Conservation of underwater Dwarka as a Heritage Site
and Tourist Destination

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Dr. S.R. Rao 
     President International Centre for Indian Art and Cultural Studies
              and former Advisor on Marine Archaeology NIO, Goa

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The search for the ancient city of Dwarka submerged in the Arabian Sea
undertaken by the Marine Archaeology Centre of the National Institute of
Oceanography since 1981 has yielded exciting results. The six fortified
sectors built more than 3500 years age on the banks of the river Gomati in
Jamnagar District of Gujarat and the inundated walls of this city state in
Bet Dwarka island as well as the antiquities such as the seal, inscriptions,
pottery and stone anchors have corroborated the authenticity of Mahabharata
as a source of history. At the same time data useful for a scientific study
of sea level fluctuation have been obtained. Such an important Heritage site
of man deserves to be conserved and publicised by the Government authorities
and Scientific bodies in the country. To this end a project proposal was
submitted to the Government of Gujarat, which in turn invited Mr. Crowther
from Australia to study the feasibility of developing Dwarka as a Tourist
Destination. The author was invited to explain on spot the proposal
submitted to Tourism Corporation. Mr. Crowther suggested producing a film
and establishing a Museum. 

The promotion of Dwarka as a Tourist destination is no doubt a very
important and feasible proposal, but the prerequisite is to conserve the
massive stone buildings in the sea off present Dwarka over an area of 1 km X
1/2 km exposed by the Marine Archaeologists for posterity. Some experts in
India have been consulted as to the technique of preserving the submerged
city remains after taking into account tides, waves and currents. The use of
new chemical fixers for binding masonry courses in the sea is one of the
media suggested by experts. This paper deals with the conservation of
submerged Dwarka city and establishment of a Museum.