10-05-2025
Looking for Lord Krishna's Dwarka: What the ASI's dive into the sea off Gujarat hopes to uncover
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has concluded two separate explorations of the underwater site off Dwarka, Gujarat. A third, more detailed round of study is planned for later this year to establish more conclusive evidence for the historicity of the site.
What is the importance of Dwarka? What is the ASI trying to ascertain now? What were the findings of the last survey? And what next?
The latest exploration
The study that began in February was carried out in two phases by the Underwater Archaeology Wing of the ASI, through onshore and offshore expeditions at Dwarka and Beyt Dwarka.
Dwarka sits on the westernmost extremity of the Indian mainland, just south of where the Gulf of Kutch opens into the Arabian Sea.
Beyt (or Bet) Dwarka, also known as Shankhodhar, is a small island at the mouth of the Gulf of Kutch off the town of Okha, about 25 km to the north east of Dwarka.
In February 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had dived into the sea to offer prayers, and described it as a 'divine experience'. He had also inaugurated the Sudarshan Setu, a four-lane cable-stayed bridge connecting Okha to Beyt Dwarka island.
A five-member ASI team began with fieldwork to the south of Gomati Creek, on the eastern side of Dwarka, with the intention of inspecting these areas that were explored earlier in 2007, and to determine their present condition, experts involved in the exploration said.
A bigger team of underwater archaeologists then went on an underwater expedition in March to search, document and study submerged archaeological remains, and on a training mission.
The ASI's underwater wing has faced difficulties from time to time, leading to prolonged breaks in exploration. Other excavations too, have suffered in the past, including the exploration off Poompuhar in Tamil Nadu between 1981 and the early 2000s to unravel remains of the 2,000-year-old port of Kaveripattinam.
The ASI now plans to make its underwater wing fully functional. Over the next few years, several sites in the Cauvery delta in Tamil Nadu, and along the coasts of Maharashtra and Odisha, will be explored, officials said.
The legend of Dwarka
Dwarka is mentioned in the Mahabharata as the place where Lord Krishna settled after he defeated and killed his uncle, Kans, in Mathura. He is said to have reclaimed 12 yojanas, corresponding to roughly 96 sq km, of land from the sea to create Dwarka.
'Dwarka is mentioned in ancient literature, and is important from a historical, archaeological, and cultural point of view. As such, it has been explored by historians and archaeologists over many years,' Alok Tripathi, the ASI additional director-general who headed this year's exploration, said.
However, the location and antiquity of the historical Dwarka remain uncertain. References in literary sources provide conflicting accounts of the site.
Earlier explorations
The first investigations were carried out on land in 1963, and revealed several artefacts, according to the Gujarat government website on Dwarka. These excavations were in a small area because of the limited availability of open areas around the Dwarkadheesh temple, archeologists said.
Excavations at two sites on the seaward side of Dwarka brought to light submerged settlements, a large stone-built jetty, and triangular stone anchors with three holes. The settlements were in the form of exterior and interior walls, and fort bastions.
From the typological classification of the anchors it was inferred that Dwarka flourished as a port during the period of the middle kingdoms of India (8th-18th centuries), and probably suffered as a result of coastal erosion.
In 2007, an exploration was conducted offshore and onshore during low tide in the area where the sculptures and stone anchors had been discovered. The objective was to establish the antiquity of the site based on material evidence. Submerged remains were studied and documented.
The area near the Dwarkadheesh temple was also excavated, which yielded antiquities including terracotta objects, beads, fragments of bangles, copper rings, iron ingots and pottery.
What happens now
It is important to accurately ascertain the antiquity of the recovered objects through scientific analysis of sediments, archaeological and marine deposits, a senior ASI official said.
Excavations using the latest scientific methods and techniques, and an accurate dating of the objects that are recovered, will help place Dwarka more accurately in its historical context, officials said.
Divya A reports on travel, tourism, culture and social issues - not necessarily in that order - for The Indian Express. She's been a journalist for over a decade now, working with Khaleej Times and The Times of India, before settling down at Express. Besides writing/ editing news reports, she indulges her pen to write short stories. As Sanskriti Prabha Dutt Fellow for Excellence in Journalism, she is researching on the lives of the children of sex workers in India. ... Read More
