studying the gradient and width of the channel, but
these had to be further checked with the echosounder readings at closer intervals.
Expedition 1989-90:
The main purpose of the expedition was to
determine the limits of the submerged city and the nick point where the Gomati joined the
sea 3500 years ago when Dwaraka was built. This could be achieved by echo-sounding, side
scan sonar and shallow seismic profiling surveys Which could indicate anamolies and
provide the bathymetric data. Simultaneously through optical and manual surveys the
anamolies could be examined to distinguish man-made constructions from natural formations.
It was also felt necessary to fix precisely the position of structures already discovered
and determine the course of the ancient channel of Gomati river. The profiles would help
to establish the shifting of the flow channel if any. The area covered in the course of
the survey is 5 x 6 km upto 25 m depth so as to include a 'spit' referred to by Pathak
(Pathak et al 1988, 58-62).
 The
MFV Sea Master and Sharda Devi were engaged for exploration and survey. A dingy
with outboard engine ferried between the main boats and shore. At three locations namely
A4, A5 and A3 along the right bank of submerged channel of Gomati anchors were found.
Southward of A5 a stone pillar and bastion were -located at the station P which is
gridded. At 60' southwest of Dwdrkddhish-Samudran5r5yana transit line a bastion in situ
(S4), a fallen bastion (S3) (PI. 24), a disturbed wall (PI. 25) and a large stone slab
(S4) were found. Further south of S4 is another bastion (S2). These structures are in 7 m
depth. Towards the west several anchors were discovered at stations A2, A8 and All, in 8m
depth. Heavy growth of vegetation on the bastions and walls had to be cleared care-fully
before photographing and plotting them. A very interesting feature of the masonry is the
L-shaped joints in setting heavy dressed blocks of stone for constructing bastions in high
energy zone (PI. 28). Even so a couple of bastions have collapsed, but others in deeper
waters namely low energy zone are in situ. Three groups of structures at S2 were
grid-ded.
A spherical anchor with 2 holes is recorded at A12, about 70' NW of the grid. The
following is the resume of anchors and structural remains found in the course of the
present expedition:
Al fragmentary anchor
A2, A3, A8, A9, A10, All, A13 prismatic anchors
'A7 and A12 triangular anchors St, S3 wall
S2 bastion (fallen), S9 bastion in situ
Others S4 to S8 and S10 to 13 are dislodged
architectural members, mainly large dressed blocks. Two iron anchors were found -near A13.
One of them is 1.5m long and has 5 arms.
Geophysical
Survey - a summazy of the results of Geophysical survey carried out by Vora's team has
been received. The salient points of observation and recommendations of the team are
mentioned briefly below (Fig. 5).
High resolution Marine Geological and Geophysical
Sur-veys carried out off Dwaraka for marine archaeological pur-pose was aimed at finding
direct or indirect evidences of the existence of relics of sunken ships and submerged
ports beyond the area already surveyed by MAU. Another objec-tive was to suggest places
for diving based on the data collected.
The surveys were carried out in December 1989 in
2 to 22 m water depth over an area of 5 x 2 km by echosounding, side scan sonar and
shallow seismic profiling (Fig. 5); scale adopted was 1:5000.
 The survey area was divided into two parts, north and south for convenience.
In the northern part from Rupen port to Dwaraka Light House, 45 lines perpen-dicular to
the shore were surveyed while south of Dwaraka Light House 22 lines parallel to shore were
surveyed. The results of the survey indicated extension of Gomati for about 1.5 km in
NE-SW direction and its channel is about 400 m wide. Apart from this channel, other
submerged drainage systems were also noticed. Other Geomorphic features present in the
area include scarps, terraces and pinnacles. Sonographs collected from the area show large
tonal variations through-out the area which includes furrows of various sizes and
directions, and. at times ripples, boulders etc. The channels of Gomati as revealed by
echograms are highly significant. The present channel along the Gomati Ghat was not the
original course of the river 4000 years ago. It was to the south of temple of
Samudranardyana and the channel was wider. The river seems to have joined the sea through
more than one channel and the structures so far traced lie along the central channel.
Nearshore, the submerged Gomati bed shows a deep wide symmetrical V-shaped channel, either
side of which is at the same elevation. A small channel formation is seen to the south.
Bending of contours in the area in more than 13 m water depth towards shore in southwest
direction indicates a deposital phase, while in lesser contours there is a strong
erosional activity. The result is that many structures built of smaller fractional
blocks are destroyed in shallower waters, while those built of heavier blocks to serve as
piers, wharf, protection walls and jetty are only partly destroyed and buried under I to
2 m thick sediment especially beyond 12 m water depth.
Though there are some anomalies present on the
sea floor nothing more could be said about them until divers verified whether they were
natural phenomena or man-made objects. Shallow seismic profiles showed no penetration in
the area. However five locations were given to the diving team of MAU for direct
inspection. At one such point a large iron anchor was found by diver archaeologists.
Accurate position fixing of the five points with mini ranger had to be postponed to the
next season as the sea became rough, but the position of some of the marker buoys, where
structures were discovered by MAU was fixed with sextant. The map obtained from Dwaraka
Municipality did not show accurately the present shore line and it is to be surveyed and
redrawn for position fixing. On the left bank of Gomati the divers uncovered three arms of
a large rectangular structure (Str. 5-6) and a corner bastion (Str 7) at buoys 68-69 and
70. Opposite the inner gate way on the right bank, the width of one of the submerged
channels of. Gomati is 170 m. Further westward of structure 7, four 3-holed anchors were
exposed.
On January 14, 1989 the wave cut bench and iron
rings fixed in it were exposed a few metres seaward of SN at lowest low tide. A mooring
pillar and a. fragmentary deity in black stone were recoverd from the rocky bed near the
Light house.
On January 21, two rock cut channels meant for
sluicing small boats were exposed to view between SN and Light House. The Iron rings and
rock-cut channels belong to period 11, while the protection walls, and enclosures on
either bank at buoy 35 and extending 500 m scawdfd belong to period 1. The farthest point
of structural activity so far traced is about 1.2 km seaward of SN, but a plan of the city
can be made out upto 800 m. A pier - like structure on the left bank where a plat-form
which could be used for loading and unloading exists might have been the jetty for smaller
boats. The terraced top of an escarpment nearly 1.5 km seaward of SN was the main
anchorage for the ocean going vessels. That there existed a port-installation here is
indicated by the collapsed building blocks lying scattered at the foot of the scarp but
further examination of this scarp and another rock standing high further northwest will
have to be made by divers for preparing the ancient limit of the port-town.
Discussion
 Dwaraka was a city-state extending upto Bet Dwaraka (Sankhodhara) in the north and Okhamadhi in the south. Eastward it extended upto
Pindara.
The 30 to 40 meter-high hill on the eastern flank of Sankhodhara may be the Raivataka
referred to in the Mahabharata 2 . The general layout of the city of
Dwaraka described in ancient texts agrees with that of the submerged city discovered by
MAU. Four enclosures are laid bare; each one had one or two gateways (Fig. 6).
