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Sir, Iam happy
to announce that the authentic report on the excavation of
the Lost City of Dwarka of 'MAHABHARATA' (MBH) fame has just been
published by Aditya Prakashan. It gives a comprehensive account
of the technical details of the excavation on land and in the sea
corroborating textual evidence. It is also the first ever venture
of Marine Archaeologists in India, which has been rewarded by a
World Ship Trust Award of the United Kingdom for individual excellence
in Marine Archaeology with special reference to Dwarka underwater
excavation. Historians, Indologists and Scientists have paid tributes
to the pioneers for the discovery of the legendary city by adopting
the most scientific methods known today.
It is essential to have a quick look at the progress of Underwater
Archaeology in India and other parts of the world. I must admit
that the tremendous advance made in underwater research from 1981
to 1995 in India was slowed down for 3 years not only for want of
adequate financial support from the Government but also for lack
of appreciation of the need for preserving underwater cultural heritage.
Fortunately the Tamil Nadu Government evinced some interest in underwater
excavation and the Marine Archaeology Centre (MAC) made important
discoveries at Pumpuhar. But so far as Dwarka Excavation was concerned,
I being primarily concerned with initiating. Marine Archaeological
Research in India, was worried about the delay in processing the
project submitted to the Government of India for further work at
Dwarka and Somnath. I am glad that the National Institute of Oceanography
and the Department of Ocean Development agreed upon a minimum funding
scheme and the exploration work on Dwarka coast was resumed last
season although for a short period. This season offshore exploration
has started and the findings are awaited. The most urgent need is,
however, the preservation
of underwater structures of the ancient city of Dwarka in the sea
bed, and make it a Heritage Site and Tourist Destination. I hope
the Government of Gujarat which has been considering my proposal
will act quickly.
Salinent features of submerged City State of Dvaraka
Dvaraka was a city state comprising Dwarka, island of Bet Dwarka
and Nageswar. The mainland city was well planned and could boast
of a good harbour. The full plan of the submerged city on mainland
has been ascertained and plotted on the basis of the individual
structures discovered in six fortified sectors extending upto lkm.
from the shore. It was built on reclaimed land. The harbour of the
ancient port consists of a rocky ridge modified into an anchorage
for berthing vassels. This is a unique feature achieved in harbour
technology even before the Phoenicians attempted in the Mediterranean
sea much later. The manmade holes in the ridge at Dvaraka and the
large stone anchors lying there suggest that large ships used to
be anchored here while smaller boats carried men and cargo up the
Gomati river, the paleochannel of which has also been traced. The
presence of three-holed triangular anchors of stone weighing 60
to 150 kg. or more and the use of Lustrous Red Ware pottery at Dvaraka
and Bet Dvaraka give a clue for dating the sites in view of the
fact that at Prabhasa also similar pottery is dated. The textural
references to a hill and the sea at Kusasthali-Dvaraka tally very
well with the topographical and other features of Bet Dvaraka. (Rao
S.R. 1999).
For purposes of dating ancient Dvaraka town, the archaeological
evidence provided by the Late Indus- type seal, two inscriptions
written in evolved Indus script and typical Late Harappan pottery
such as the perforated jar and the dishes and bowls in Lustrous
Red Ware are important. It is now obvious that Kusasthali, a pre-Dvaraka
settlement existed in Bet Dvaraka in the Late Harappan phase as
described in MBH. The buildings of Kusasthali are traced in a Lower
Terrace on the eastern shore of the island. The stone walls extending
over500m and partly visible in patches from BDK I to BDK IV and
beyond in the Middle Terrace can be dated to l6th Century B.C on
the basis of Thermoluminiscence date of the pottery which is further
corroborated by a coppersmith's stone mould and an inscribed jar
found here. Six rock-cut wells were also noticed in the Upper Terrace
near Nilakantha Mahadev Temple where early historic and protohistoric
pottery has been found. Since this terrace extending upto old Custom
House Mound yields sturdy dishes and bowls
of Late
Harappan period datable to 1800-1700 B.C., we may conclude that
the earliest town of Kusasthali built by Kakudmin Revata extended
over a fairly large area and it was this town which was first occupied
and fortified in the Mahabharata period and was named Dvaraka. After
realising that the narrow strips of terraces in Kusasthali (Bet
Dwarka) were not sufficient for setting the increasing number of
Cadavers, a new town was built a few years later at the mouth of
the river Gomati on the mainland and a planned port city came into
existence. It was also called Dvaraka.
