Search for Krishna´s Dwarka Stops

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Government apathy, academic indifference Search on Krishna´s Dwarka

comes to a standstill

By Vaidehi Nathan

Artist´s view of ancient fortified Dwarka in Kusasthali

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It would look incredible. The marine archaeology has found proof of

Krishna´s Dwarka. But the work on further excavation has met a

formidable roadblock in the form of academic indifference and

government apathy.

 

A proposal submitted to the government by Dr S.R. Rao, renowned

marine archaeologist, who led the underwater investigations is

collecting dust for over four years now.

 

The Organiser accidentally come across the proposal submitted by Rao

and it is an action plan which will cost a meagre Rs 14 crores. But

this would have greatly helped in establishing the historicity of

Mahabharata and thereby our understanding of the Indian heritage.

A long wall under the sea between buoys

A12 and S12, DWK

 

 

 

Rao submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Culture in January 2000,

that aimed at preserving the ´underwater cultural heritage of India—

Dwarka´ and also promoting it as a pilgrimage-tourism centre. His

proposal in three stages, was to cost Rs 14 crores.

 

It is clear that for almost a decade the Central Government had not

shown much interest in the excavations in Dwarka. Though the

discoveries at Gulf of Cambay by the National Institute of Ocean

Technology established carbon-14 date of 7,500 years for the wood

samples excavated from under the sea and the existence of a

civilisation dating to that period, it is not directly connected

with Krishna´s Dwarka which Shri Rao believes existed some 4,000

years ago. This, however, might help in ascertaining the rise in the

sea-level about 30 metres in 7,500 years, approximately at the rate

of 10 metres in 3,500-3,800 years. Dr Rao is on record that Dwarka

excavation was carried out almost fully but the excavation in the

inter-tidal zone of Balapur Bay in Bet Dwarka where further

antiquities may be found, has not been carried out partly due to the

lack of funds and mainly due to lack of interest in the CSIR.

 

A few years ago, when asked as to how sure he was that this was

Krishna´s Dwarka, Rao had replied, "only the name board is missing."

He submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Culture in January 2000,

that aimed at preserving the ´underwater cultural heritage of India—

Dwarka´ and also promoting it as a pilgrimage-tourism centre. His

proposal, in three stages, was to cost Rs 14 crores. It is sad that

the proposal was not taken up. The then Secretary, Ministry of

Culture, visited Dwarka and promised help, but nothing has been

heard so far.

 

In the project proposal, Rao writes, "The fort walls of the first

town of Dwarka said to have been founded at Kusasthali in Bet Dwarka

island have been traced on shore and in the sea and also dated by

thermol-uminiscence dating method to 16th century b.c." According to

him, the clue to the existence of ancient Dwarka near the modern

town of Dwarka was found during archaeological excavation near the

Dwarkadhish temple in 1979-80. Eroded debris and pottery provided

evidence of a port town destroyed by sea about 3,500 years ago. This

evidence is what led to the early excavations in the Arabian Sea,

near the mouth of the Gomti river, where the modern town of Dwarka

stands.

A broken idol found in the seabed

 

 

 

The project for underwater exploration was sanctioned in 1984,

directly by the then Prime Minister for three years. Excavation

under the sea is a hard and strenuous task. The sea offers too much

resistance. Excavation is possible only between November and

February, during low tide.

 

The project for underwater exploration was sanctioned in 1984,

directly by the then Prime Minister for three years. Excavation

under the sea is a hard and strenuous task. The sea offers too much

resistance. Excavation is possible only between November and

February, during low tide. The sea has to be smooth and there should

be bright sunshine. All these requirements effectively reduce the

number of diving days to 40 to 45 in one season.

 

In order to make the maximum use of the time available, divers use

echo sounder to get a fairly accurate idea of the location and the

depth of the object under water. The side scan sonar offers a view

of the sea floor. The sonar signals sent inside the water return the

signals. Reading of the signals reveals the broad nature of the

object under water. Underwater scooters, besides the usual diving

equipment like scuba were also pressed into service.

 

The marine archaeologists in India have found enough proof to assert

that Mahabharata is not a myth, but history. The discovery of submer-

ged buildings of the legendary city of Dwarka indicates that the

Indians were masters in town planning and maritime activity, 4,000

years ago.

 

The marine archaeologists in India have found enough proof to assert

that Mahabharata is not a myth, but history. The discovery of

submerged buildings of the legendary city of Dwarka indicates that

Indians were masters in town planning and maritime activity, 4,000

years ago.

 

And yet, the findings remain low key, with neither the government

nor the academicians wanting to take the underwater excavations to

their logical conclusion. What is keeping Dwarka still submerged is

the acade-mic and government apathy to the discoveries.

 

The layout of the excavated city, the spread and the location of

fort walls and bastions match the descriptions mentioned in

Harivamsha, a prologue to Mahabharata. Harivamsha described the city

of Dwarka in minute details. According to it, the area of Dwarka was

12 yojnas. It was connected to the mainland by a strip, which is

visible even now, in low tide. The city excavated is of the same

size.

 

Harivamsha, detailing the security arrangements, says that there

were seals, without which one could not enter the city. Seals of a

particular description were found on the seabed. A stone image of

Vishnu, chert blades and pottery are all part of the recovered

objects.