The port Aramda (Arambhadvdra) on way to Bet Dwaraka was the first gateway in the
outer fortifications. The bastions flanking gateways of submerged Dwaraka resemble those
of Kusinagara and Sravasti carved on the Gateways of Sanchi Stupa. The prasada referred
to in the epic must be the high fort walls of Dwaraka, a part of which is extant. The epic
says that flags were flying in the city of Dwaraka. This can be corroborated by the stone
bases of flag posts found in the sea bed excavation. Umashankar Joshi is of the view that
antardvipa in the region of Kugasthali referred to in the Mahabharata must be Bet Dwaraka
(Sankhodhara). The Bhagavata Purana says that before leaving his mortal frame Sri
Krsna put the ladies and children in boats and sent them to Sankhodhara. Hirananda Sastry
also identified the antardvipa of Mahabharata with Bet Dwaraka.
The buildings built of smaller fraction stone
blocks are razed to the ground leaving only small portions of the thick fort walls,
bastions and protection walls (built with massive stones) which are too heavy to be moved
by tides and cur-rents. From the structural remains in Dwaraka and Bet Dwaraka waters, it
is possible to visualise that the city-ports were large and well planned.
Every significant antiquity that corroborates a statement of the Harivamsa is the
seal bearing the motif of a 3-headed animal representing the bull, unicorn and goat. The HarivamSa
says that every citizen of Dwaraka had to carry a mudra as a
mark of identifications The seal (mudra) found in the excavation belongs to
15th-16th century B.C.
Top
of Page
Legend
of Dwaraka - By T. R. Gopaalakrushnan
Krishna-
the protector of Mathura, the lord of Dwaraka and the reciter of the Bhagwad
Gita on the battlefield of Kurukshetra-is one of the most enduring legends of
India. Are
Krishna and Dwar-aka actual historical entities? For a majority of Indians, the
answer is an unequivocal yes. Some archaeologists and historians too are now
willing to accept that the common man's faith does have a basis in fact.
The
strongest archaeological support comes from the structures discovered under the
sea-bed off the coast of Dwaraka in Gujarat by the pioneering team led by Dr
S.R. Rao, one of India's most respected archaelogists. An emeritus scientist at
the marine archaeology unit of the National Institute of Oceanography, Rao has
excavated a large number of Harappan sites including the port city of Lothal in
Gujarat. In his book The Lost City of Dwaraka (Aditya Prakashan, Rs 1500),
published in 1999 he writes about his undersea finds: "The discovery is an
important landmark in the history of India. It has set to rest the doubts
expressed by historians about the historicity of Mahabharata and the very
existence of Dwaraka city. It has greatly narrowed the gap in Indian history by
establishing the continuity of the Indian civilisation from the Vedic Age to the
present day."
No
one has so influenced the course of India's religion, philosophy, art and
literature as Lord Krishna.
The
Bhagavad Gita, a world beloved, timeless classic was treasured by American
writers from Emerson to T S Eliot.
(Artwork
courtesy of The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc. www.krishna.com).
Listen to The
Bhagavad Gita podcast
- By Michael Scherer
- americanphonic.com. Watch
Scientific
verification of Vedic knowledge/
Watch
Lost
/ submerged city of
Dwaraka
– The Learning
Channel video
***
But there are
archaeological finds that do attest to Krishna as a historical figure.
For instance excavations in Bedsa (near Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh) have
unearthed the remains of a temple of 300 BC in which Krishna (Vasudeva) and
Balarama (Samkarshana) are identified from their flagstaff. Krishna's son
Pradyumna, grandson, Aniruddha and another Yadava hero, Satyaki, have also been
identified.
A more recent historical record, dated 574 AD, occurs in what are called the
Palitana plates of Samanta Simhaditya. This inscription refers to Dwaraka as the
capital of the western coast of Saurashtra and states that Krishna lived here.
No
one has so influenced the course of India's religion, philosophy, art and
literature as Krishna. Traditional belief is that Krishna lived
in Dwaraka at the end of the Dwapara Yuga. Dwaraka, in fact, is considered one
of the seven holiest and most ancient Indian cities. The others are Ayodhya,
Mathura, Haridwar, Varanasi, Kanchi and Ujjain, which together are known as
Mokshada-that which leads to salvation.
According
to Hindu historical tradition, Kali Yuga began with the death of Krishna more
than 5,000 years ago. The Puranas are emphatic on the cultural degradation that
set in after the Mahabharata war, which is seen as one of the most important
turning points in ancient Indian history. Krishna, according to traditional
belief, participated in that transition.
"Krishna very much existed in flesh, blood and
bones," said Madhav Acharya, archaeologist at the Haryana archaeological
department. "It is difficult, if not impossible, for a thing
like the Mahabharata to be believed till today in the same spirit and faith
unless there is some truth to the story. And that truth is the power struggle,
and the main characters. One of them was Krishna. The power struggle is not a
myth. If the heart of the story is to be believed as a historical event, then
Krishna too should be seen as a historical character."
For
more of this article, please go to the link given below.
(source:
Legend
of Dwaraka - By T.R. Gopaalakrushnan - the-week.com
- cover story June 1 2003).
Top
of Page
Underwater museum, in Dwaraka yet to surface
India Abroad News Service Bangalore - Nearly two
decades after marine archeologists found the lost city of Dwaraka off the coast of Gujarat
the state government continues to drag its feet on a proposal to establish the world's
first underwater museum to view the remains of the city submerged in the Arabian Sea.
 The proposal for the museum, submitted by the Marine
Archeology Center of the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) in Goa, involves laying
a submarine acrylic tube through which visitors can view through glass windows the ruins
of the city said to have been be ruled by Sri Krishna, 3,500 years ago.An alternative
suggestion is to have acrylic wells, to be accessed through boats, from which the remains
can be viewed. Another proposal that remains on paper is for setting up a marine archeology
museum of Dwaraka antiquities found in the sea.
Discovered in 1981, the well-fortified township
of Dwaraka extended more than half a mile from the shore and was built in six sectors
along the banks of a river before it became submerged. The findings are of immense
cultural and religious importance to India.
"The search for the lost city has been going on since 1930,"
S.R. Rao, former adviser to the NIO who is still actively involved in the excavations,
told India Abroad. "It is only after marine archaeologists started exploring
the seabed near modem Dwaraka from 1981 that the structural remains of the city were
found."
Rao said that if a fraction of the funds spent on
land archeology were made available for under-water archaeology, more light could be
thrown on Dwaraka, which had much archeological signifi-cance because it was built during
the second urbanization that occurred in India after the Indus Valley civilization in
northwestern India. Dwaraka's existence disproves the belief held by Western archeologists
that there was no urbanization in the Indian subcontinent from the period between 1700
B.C. (Indus Valley) and 550 B.C. (advent of Buddhism). As no information was available
about that period, they had labeled it the Dark Period.
Among the objects unearthed that proved Dwaraka's
connection with the Mahabharata epic was a sea engraved with the image of a three-headed
animal. The epic mentions such a seal given to the citizens of Dwaraka as a proof of
identity when the city was threatened by King Jarasandha of the powerful Magadh kingdom
(now Bihar). The foundation of boulders on which the city's walls were erected proves that
the land was reclaimed from the sea about 3,600 years ago. The epic has references to such
reclamation activity at Dwaraka. Seven islands mentioned in it were also discovered
submerged in the Arabian Sea.