In the last season MAC explored the Okhamandal Coast and western
shores of Bet Dwarka and found not only pottery but also eight triangular
3-holed stone anchors of the protohistoric period besides dressed
blocks of a submerged structure thereby confirming that the western
coast of the island was also a part of Kusasthali-Dvaraka. There
is an ancient mound, 10 to 12m high, rising from the seashore and
leading to the Dwarkadhish Temple which needs to be excavated. Intensive
exploration of the sea bed in shallow water upto Padmatirtha is
likely to yield evidence of a protohistoric site. An early historic
site found at Khuda Dost Tomb in IZ confirms a rise in sea level
in the first few centuries of the Christian era as also in the Mahabharata
age (1600 B.C).
MAC carried out in 1997 exploration of the coastal belt of Aramda
(North of Dwarka) and discovered port installations and stone anchors
of the type found in Dwarka Waters. It may be recalled here that
the traingular three-holed anchors were in use in the Bronze Age
ports of Kition and Cyprus during the l4th Century B.C. and much
earlier in Dvaraka and Bet Dvaraka. At Lothal a triangular anchor
with a single hole was already in use in 2300 B.C. A Mohenjodaro
seal with a ship motif depicts a triangular anchor with one hole.
The Dvaraka anchor with 3 holes is a further improvement made by
the sailors of the Mahabharata period. This type however survived
for a long time.
It is now necessary for the Marine Archaeology Centre to explore
not only the Balapur Bay area but also the eastern shores of Bet
Dwarka to determine the total extent of Protohistoric Dvaraka-Kusasthali
and the later early Historical and Medieval townships. The archaeological
evidence from Dwarka, Aramda and Bet Dwarka confirms that the city
State of Dvaravati included Kusasthali-Dvaraka, mainland Dvaraka,
Nageswar (a Late Harappan Town) and perhaps Pindara also.
Date of Dvaraka City State
There is some controversy about the date of Krishna's Dvaraka.
According to
Aihole inscription the date of the MBH war is 3102 B.C. but this
has been discussed and the errors that crept in the puranas and
other texts have been pointed out (Rao S.R. 1982). It may be noted
that the Indus Valley (Harappan) sites datable to 3000 B.C. are
Bronze Age sites but some of the late sites like Kusasthali-Dvaraka
survived in Iron Age which is datable to 1600 B.C. The evidence
from Dvaraka excavation is compatible with that of Krishna's Dvaraka
described in MBH and Harivamsa in regard to physiographical features,
location, town plan, and high level of civilization. As is clear
from Bet Dwaraka inscription the language in use was Sanskrit. The
use of Mudra (seal)cited in Harivamsa indicates high political consciousness
and security measures adopted for defending Dvaraka which was of
strategic importance. MBH says that the city protected by nature
was further protected by fortwalls - a fact brought to light in
excavation. In 1997 a fresh attempt was made by MAC to explore further
seaward of Dvaraka harbour in 14m depth to ascertain if the city
extended further seaward of the ridge and whether any earlier datable
antiquity could be found which may enable us to revise the date
(1700 B.C) but there was only negative evidence. Before revising
the present date from 1800-1700 B.C to 2000 B.C for Kusasthali-Dvaraka,
we should get some more chinching evidence. Hence it is desirable
to be cautious in dating the first submerged Dvaraka.
In this connection it must be remembered that archaeologists designate
cultures as Pre-Harapan. Harappan, Late Harappan etc., for want
of better identification of the cultures of different phases of
history in ancient texts. The designation 'Harappa culture' is enigmatic.