 

Elaborating on the town plan of first Dwarka, Rao´s proposal

says, "There were two fortifica-tion walls. One in the lower terrace

and another in the middle terrace. The walls which extended over a

length of 4 km on the eastern shore are mostly destroyed by sea

action. The walls of the lower terrace are of massive, dressed

sandstone blocks while that of the upper terrace are of rubble. The

houses and other public buildings, built of smaller size stones

within the enclosure are all destroyed and levelled up by the

encroachment of the sea. These structures lie in a depth of 7 to 10

metres, below the present mean sea-level, indicating a rise of 10

metres in sea-level during the last 3,600 years." The reclamation of

land from water-logged areas, referred to in Mahabharata, in order

to build the city, is also attested by the boulder foundations over

which walls and bastions were raised.

Dr. S.R.Rao

 

 

 

The proposal envisaged a three-stage heritage conservation. This was

to be done along with further excavations in Bet Dwarka. It was

suggested that access to the submerged city in Dwarka water can be

given to visitors, in fair season, through underwater acrylic tubes

or viewing chambers at specific points. Such facilities exist in

Singapore and Auckland (New Zealand). Alternati-vely, underwater

video cameras can be used to project images above water, in

monitors.

 

The project also mooted the idea of a submarine museum of dolphins

as they are in good population in deeper water, off Dwarka. There is

also a strong case for a Maritime Museum of Antiquities found in

excavations at Dwarka, Bet Dwarka, Somnath, Nageswar and dioramas of

Lothal port and Dwarka city. As of now, the Dwarka antiquities are

lying in NOI, Goa.

 

It is again a telling story of the system in India, which is the

cause of lack of interest in the project. Such a discovery in any

other country would have been approved and encouraged. The

excavation on Dwarka was done by Rao, who was with the National

Institute of Oceano-graphy, Goa. Though work remained to be done,

the CSIR, under whom falls the NIO, did not release the funds.

Further extension to Rao was not given as he had already reached the

age of 72.

 

It is indeed surprising that the history associations,

archaeologists and historians have taken little notice of the

findings at Dwarka. In its early days, the project received UNESCO

support and several foreign marine archaeologists also offered help.

However, the government´s indifference to the project has kept them

away. Unlike several other land excavations, the underwater

excavations can be done only with total government help. Several

levels of permissions are needed. While land excava-tions are

demanding in labour, the underwater explorations need machinery and

equipment. Skilful divers, who are trained to look for meaningful

objects are required too.

 

For an Indian, Dwarka is not a mere archaeological site, nor is it a

proof. Indians have all along believed Mahabha-rata to be a

historical narra-tion. But the excavations are a national heritage,

a symbol of pride, an honour that is shared by all who are born in

this land of Bharata. It is a call for action on Dwarka.

 

What needs to be done

 

Project Dwarka should be declared a national mission. The findings

of Dwarka will set right the aberrations that have crept into the

study of history of India. The West-sponsored theories of Aryan

invasion and other such bunkum will beat a retreat. It will

establish the cultural, civilisational and spiritual history of

India at an unquestionable academic height.

 

There is an urgent need to focus attention on the Dwarka

explorations and take immediate measures to preserve the work

already done. More experts, marine archaeologists and institutions

need to be co-opted into the work to prepare and present a

comprehensive picture of Dwarka. Already a lot of work has been done

on the dating of Mahabharata war, based on the planetary

constellations described in the epic. Such evidences can be used to

corroborate the findings.

 

It is equally important to complete the task of underwater

excavations, whatever remains and needs to be done. —VN

 

What happened in Dwarka

 

The rise in the sea-level in Dwarka is a scientific truth. Studies

have proved that the sea considerably and suddenly rose to submerge

the city. Harivamsha describes the submerging of Dwarka saying

Krishna instructed Arjuna, who was then visiting Dwarka, to evacuate

the residents of the city as the sea was going to engulf the

city. "On the seventh day (of Krishna saying this), as the last of

the citizens were leaving the city, the sea entered the streets of

Dwarka."

 

According to experts, there could have been three reasons why the

sea entered the land. One, a change in the level of seabed, two, a

massive earthquake and three, sudden increase in the level of sea

water. Of the three, the last is the most plausible. If it was a

change in the level of seabed, some remains of the "tearing off

action" on the shore would be visible, which is absent. Earthquake

can be ruled out as the structures have not collapsed because of the

shake. The third reason is most acceptable as a similar phenomenon

had occurred in the shores of Bahrain, around the same time, as some

recent findings indicate. It is to be noted here that considerable

work has been done on shore and offshore underwater excavations in

Bahrain, which has indicated a deep and regular trade and other

relations between the western coast and the coasts of the present-

day Bahrain region. —VN

 

What was found in the excavations

 

The underwater excavations revealed structures and ridge-like

features. Other antiquities were also found. All the objects were

photographed and documented with drawings—both underwater. While

underwater cameras are used for photography, drawings are done on

boards—a transparent polyester film of 75 micron fixed with a graph

sheet below. The graph sheet acts as a scale. One or two divers take

the dimensions and the third draws the pictures.

 

The Public Works Department routinely conducts dredging in these

waters to keep the Gomti channel open. This throws up a lot of

sediments, which settle on underwater structures. Brushes are used

to clear these sediments to expose the structures.

 

* Explorations yielded structures such as bastions, walls,

pillars and triangular and rectangular stone anchors.

 

* A semi-spherical single-hole stone which might be the base

for flagpost.

 

* L-shaped edges of stones for proper grip and arresting wave

action on bastions.

 

* Seals, inscriptions, which have been dated to 1500 b.c.

 

* Pottery, which have been dated to 3528 b.p. (before

present).

 

* Stone sculptures, terracotta beads, bronze, copper and iron

objects. —VN

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