Pottery, which has been established by thermoluminiscence tests to be 3,528
years old and carrying inscriptions in late Indus Valley civilization script; iron stakes
and triangular three-holed anchors discovered here find mention in the
Mahabharata.
"The findings in Dwaraka and archeological evidence found
compatible with the Mahabharata tradition remove the lingering doubt about the historicity
of the Mahabharata," said Rao. 'We would say Krishna definitely existed."
What is needed, he added, is the political will to reconstruct the cultural
history of the Vedic and epic periods of northern India.
 The maritime museums at sites of ' wrecks and
submerged ports are absolutely essential, and portable antiquities should be conserved
properly, lie emphasized. If the proposal to have a maritime museum is accepted by the
Gujarat government, it would be the first of its kind in India, he pointed out.
Recounting
the start of exploration for Dwaraka, Rao said, "We carried out the original survey
with just four scuba divers, while the operation called for the services of around 200
divers and other staff." But for the work to progress now, more equipment is needed,
besides funds and time, he warned, adding:
"We need two barges, one mounted with a crate, and equipment such
as an airlift. We need 30 or 40 divers and engineers. The work should go on for at least
six months and cannot be halt-ed midway."
According to Rao, the project would need at least
Rs. 20 million ($476,000).Funds would have to be provided by the Gujarat government and
its tourism department Other possible sources are the federal Department of Ocean
Development (DOD), which organizes big projects such as expeditions to Antartica, the
Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Council for Scientific and Industrial
Research (CSIR), which have not contribute much, Rao said.
"The findings in Dwaraka and archeological
evidence found compatible with the Mahabharata
tradition remove the lingering doubt about the
historicity of the Mahabharata. We would say that
Krishna definitely existed" - S.R. Rao.
Top
of Page
Dwaraka
museum in Gujarat likely to throw light on Indus Valley civilization
The proposed underwater museum at Dwaraka, the first of its kind
in the world, and a marine archaeology museum will throw more light on the Indus Valley
civilisation and enable researchers to peep into the history of the lost city of the
Mahabharata era.
 The
Marine Archaeology Centre and the National Institute of Oceanography have jointly
submitted a proposal with technical details for the preservation of the site to the
Gujarat government. The Gujarat Government Tourism Corporation has held meetings with a
foreign expert for promoting Dwaraka as a tourist destination, according to S R
Rao, the
president of the Society for Marine Archaeology.
The project envisages an estimated investment of over Rs 20
million. Unfortunately no follow-up action is forthcoming. The entire nation and even
foreign countries are anxiously waiting for the preservation of the submerged city, which
is not only of historical importance, but also of emotional interest since its founder was
Lord Krishna, Rao said.
As per the proposal, marine acrylic tubes would be laid through
which visitors could pass and view the remains of the historic city from windows. Acrylic
walls could also be made which could be accessed by boats. Dwaraka, the submerged city in
the Arabian Sea, off the Gujarat coast, is well connected with the other parts of the
country. While most of Dwaraka is submerged in the Arabian Sea, tourist are attracted to
the places which are not submerged -- Nageshwar Mahadev, Rukmani mandir,
Shardapath and Dwarakashish temple. The mainland city was well-planned and boasted a good
harbour. The full plan of the submerged city on the mainland has been ascertained and
plotted on the basis of the individual structures discovered in six fortified sectors
extending up to one km from the shore.
Dwaraka has been mentioned as golden city in the Shrimad Bhagwat Gita, Skand Purana, Vishnu Purana
and also in Harivansh
and Mahabharata. It is rated as the seven most ancient cities in the country.
UNI
(source:
Rediff on the Net).
Top
of Page
Dwarka
remains may soon be protected as underwater world cultural heritage site - By Rajesh Kumar
New Delhi, July 13: Old shipwrecks -- like that of the Titanic -- which have been
lying buried under the sea with their precious treasure along with the submerged
city of Dwaraka off the Gujarat coast, for centuries, could soon vie for the
status of an underwater world cultural heritage site.
 Over
200 experts from 84 countries, who gathered under the aegis of UNESCO in Paris
recently to examine a draft convention on the issue, unanimously agreed that
underwater cultural heritage was in urgent need of protection from destruction
and pillaging.
Currently,
structures or properties lying under water can not claim the status of cultural
heritage. The absence of any protective mechanism has left them open to
pillaging and destruction by treasure hunters and curious deep-sea divers. The
experts agreed that the definition of cultural heritage needed to be expanded in
order to protect underwater heritage as well.
The
submerged city of Dwarka is believed to be an important site having both
historical and cultural value for India. Legend has it that the remains -- the
wall of a city is clearly visible while the rest is yet to be discovered -- are
in fact, that of the ancient city of Dwarka mentioned in stories of Lord
Krishna.
The
Gujarat government and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) are currently
toying with the idea of creating a museum and an underwater viewing gallery once
the structures have been protected. After that, Dwarka could also stake the claim
for the coveted underwater world heritage status, UNESCO's South-East Asia
office here said.
Experts
agreed that salvaging operations did tend to be a free for all. Robert Grenier,
director of the International Committee on Underwater Cultural Heritage of the
International Council On Monuments and Sites, said that while salvage action
gave people freedom to look for things, it disregarded the aspect of preserving
cultural heritage.
Several
British and French ships laden with precious treasure that had sunk on their way
across the Atlantic ocean during their voyages in the 18th century have been
plundered by the sea pirates for valuables. In fact, some of the ships that were
believed to be of immense historical and cultural value for future generations
have been completely stripped off all their components by pirates for their
antique value. ``With rapid advancement in technology, deep-sea diving and
gaining access to heavy articles buried with the shipwrecks has become easy and
affordable for pirates. In the absence of any effective protection, these
properties of immense historical and cultural value are being looted and
vandalised,'' an expert from Canada said.
The
wrecks at Louisberg Park in Nova Scotia off the Canadian coast are held up as a
fine example of how the under water cultural treasures can also be protected
with help of legislation and political will, much like other structures of the
same importance. The French Ministry of culture too has come out with a
comprehensive background material on the underwater cultural heritage that needs
protection. The document also cites relevant laws under which they can be
protected and how.
Representatives
of the United Nations Division of Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea, the
International Maritime Organisation, the International Seabed Authority and the
World Underwater Federation, along with UNESCO, participated in the meeting.
(source:
http://www.indian-express.com/ie/daily/20000714/ina14051.html
).
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of Page
Dwarika
- The Eternal City
-
By Brinda Ramesh
Dwarka has always been the most important pilgrimage
centre on the western coast of India. Situated in Saurashtra, at a
point where the Gomti river meets and Arabian sea, it has acquired
multifarious names down the ages: Dwarka- the gateway to eternal
happiness; Dwaravati, Swarnapuri - the city of gold, and
Swarnadwarika, the golden gateway. The last three names derive from
the fact that Dwarka, being the western gateway of India through
which trade entered the country, was always prosperous and wealthy.
Ancient
economics apart, Dwarka was and still remains a place of tremendous
religious importance to Hindus. Legend associates it with Lord
Krishna, who spent his early childhood and youth in Mathura, but
then he slew the mighty Kamsa. For this, he and his tribe of
followers, the Yadavas, were attacked repeatedly by Kamsa’s
father-in-law Jarasandh. Tired of these repeated wars, Krishna
migrated with his entire clan of Yadavas to Dwarka which was a much
safer place.
