Lord Krishna’s Dvaraka: The untold story of a legendary sunken city  

Are you a fan of Indian mythology? If the answer is yes, then you must have gone through  Mahabharata with great interest. The journey through this epic has introduced you with many places, a prominent one being Dvaraka, the kingdom of Lord Krishna. Traditionally, it is identified with the modern-day city of Dwarka in Gujarat, located at the mouth of the Gulf of Kutch facing the Arabian Sea. Interestingly, the word ‘dvarka’ has its roots in Sanskrit, which means ‘door’ or ‘gate’. This suggests that back then, this ancient city might have served as a port city, providing a gateway to foreign sailor and helping trade relations between Indian and Arabic regions flourish. While historical evidence suggests that Dvarka was built around 1500 BC, legends would have us believe that it was submerged in the Arabian Sea. In fact, underwater excavations have revealed remains of several structures and artefacts that portray the city as described in the Mahabharata. Come, let’s find more about this sunken city of ancient India.  

The Magnificent City of Dwarka 
The ancient city stretched 84 kilometres as a walled city where the Gomti River and the Arabian Sea met. According to the Mahabharata, Dwarka had 900,000 royal palaces made of crystal and silver and embellished with emeralds. Although the foundations of the old city indicate that there were several palaces at the time, the exact number remains unknown! The city also had a complex network of roadways, markets, assembly halls and temples. 

Why did Lord Krishna establish Dvarka? 
According to ancient Hindu texts, the city of Dvarka was constructed in defiance of Jarasandha, the king of Magadha, who frequently attacked Mathura, the birthplace of Lord Krishna. He wanted to set up a separate city on the western shore of Gujarat to prevent additional attacks on his people. It was built with such strong defences that it was only accessible by ship.  

A submerged city 
As already mentioned, the city of Lord Krishna was submerged in the Arabian Sea. But why? Legends suggest that Dwarka and her residents drowned in the sea, owing to Krishna’s departure from the Earth during Kaliyug. What do archaeological records indicate? Well, it may have been built on a land where sea level had receded. But it probably sank when the sea levels rose in the future. In 1963, the first archaeological investigation searched for the submerged area of Dvarka. Several ancient items were found during the dig, along with the submerged remains of an ancient city. Between 1983 and 1992, archaeologists uncovered a fortified foundation on which the walls of the old city must have been constructed along the riverbanks.  

Stone blocks used for buildings, pillars and irrigation systems have also been found. An area of roughly 9,80,000 square metres was explored between the sea depths of 3 to 12 metres off the Samudra Narayana Temple in Dwarka. Eight detailed investigation zones were covered by diving operations that were conducted in various locations. Several stone anchors have also been found on the site at the same depth, indicating that Dvarka may have once been a significant commerce port.  

Archaeologists are currently organising an underwater excavation to hunt for the remains of the old city walls. If they can pinpoint the exact location of the city, it will have enormous historical importance for India.