However in the light of the discovery of early Harappan sites on
the ancient Sarasvati channel, the Indus (Harappa) civilization
can be appropriately called Sindhu-Sarasvati Civilization and its
later phase (Late Harappa Culture) as the Mahabharata Civilization
traces of which can be seen in Kunal and Bhagwanpura in Kurukshetra
region also in U.P and Bihar and Southward in Narmada and Godavari
valleys. In brief I can say that Dvaraka excavation has demonstrated
that Mahabharata is not a myth but an important source of history.
Shankhodhara During the last Session of the Conference Mr. Save
wanted that Shakhodara near Dahanu-Mumbai which is considered a
holy place should be explored. The Master Mariner A. V Gupchup was
kind enough to undertake a preliminary survey of Shankhodhara and
has sent a report stating that in the Zero tide time the mud flats
are exposed and a small
stone wall was visible. He observes that there is nothing significant
about it. For dating purpose pottery is necessary but it is not
forthcoming. A lot ot conch shells occur here and wherever conch
shell (Sankh) is found the site is called Shankhodhar The location
and physiographic features of this island do not tally with those
described in the Mahabharata and Harivamsa and there is no datable
evidence also. The structure is in all probability a medieval one.
Elephanta (Gharapuri)
The island of Elephanta is famous for its rock-cut temples and a
Buddhist Stupa. But long before the sixth century temples were excavated
there appears to have been a flourishing port town extending over
Morabandar and Rajbandar There are several brick structures of the
Gupta and post-Gupta periods in Morabandar. The important relics
of the Satavahana period come from the Rajbanadar side where a brick
wharf, about 4m high was exposed in the course of excavation undertaken
by me on behalf of the Archaeological Survey of India. This wharf
was raised in height twice during the 4th-5th century A.D. when
Roman coins, amphoras and Red Polished Ware were in use. Later occupation
in Medieval Period is attested by Maratha and Portuguese coins.
Recently Mr. Laud has brought to light a unique assemblage of pottery
of fine buff-to-crimson fabric, the main types being amphoras with
two handles and jar with a single handle. Some of the sherds were
recovered from the seabed and others from the habitation site on
shore. The above mentioned vessels are different in fabric and shape
from the Roman amphoras found in Rajbandar wharf. A careful study
of the pottery exhibited here by Mr. Laud may suggest closer resemblance
with Phoenician vessels illustrated by Harden and in this connection
I must add that I had the opportunity to study the pottery of the
Biblical site of Ugarit (Ras Shamra in Syria) excavated by Prof.
C.F.A. Sheffeur. Could it be that the Phoenicians identified with
the Panis of the Rigveda had trade connections in the first millennium
B.C. with Elephanta? Did the Canaanites of mid second millennium
B.C., borrow the Indus alphabets for their consonantal value? (See
Donald Harden The Phoenicians 1971, Pengiun, p.21 and also Rao S.R.
1982. The Decipherment of Indus Script). Perhaps more definitive
evidence may be forthcoming if underwater and surface excavations
are undertaken in Elephanta. This is likely to throw some light
on the transgression of the sea 2500 years ago if not earlier. We
have already some evidence of sea level rise in Dwarka, Bet Dwarka,
Pindara and Vijaydurga. The date of partial submergence of Supara
and Gharapuri (Elephanta) will be of importance to oceanographers.
Maritime Activity
of Konkan/Karnataka & Kerala Ports
A fairly reliable account of the Maritime activity of the Marathas
and their naval power has been given by Apte. His account is based
on the Records of the Peshwa Daftar Mr. P Gudigar also made a study
ot the Marine Records in the Archives of the Government of Maharashtra.
The shipwrecks mentioned in these records, mostly of the I6th to
l9th century have been listed in the National Register of shipwrecks
in Indian waters maintained by the Marine Archaeology Centre of
NIO. But this work could not be completed as the service ot an Expert
in Modi script was needed; It is hoped that the Government of Maharashtra
will come forward not only to get these data collected by MAC but
also to survey the wrecks on Maharashtra coast which will throw
a flood of light on trade, naval battles and cultural interaction
with Foreign countries. Systematic exploration of Thane and Kalyan
is also a necessity to assess their role in overseas trade.