In
Dwarka, Krishna is supposed to have built a mighty kingdom on a site
selected for him by Vishnu’s learned ‘vahan’, Garud. The city
he built is supposed to have extended over 104 kms. It was well
fortified and surrounded by a moat, spanned by bridges, which were
removed in the event of attack by an enemy. According to legend, the
gods assisted Krishna in the construction of this magnificent city.
Archaeological
excavations have unearthed artifacts that prove that modern Dwarka
is the sixth settlement of the name on this site. The earlier cities
have been, at various times, swallowed by the sea. The waves of the
sea still lap the shores of this famous town, lending scenic beauty
to this important pilgrimage destination.
The
Dwarkadhish temple, dedicated to Lord Krishna, is the focal point of
all pilgrimages. Parts of it
date from the 12th-13th century and others from the 16th, but the Jag
Mandir, its sanctum sanctorum, is supposed to be 2,500 years
old. The hall in front is richly carved and supported by 60 massive
pillars, each one hewn out of a single stone slab. Many of the
sculptures date from the Maurya, Gupta and Chalukya periods. Some of
the subjects are of Jaina and Buddhist origin. The temple is 157
feet high.
 Another
important pilgrimage site in the ancient city of Dwarka is Gomti
ghat. The myth attached to the original temple says that it was
built overnight at the instructions of Vajranabh, the great-grandson
of Sri Krishna, by the divine craftsman Vishvakarma. Archaeologists
are undecided about the date of construction of the temple that
exists now, but it is generally believed that it was rebuilt in the
10th or 11th century A.D after the original temple was destroyed,
probably during the Muslim invasions.
Most
of the temples and pilgrimage spots around Dwarka are associated
with Sri Krihsna and the Vaishnavite tradition. However, the temple
of Somnath, which is not very far from this place, is dedicated to
Siva as Nagnath or Nageshwar Mahadev, and enshrines one of the
twelve ‘Jyotirlingas’ which according to the Puranas manifested
themselves as columns of light in different parts of the country.
The magnificent temple that stands there now is a replica of the
original temple.
The
13th century Arab source refers to the glories of the temple thus:
"Somnath - a celebrated city of India situated on the
shore of the sea is washed by its waves. Among the wonders of that
place was the temple in which was placed the idol called Somnat.
This idol was in the middle of the temple, without anything to
support it from below or to suspend it from above. It was held in
the highest honour among the Hindus, and whoever beheld it floating
in the air was struck with amazement..."
Dwarka
also has the distinction of being one of the four seats or matts established
by the Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th - 9th century A.D, The other
three are Jyotirmath, Jagannath Puri and Sringeri. The matt in
Dwarka, known as Sharda Peeth, carries out extensive research work
in Sanskrit and is home to many renowned scholars.
This
then is Dwarka, centre of religion, mythology, history and
scholasticism, its shores everlastingly cleansed by the eternal
seas.
(source:
http://www.tourindia.com/htm/homepage.htm
May 2001). (Artwork
courtesy of The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc. www.krishna.com).
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of Page
Dwarka
site pre-dates civilization
An
archaeological site, dating back to 7500 BC and older than hitherto
oldest known human civilisations including those found in the Valley
of Sumer, Harappa and Egypt, was discovered by a team of Indian
marine archaeologists in the Gulf of Cambay off Gujarat coast.
"For India, it was the first time that such an important
discovery was reported from near Dwaraka site, the off-shore region
where underwater archeological exploration was in progress,"
Union Minister for Science and Technology Murli Manohar Joshi said
at a crowded Press conference here on Wednesday.
The
early civilisations known to mankind hitherto were in the Valley of
Sumer around 3,500 BC, Egyptian Civilisation (3,000 BC) and Harappan
(2,500 BC), explained Dr Joshi, adding that all the findings have
been alongside a palaeolithic age river course traced upto nine km
south of the Saurashtra coastline.
Krishna
dancing on the Kaliya nag (serpent) and asked it to leave the river forever.
***
The antiquity of some of the artefacts, discovered by the National
Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) which carried out a series of
surveys in the area, from the site such as the wood log reflects a
very ancient culture in the present Gulf of Cambay, which may have
got submerged subsequently, Dr Joshi said.
Carbondating on the log, carried out by the Birbal Sahni Institute
of Palaeobotany (BSIP) and the National Geophysical Research
Institute (NGRI), suggested that it could belong to 7,500 BC and
these settlements were probably the oldest neolithic sites
discovered in the country, he said.
He said a multi-disciplinary team comprising of NIOT, National
Institute of Oceanography, Archeological Survey of India, Physical
Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, BSIP, NGRI and specialists from
universities were constituted to conduct further studies. The team
would be provided with most modern equipment and infrastructure to
carry out the studies, he said.
"Further investigation of this area was important as it might
throw some light on the development of human civilisation, besides
having a bearing on the Indian history," said Dr Joshi.
The recovery of remnants of wood logs by the NIOT was an indication
of existence of a very ancient culture in the area which got
subsequently submerged. The surveys had also revealed significant
seismic activities and more studies were needed, Dr Joshi said.
Following the last year's discovery of indications of possible
settlements, the NIOT scientists undertook a confirmatory survey in
November using advanced marine underwater survey technologies with
side scan sonar and sub-bottom profiler.
The materials collected at the site included artefacts, possible
construction elements with holes and studs, pot shreds, beads, bones
with significant signs of human activity in the area.
A detailed examination had revealed riverine conglomerates at a
water depth of 30 to 40 m between 20 km west of Hazira near Surat.
Prof S N Rajguru, former Head of Department of Archaeology, Deccan
College, Pune, who was also present, said the discovery could have
been a coastline settlement when the sea level was low.
(source:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/secon2.asp?cat=\story6&d=FRONT_PAGE).
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of Page
The
Flooding of Dwaraka and the descent of the Kali Yuga - By Graham Hancock
“On
the same day that Krishna departed from the earth the powerful
dark-bodied Kali Age descended. The oceans rose and submerged the
whole of Dwaraka. “
-
Vishnu Purana - volume 2,
p. 785. Nag Publishers New Delhi 1989.
***
 Indian thought has traditionally regarded history and
prehistory in cyclical rather than linear terms. In the West time
is an arrow – we are born, we live, we die. But in India we die
only to be reborn. Indeed, it is a deeply rooted idea in Indian
spiritual traditions that the earth itself and all living
creatures upon it are locked into an immense cosmic cycle of
birth, growth, fruition, death, rebirth and renewal. Even temples
are reborn after they grow old to be used safely – through the
simple expedient of reconstruction on the same site.
India conceives of four great epochs or ‘world ages’ of
varying but enormous lengths: The Krita Yuga, the Treta Yuga, the
Dvarpara Yuga and the Kali Yuga. At the end of each yuga a
cataclysm, known as pralaya, engulfs the globe in fire or flood.
Then from the ruins of the former age, like the Phoenix emerging
from the ashes, the new age begins.
