Loading

Dwarka: India's submerged ancient city

Share on Linkedin
The Indian city of Dwarka is of religious and archaeological importance
The ancient India city of Dwarka, is said to have sunk beneath the Arabian Sea. Now, underwater archaeologists are looking for the foundations of its city walls to prove its existence.
O

One of the seven holy pilgrimage centres in India, the city of Dwarka is not only of religious importance, but also archaeological. The city's ancient incarnation, referred to in the epic Mahabharata as the ancient kingdom of Krishna, was spread across almost 84km as a fortified city where the Gomti River and the Arabian Sea meet. According to the text, the ancient city was sunk beneath the Arabian Sea upon Krishna's death.

Searching for India's 'Atlantis'

In the second half of the last century, archaeologists made attempts to find physical evidence of the sunken city off the coast of the modern-day Dwarka so they can prove its existence beyond doubt. As a result, many artefacts have been discovered underwater such as stone blocks and pillars; however, the exact age of these findings is still being debated. Now, archaeologists are planning an underwater dig to look for the foundations of the ancient city walls. If they find the exact location of the settlement, it'll be of tremendous historical significance to India.

---

This video is part of BBC Reel's Ancient Mysteries playlist.

Join more than three million BBC Travel fans by liking us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. 

If you liked this story, sign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter called "The Essential List". A handpicked selection of stories from BBC Future, Culture, Worklife and Travel, delivered to your inbox every Friday.

;