The Marine Archaeologists have studied the ancient ports of Maharashtra
namely, Sopara, Gharapuri, Cheul, Vijaydurg and some of the ports
on Karnataka coast namely Honnavar, Bhatkal and Malpe, but a lot
a more needs to be done and actual offshore exploration for wrecks
and submerged ports is yet to begin except in the case of Vijaydurg
where the MAC of NIO has come across a submerged wharf and a few
stone anchors. The history of West coast ports and maritime activity
is yet to be Fully reconstructed. The study ot the above mentioned
ports made so Ear has been published in the Proceedings of the Marine
Archaeological Conferences held so far. But the Maritime activity
of the Satavahana rulers, Kshatrapas, Guptas, Trailaitakas, Gujarat
Solankis, Kadambas, Silaharas and other is hardly known. It is high
time that the Universities of littoral states take up this study
in right earnest.
East coast ports: Maritime Activity
The Universities of Andhra, Madras and Thanjavur have evinced keen
interest in studying and excavating ancient ports on west coast.
For example, the Tamil Nadu Government and NIO have explored Tranquebar
and Pumpuhar, but constraint o£ funds has come in the way
of further research. The Andhra University has established a Centre
for Marine Archaeology with a chair for the subject. This is a very
encouraging sign. The Tamil University has a small centre for Marine
Archaeology and the Vice-Chancellor of Goa University has asked
me to send a note For establishing a centre. I hope Bombay university,
will not lag behind.
Role of Archaeological
Survey of India in promoting Marine Archaeological Research:
The Departments of Science & Technology and Ocean Development
of Government of India and C.S.I.R. have been supporting Marine
Archaeological Research for the last 17 years with occasional grants.
Fortunately NIO has been its main-stay, but the Archaeological Survey
of India, the largest organization in the world which initially
gave some funds is yet to take adequate interest in underwater archaeology
In fact it should be a nodal organization and establish an Institute
of Marine Archaeology. Until this is done adequate financial assistance
should be given to MAC in NIO. Underwater Cultural Heritage can
no longer be neglected in view of the fact that the UNO is bringing
forward a convention drafted by the UNESCO sponsored International
committee for underwater archaeology (I.C.U.C.H.) of which I am
a member Another member is cdr Somasiri of Sri Lanka who is here.
This convention will provide guide lines to regulate underwater
archaeological excavation to protect and preserve underwater cultural
Heritage. India, with rich underwater cultural remains, cannot afford
to lag behind in listing, surveying and excavating shipwrecks and
submerged ports on lndian coast. Immediate steps are necessary to
establish a training centre for marine archaeology of introduce
marine archaeology as an important undergraduate and post-graduate
courses in universities.
It is interesting to find that Tamil Nadu has sanction funds for
Maritime Museum at Pumpuhar
Preservation of the Submerged Buildings of Ancient Dvaraka
The government of Gujarat evinced for sometime interest in establishing
a maritime museum at Dwaraka and preserving the submerged site which
forms the most important underwater cultural Heritage of India.
I submitted a proposal with technical details for preservation of
the site and the Gujarat Government Tourist Corporation held meetings
with a foreign expert for promoting Dwaraka as a Tourist Destination.
Unfortunately no followup action is forthcoming. The entire nation
and even foreign countries is anxiously awaiting for the preservation
of the unique submerged only of Dvaraka which is not only of historical
importance but also of emotional interest since its founder was
Lord Krishna.
Prof Goddio's
discovery of Cleopatra's palace in the Bay of Alexandria, on which
there is a paper by me, will be of interest to all.
I am grateful
to Dr Bedekar for his unflinching zeal in organizing this conference
and to Dr. De Sa and Dr. Untawale for support by way of sponsorship
by NIO. My thanks are due to Capt. Dhopate, Dr. B.N. Desai Sri Ajai
Shankar, to all my colleagues in NIO and participants in the conference
for promoting Marine Archaeological Research in India.
 Note:
Ancient town of Dvaraka is distinguished from modern town spelt
Dwarka. |