The story of Dwaraka is tightly
intertwined with this scheme of things. Reported in the ancient
Indian epic of the Mahabharata and in later sacred texts such as
the Bhagvata Purana and the Vishnu Purana, it straddles two of the
great world ages.
Towards the end of the most recent
Dvarpara Yuga, the texts tells us, Dwaraka was a fabulous city
founded on the north-west coast of India. Established and ruled
over by Krishna, it was built on the site of an even earlier
sacred city, Kususthali, on land that had been reclaimed from the
sea: Krishna solicited a space of twelve furlongs from the ocean,
and there he built the city of Dwaraka, defended by high ramparts.
The gardens and the amenities of the city are praised, and we
understand that it was a place of ritual and splendor.
Years later, however, as the Dvarpara Yuga comes to an end,
Krishna is killed. The Vishnu Purana
reports: “On the same day that Krishna departed from the earth
the powerful dark-embodied Kali Age descended. The ocean rose and
submerged the whole of Dwaraka.
The Vishnu Purana
reports: “On the same day that Krishna departed from the earth
the powerful dark-embodied Kali Age descended. The ocean rose and
submerged the whole of Dwaraka.
Refer
to Bhaja
Govindam
- kamakoti.org. Watch
Scientific
verification of Vedic knowledge.
Watch
Lost
/ submerged city of
Dwaraka
– The Learning
Channel video
(image source:
Hinduism
and Ecology: Seeds of Truth - By Ranchor Prime).
***
In Book X of the Bhagvata Purana
we read how Krishna used ‘his supernatural yogic powers’, in a
crisis of battle, to transfer all his people to Dwaraka where he
could protect them from the enemy in ‘a fortress inaccessible to
human beings.’
“the lord caused a fortress constructed in the western
sea. In the fortress he got built a city twelve yoganas (96 miles)
in area and wonderful in every respect. The building of the
city exhibited the expertise in architecture and the skill in
masonry of Tvastr, the architect of the gods. The roads,
quadrangles, streets and residential areas were constructed in
conformity to the prescribed tenets of science of architecture
pertaining to city building. In the city, gardens planted
with celestial trees and creepers and wonderful parks were laid
out. It was built with sky-scraping, gold-towered buildings and
balconies of crystals. It had barns built of silver and brass
which were adorned with gold pitchers. The houses therein were of
gold and big emeralds.”
(source: Underground:
The Mysterious Origins of Civilization – By Graham Hancock p. 108 - 128).
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of Page
Preserve
underwater cultural heritage of Dwarka, says expert
Internationally
renowned marine archaeologist Dr S R Rao today called for
preservation of underwater cultural heritage, particularly the
Dwarka city, believed to have been built by Lord Krishna in
Gujarat.
Speaking at
the 7th national conference on marine archaeology of Indian ocean
countries at the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Dr Rao
regretted that many of the archaeological remains excavated were
not preserved for posterity by the agency conducting the
excavation.
He pointed to
the neglect of the excavated Harappan site of Kalibangan. The
Lothal site was, however, preserved and a museum built for it, he
added.
Most of the
important underwater sites of Dwarka excavated by the NIO's Marine
Archaeology Centre (MAC) with funds from the Council for
Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Department of Science
and Technology and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) should
have been preserved by a competent agency, he said.
With neither
the CSIR nor the ASI having expertise to undertake conservation of
a submerged city, the octogenarian archaeologist said he had
prepared a project report in consultation with a number of
organisations and individuals including the Indian Navy, research
foundations and underwater construction engineers.
On the
controversy regarding date of submerged site of Dwarka near the
Gomti river mouth in Arabian Sea, Dr Rao said the archaeologists
could not arrive at the date in isolation, but relied on relative
chronology such as pottery and the sea-level rise.
''We are of
the view that Dwarka was submerged by tsunami-like high energy
waves, pulling down heavy blocks of stone used in the construction
of the structures. This must have also resulted in changing the
course of the paleo channel of Gomti, as recorded by NIO maritime
archaeologist K H Vora during recent studies,'' he said.
The reference
to such a catastrophe was made in the Mahabharata and other epics
which said Dwarka, built on mainland by Lord Krishna, was
contemporary to Bet Dwarka (Kusasthali) that could be dated to
17th century BC, and this was later confirmed by scientists, he
said.
Dr Rao said
the three-holed triangular stone anchors found in large numbers in
Dwarka waters suggested a continuity in evolution of the anchors
in Lothal and Mohenjo-Daro, which had a single hole.
The Dwarka
anchors of late Harappan phase are a couple of centuries older
than the identical anchors of late Bronze Age used in Cyprus and
Syria, he added.
The two-day conference is being held under the aegis of the
Society of Marine Archaeology at NIO.
(source: Preserve
underwater cultural heritage of Dwarka, says expert and
Hinduism
Today).
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of Page
How
marine archaeologists found Dwaraka – By V Gangadharan
The submergence into
the sea of the city of Dwaraka, vividly picturised in the great
epic of Mahabaratha, is indeed true! A chance discovery made by a
team of scientists, in the Gulf of Cambay region, establishes that
the Mahabaratha story is not a myth. The rich city with fertile
landscape and great rivers had indeed submerged into the seas
several thousand years ago.
But before we get to the present, a bit of history is quite in
order.
There is a vivid description in the Mausalaparvan of the
Mahabaratha about the submergence of Dwaraka. The people of
Dwaraka including Arjuna seemed to have witnessed strange things
before its submergence in the sea. 'The event was preceded by the
unabated rumbling noise of the earth throughout the day and night,
birds screamed continuously, and heavy winds swept the land. The
sea, which has been beating against the shores, suddenly broke the
boundary that was imposed on it by nature. Huge tide with great
height surrounded Dwaraka. The sea rushed into the city submerging
beautiful buildings. The sea covered up everything and in a matter
of few moments, there was no trace of the beautiful city.' It was
something of an ancient tsunami.
And now the scientists at NIOT (National Institute of Ocean
Technology, of the Department of Ocean Development) have
established this. While working for British gas in the Gulf of
Cambay region, a few years ago, the scientists of the NIOT, were
stunned to see images of objects and things, completely alien to
the marine domain. Immediately a team swung into action and
samples were collected and sent for analysis and dating (it is
usually done to scientifically establish the antiquity of the
excavated objects).
Samples collected include artefacts, wood pieces, pottery
materials, hearth pieces, animal bones. They ere sent to Manipur
University, Oxford University, London, Institute of Earth
Sciences, Hanover, Germany for analysis and dating.
The results were astonishing. It was found beyond doubt that the
samples belonged to a period varying from 7800 to 3000 years (BP)
Before Present !
The even more flooring discovery happened soon. NIOT, which
carried outside scan and sub-bottom surveys in the year 2002-03,
established beyond doubt the presence of two large palaeochannels
(river channels which existed once and later submerged under the
sea) in the Gulf of Cambay. Alluvium samples were collected from
different locations in the areas of the palaeochannels by the
gravity core and grab method.
Badrinarayanan, Marine Archaeologist and formerly coordinator for
the project, says 'the most astonishing thing was that all of the
crew-members, including the ship master who was a catholic, had
dreams full of strange visions, on the night of discovery. We felt
we had stumbled upon something great and unusual.'
The study of the samples under microscope revealed the occurrence
of fragile and highly sensitive Ostracods (tiny marine and fresh
water crustaceans with a shrimp-like body enclosed in a bivalve
shell) overlain by regular marine fauna.
These results strongly indicated that the freshwater deposition
which took place in this area was very much a part of the onshore
land region and later submerged to the depths varying from 20 to
40 meters. The alluvium (fresh water sand) samples sent to the
Earth Science Department, Manipur University for OSL (optically
stimulated luminescence) dating gave the OSL determinant of 3000
years (BP) Before Present !
Prof. Gartia (The Journal of Indian Ocean Archaeology, No.2 of
2005, Pg.144) after conducting extensive investigations concluded
that Gujarat region had experienced at least three large killer
earthquakes about 1500, 3000 and 5000 years BP respectively.
Geomorphological evidences also show beyond doubt that the
North-Western part of the Indian landmass was seismically active
during the last 10,000 years. These killer quakes are likely to
have caused the shifting of the rivers and sea level fluctuation
including the sinking of the legendary city of Dwaraka, capital of
the Lord-King Krishna. The discovery
about the availability of fresh water from the now submerged major
rivers along with other marine-archaeological evidences,
corroborates the Mahabaratha reference that Dwaraka, the ancient
city of Sri Krishna, lies under the great ocean !
(source: How
marine archaeologists found Dwaraka – By V Gangadharan -
newstodaynet.com).
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of Page
Introduction:
Ancient structures, under water and on land, discovered
Ancient
structural remains of some significance have been discovered at
Dwaraka, under water and on land, by the Underwater Archaeology
Wing (UAW) of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Alok
Tripathi, Superintending Archaeologist, UAW, said the ancient
underwater structures found in the
Arabian Sea
were yet to be identified. "We have to find out what they
are. They are fragments. I would not like to call them a wall or a
temple. They are part of some structure," said Dr. Tripathi,
himself a trained diver.
Thirty
copper coins were also found in the excavation area. The
structures found on land belonged to the medieval period. "We
have also found 30 copper coins. We are cleaning them. After we
finish cleaning them, we can give their date," he said.
Dwaraka is a
coastal town in
Jamnagar
district of Gujarat. Traditionally, modern Dwaraka is identified
with Dvaraka or Dvaravati, mentioned in the Mahabharata as
Krishna
's city. Dwaraka was a port, and some scholars have identified it
with the
island
of
Barka
mentioned in the Periplus of Erythrean Sea. Ancient Dwaraka sank
in sea and hence is an important archaeological site.
The first
archaeological excavations at Dwaraka were done by the
Deccan
College
, Pune and the Department of Archaeology, Government of Gujarat,
in 1963 under the direction of H.D. Sankalia. It revealed
artefacts many centuries old.
The ASI
conducted a second round of excavations in 1979 under S.R. Rao's
direction. He found a distinct pottery known as lustrous red ware,
which could be more than 3,000 years old. Based on the results of
these excavations, the search for the sunken city in the
Arabian Sea
began in 1981. Scientists and archaeologists have continually
worked on the site for 20 years.
The UAW
began excavations at Dwaraka again from January 2007. Dr. Tripathi
said: "To study the antiquity of the site in a holistic
manner, excavations are being conducted simultaneously both on
land [close to the Dwarakadhish temple] and undersea so that finds
from both the places can be co-related and analysed
scientifically."
The
objective of the excavation is to know the antiquity of the site,
based on material evidence. In the offshore excavation, the ASI's
trained underwater archaeologists and the divers of the Navy
searched the sunken structural remains. The finds were studied and
documented.
On land, the
excavation is being done in the forecourt of the Dwarakadhish
temple. Students from
Gwalior
,
Lucknow
, Pune, Vadodara,
Varanasi
and
Bikaner
are helping ASI archaeologists. In the forecourt, old structures
including a circular one have been found. A small cache of 30
copper coins was discovered.
(source: Significant
finds at Dwaraka - By T.S. Subramanian
- The Hindu February 23, 2007).
Wooden
piece at Dwarka site to tell all... date, time
Rajkot
, May 4:
Archaeologists are excited about a circular wooden structure found
underwater at a near-shore excavation site off the coast of
Jamnagar
. Thought to be the remains of the lost city of ancient Dwarka,
the wooden structure is well preserved and surrounded by another
structure made of stone blocks.
“It is
significant as scientific dating of wood, which is carbon, is
possible. This was not the case with evidences like stone, beads,
glass and terracota found earlier,” said Alok Tripathi,
Superintending Archeologist, Underwater Archeology Wing of
Archaeological Survey of India.
The dating
of submerged ruins off the coast of
Dwarka
has been matter of debate for since long. Archaeologists and
historians have been at loggerhead about the period when these
structures were built and have claimed various dates about the
origin and decay of one of the most scared places in
India
. Answers to questions like when did Lord Krishna set up his
kingdom in Dwarka? When did the “
Golden
City
” submerge in the sea? — were based on the interpretations of
these scholars and no material evidence had so far been found so
that these structures could be scientifically dated.
“Though
excavation at Dwarka has been carried out a number of times, this
is for the first time a wooden block has been found, and this is
going to help us almost pin-point a time frame and give some
credible answers,” said Tripathi.
This piece
was found during a near-shore excavation carried out in the
southwest region of
Samudranarayan
Temple
. The structure is made of stone and wood. The underwater
archaeologist carried out diving in shallow water and studied the
technique of joining these blocks in detail. The blocks were
joined so well with the help of wooden dowels and nails that they
remained in situ (in position) despite heavy surfs and strong
current for a long period.
“The
collected samples will be sent to different laboratories. We
expect the results to come as soon as possible,” said Tripathi.
According to
ancient literature the ancient Dwarka city had submerged in the
sea. The Underwater Archaeology Wing (UAW) of the Archaeological
Survey of India undertook systematic study of Dwarka about two
years back. After a thorough analysis of earlier research and
extensive fieldwork, UAW started archaeological excavation at
Dwarka from January 1, 2007 to know the antiquity of the site
based on scientific study of the material evidence.
(source: Wooden
piece at Dwarka site to tell all... date, time
- expressindia.com).
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of Page
 The
conch and the Sudarshana
Chakra are unmistakable. Although the figures do not match popular
images of Kirshna sporting a peacock feather, archaeologists are convinced that
the coins are of Krishna, revered as an avatar of Vishnu.
"These
square coins, dating back to 180- BC, with Krishna on one side and Balram on the
other, were unearthed recently in Al Khanoun in Afghanistan and are the earliest
proof that Krishna was venerated as a god, and that the worship had spread
beyond the Mathura region," says T K V Rajan, archaeologist and
founder-director, Indian Science Monitor, who is holding a five-day exhibition,
In search of Lord Krishna,' in the city from Saturday.
Having
done extensive research in Brindavan, Rajan is convinced that a lot of the
spiritual history of ancient India lies buried. "Close to 10,000 Greeks,
who came in the wake of Alexander the Great, were Krishna's devotees. There is
an inscription by Heliodorus, the Greek ambassador at
Takshila, which reads Deva, deva, Vasudeva. Krishna is my god and I
have installed this Garuda Pillar at Bes Nagar (now
in Bihar),'" says Rajan.
According
to him the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has unearthed many sites that
throw fresh light on the era of Krishna. "ASI is expected to release the
full findings next year. Many of the unearthed artifact have a close resemblance
to materials of what is believed to be the Harappan civilisation. The findings
may show that Krishna's life was the dividing line between India's spiritual
history and the society's gradual shift towards a materialistic one," says
Rajan.
Interestingly,
a lot of what has been uncovered closely resemble the narration in the texts of Mahabharatha
and the Bhagavatham," he adds. Both the
spiritual works are revered by the Hindus as their holy books.
It
has been over five years since the discoveries were made at Tholavira near
Dwaraka, close to Kutch. Much progress has been made due to the application of
thermoluminous study (TL) in ascertaining the age of artifact. "It is
possible to get the diffusion of atomic particles in the clay pottery unearthed
and arrive at an accurate date," points out Rajan. Tholavira itself is
believed to be the capital city as detailed in the opening chapters of
Bhagavatham. Rajan points to an image of a plough, made of wood, which is
mentioned in the Bhagavatham. The findings could lay a trail to understanding
Krishna's life (said to be 5,000 years ago) and times, as a historical fact,
says Rajan. The exhibition will be open till December 31 at Sri Parvathy
Gallery, Eldams Road.
(source: New
finds take archaeologists closer to Krishna - By Bhama Devi Ravi
- timesofindia).
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of Page
Did
Krishna
exist?
 Most
certainly, says Dr Manish Pandit, a nuclear
medicine physician who teaches in the
United Kingdom
, proffering astronomical, archaeological, linguistic and oral evidences to make
his case.
"I used to think of
Krishna
is a part of Hindu myth and mythology. Imagine my surprise when I came across Dr
Narhari Achar (a professor of physics at the University of Memphis,
Tennessee, in the
US
) and his research in 2004 and 2005. He had done the dating of the Mahabharata
war using astronomy. I immediately tried to corroborate all his research using
the regular Planetarium software and I came to the same conclusions [as
him]," Pandit says.
Which
meant, he says, that what is taught in schools about Indian history is not
correct?
The Great War between the
Pandavas and the Kauravas took place in 3067 BC, the Pune-born Pandit, who did
his MBBS from BJ Medical College there, says in his first documentary,
Krishna
: History or Myth?.
Pandit's
calculations say
Krishna
was born in 3112 BC, so must have been 54-55 years old at the time of the
battle of Kurukshetra.
Pandit, as the sutradhar
of the documentary Krishna: History or Myth?,
uses four pillars -- archaeology, linguistics, what he calls the living
tradition of India and astronomy to arrive at the circumstantial verdict that
Krishna was indeed a living being, because Mahabharata and the battle
of Kurukshetra indeed happened, and since Krishna was the pivot of
the Armageddon, it is all true.
We are always taught that
Krishna
is a part of Hindu myth and mythology. And this is exactly what I thought as
well. But imagine my surprise when I came across Dr Narhari Achar (of the
Department of Physics at the University of Memphis, Tennessee, in the
US
) and his research somewhere in 2004 and 2005. He had done the dating of the
Mahabharata war using astronomy.
 I
immediately tried to corroborate all his research using the regular Planetarium
software and I came to the same conclusions. This meant that what we are taught
in schools about Indian history is not correct.
I also started wondering about why this should be so. I
think that a mixture of the post-colonial need to conform to western ideas of
Indian civilisation and an inability to stand up firmly to bizarre western ideas
are to blame. Also, any attempt at a more impartial look at Indian history is
given a saffron hue.
I decided that I could
take this nonsense no more, and decided to make films to show
educated Indians what their true heritage was. The pen is mightier
than the sword is an old phrase but I thought of new one: Film is the new pen. I
wanted to present a true idea of Indian history unfettered by perception, which
was truly scientific, not just somebody's hypothesis coloured by their
perceptions and prejudices.
A documentary on Rama is
forthcoming in the future. But the immediate reason I deferred that project is
the immense cost it would entail. Whereas research on
Krishna
and Mahabharata was present and ready to go. Further more, Rama according to
Indian thought, existed in the long hoary ancient past of Treta Yuga, where
science finds it difficult to go.
There are more than 140
astronomy references in the Mahabharata. Dr Achar used simulations of the night
sky to arrive at November 22, 3067 BC, as the day the Mahabharata war began. He
used the references common to Udyoga and Bhisma Parvan initially,
and so Saturn at Rohini, Mars at Jyestha with initially only the two eclipses,
Lunar at Kartika and Solar at Jyestha.
So now, we know about
Balarama's pilgrimage tithis and nakshatras, and believe it or
not, all that fits the 3067 BC date perfectly.
And to top it all, so does the repetition of the three eclipses described at
the destruction of Dwarka 36 years later.
This would explain why so
many other researchers tried and failed to find the date of the Mahabharata war
as it is based on such a unique set of astronomy that it occurred only once in
the last 10,000 years. Not just that, but the fact that archaeology, oral and
living traditions point to the same. And yes, we cannot separate the Mahabharata
war from
Krishna
. If one is shown to have happened, then the other must be true as well.
The
Hindu religious empire extended across the whole of the Asian sub-continent to
South East Asia, from Afghanistan to Thailand (where Ramayana and Krishna are
still shown through dances), Burma, Cambodia (Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Bayon,
etc), Vietnam, Laos (little Kurukshetra and temples), Malaysia (which was Hindu
until recent) up to Java (more temples), Bali (where Hinduism is still the
religion) and Indonesia, where Bhima's grandson is said to have performed a
thousand fire rituals at Yogyakarta.
Afghanistan
was of course home to both the Yadu race and Shakuni (
Kandahar
or Gandhar).
It is believed that due to damage and destruction by the sea, Dwaraka
has submerged six times and the modern-day Dwarka is the 7th such city to be
built in the area. Scientifically speaking, we see that 36 years after the war
there were the same repetitions of an eclipse triad as we have shown in the
documentary.
(source: Lord
Krishna existed. School texts are wrong - rediff.com).
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How science discovered
the historical Krishna
The sea, which had been beating against the shores, suddenly broke the boundary
that was imposed on it by nature. The sea rushed into the city. It coursed
through the streets of the beautiful city. The sea covered up everything in the
city. Arjuna saw the beautiful buildings becoming submerged one by one. He took
a last look at the mansion of Krishna. In a matter of a few moments it was all
over. The sea had now become as placid as a lake. There was no trace of the
beautiful city, which had been the favourite haunt of all the Pandavas. Dwarka
was just a name; just a memory." – Mausala Parva, Mahabharata.
Does this account from the ancient Indian epic have a true historical core? Did
Lord Krishna, indeed the favourite Indian deity, walk the streets of ancient
Dwarka? Did Krishna, considered the Lord of the universe by a billion Hindus,
rule the Yaduvanshi clan thousands of years ago?
Using archaeological, scriptural, literary and astronomical data, scholars and
scientists are coming round to the view that Krishna was definitely a historical
character.
Archaeological evidence
The Rosetta stone, or the key, to the Krishna story is Dwarka. The strongest
archaeological support comes from the structures discovered in the late 1980s
under the seabed off the coast of modern Dwarka in Gujarat by a team of
archaeologists and divers led by Dr S.R. Rao, one of India's most respected
archaeologists. An emeritus scientist at the marine archaeology unit of the
National Institute of Oceanography, Goa, Rao has excavated a large number of
Harappan sites, including the port city of Lothal in Gujarat.
In his book The Lost City of Dwarka,
published in 1999, he writes about his undersea finds: “The discovery is an
important landmark in the history of India. It has set to rest the doubts
expressed by historians about the historicity of Mahabharata and the very
existence of Dwarka city.”
Conducting 12 expeditions during 1983-1990, Rao identified two underwater
settlements, one near the present-day Dwarka and the other in the nearby island
of Bet Dwarka. This tallies with the two Dwarkas mentioned in the epic. The
underwater expeditions won Rao the first World Ship Trust Award for Individual
Achievement.
Another important find by our divers was a seal that establishes the submerged
township's connection with the Dwarka of the Mahabharata. The seal corroborates
the reference made in the ancient text, the Harivamsa, that every citizen of
Dwarka should carry such a seal for identification purposes. Krishna had ruled
that none without the seal should enter it. A similar seal has been found
onshore as well.
Literary evidence
The west coast of Gujarat was the traditional land of the Yadavs, or Yadus.
According to the Bhagavad Puran, Krishna led the Yadavs thousands of kilometres
west to establish Dwarka, so they could start a new life, safe from their many
enemies in the Gangetic Valley.
The Mahabharata says, Dwarka was reclaimed from the sea. Rao’s divers discovered
that the submerged city's walls were erected on a foundation of boulders,
suggesting that land indeed was reclaimed from the sea.
One cannot separate Dwarka from Krishna. If the city existed, then it is true
that Krishna ruled over it.
Astronomical evidence
Dr Narhari Achar, professor of physics at
the University of Memphis, Tennessee, has dated the Mahabharata war using
astronomy and regular planetarium software. According to his research conducted
in 2004-05, the titanic clash between the Pandavas and the Kauravas took place
in 3067 BC. Using the same software, Dr Achar places the year of Krishna’s birth
at 3112 BC.
Dr Manish Pandit, a nuclear medicine
physician in the UK, after examining the astronomical, archaeological and
linguistic evidence, agrees with Dr Achar’s conclusions. Dr Pandit, who is also
a distinguished astrologer and has written several books on the subject, traced
the route of Krishna’s journeys to shoot the documentary, “Krishna: History or
Myth?”
Dr Pandit says there are more than 140 astronomy references in the Mahabharata.
Simulations of the night sky have been combined with geographical descriptions
to arrive at various dates. He says the chances of these references repeating
are next to nothing.
According to historian S.M. Ali, the author
of Geography of Puranas, “The geographical
matter contained in the Mahabharata is immense. It is perhaps the only great
work which deals with geographic details and not incidentally, as other works.”
Whose history?
Of course, none of the evidence is good enough for the ossified historians that
lord over India’s academia, regurgitating the lies written by British colonial
scholars, who were in reality Christian missionaries.
For the missionaries, destroying the historicity of Krishna was important if
they had any chance of establishing their religion in India. Also, many European
scholars were shocked to learn that Indian history pre-dated their world by
thousands of years. By labelling as myth the Indian historical sources like the
Vedas, Mahabharata, Upanishads, and especially the Puranas, which give exact
chronologies of Indian kings including Krishna, the missionaries ensured that
Indian history did not clash with their world view.
That tradition continues. Disregarding all new research,
academics like Romilla Thapar, R.S. Sharma
and
Irfan Habib
have consigned Krishna to mythology.
In his textbook for Class X, Sharma writes, “Although Lord Krishna plays an
important role in the Mahabharata, the earliest inscriptions and sculpture
pieces found in Mathura between 200 BC and 300 AD do not attest his presence.”
What brilliant deduction. Going by Sharma’s logic, any fool can dig at a random
site, and upon failing to discover an artefact, declare Krishna never existed.
Sadly, millions of Indian school children are being taught such lies.
Thapar, in fact, says the Mahabharata is a glorified account of a skirmish
between two “Aryan” tribes, with Krishna merely playing the role of an agent
provocateur.
And what do they do when confronted with the new evidence? They withdraw into
their parallel dystopian world and argue it is not clinching evidence. But, of
course, they will accept as truth the myths of other religions.
Dr Rao says further digging and diving, in tandem with India’s vast treasure
trove of historical facts will further corroborate key dates of our eventful and
glorious past.
As the Upanishads say,
pratnakirtim apavirnu – know thy past.
(source:
How science discovered the historical Krishna - By
Rakesh Krishnan Simha -
indianweekender.co.nz).
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4.
Photos from Marine
Excavations at Dwaraka
Click on the
thumbnails to zoom
in.
(image source:
The Lost City of Dvaraka - By S.R. Rao).
***
Relevant Links and
Books:
National Institute of Oceanography http://www.nio.org/
The Lost City of Dvaraka - By S.R. Rao
(S.R. Rao served the
Archaeological Survey of India for over 32 years. He is the discoverer of a
large number of Harappan sites including the port city of Lothal in Gujarat)
Excavations At
Dwaarka - By Zainuddin Dawood Ansari and Madhukar Shripad Mate.
(For
more refer to chapter on Greater
India: Suvarnabhumi and
Sacred Angkor).
Watch
Scientific
verification of Vedic knowledge
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of Page
 Did You Know?
Masters of the Sea
 Despite
recent concerns about possibly losing caste from crossing the sea, history reveals India was the
foremost maritime nation 2,000 years ago (meanwhile Europeans were still figuring out the
Mediterranean Sea).
India's maritime history predates the birth of
western civilization. The world's first tidal dock is believed to have been
built at Lothal around 2300 BC during the Harappan civilization, near
the present day Mangrol harbour on the Gujarat coast.
It had colonies in Cambodia, Java, Bali,
Philippines, Sumatra, Japan, China, Arabia,
Egypt and more. Through Persians and Arabs, India traded with the Roman Empire. The
Sanskrit text, Yukti Kalpa Taru, explains how to build ships, such as the one
depicted in the ajanta caves. It gives minute details about ship types, sizes and
materials, including suitability of different types of wood. The treatise also elaborately
explains how to decorate and furnish ships so they're comfortable for passengers.
In ancient times the Indians excelled in shipbuilding and even
the English, who were attentive to everything which related to naval architecture, found
early Indian models worth copying. The Indian vessels united elegance and utility, and
were models of fine workmanship.
 Sir John Malcolm
(1769 -
1833) was a Scottish soldier, statesman, and historian entered the service of
the East India Company wrote about Indian vessels that they:
"Indian vessels "are so admirably adapted to
the purpose for which they are required that, not withstanding their superior science,
Europeans were unable, during an intercourse with India for two centuries, to suggest or
at least to bring into successful practice one improvement. "
(source:
Journal of Royal Asiatic Society, Vol. I and
India
and World Civilization -
By D P Singhal part
II p. 76 - 77).
(for more information please refer to
chapters on Hindu
Culture, Suvarnabhumi
and Seafaring
in Ancient India).
(For
more refer to chapter on Greater
India: Suvarnabhumi and
Sacred Angkor).
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