Mysteries Of Krishna's Lost City Of Dwarka

In 1983, a group of divers plunged into the Arabian Sea on a mission to explore its depths. To their astonishment, they discovered an ancient city lying miles beneath the surface, a city that resembled a modern urban area. There were high walls, roads, statues, palaces, and a well-organized layout. The divers were amazed to find such a city underwater. When they examined the stones, they learned that they dated back to the Mahabharata era, revealing this to be the legendary city of Dwarka, mentioned in the epic. Dwarka, one of India's seven holy pilgrimage sites, is not only religiously significant, but also archaeologically substantial. Located at the western tip of the Saurashtra Peninsula in the state of Gujarat, Dwarka has great importance both as an archaeological site and as one of our four principal holy places. It is also one of the seven holy towns to visit. However, Dwarka's archaeological and historical background is shrouded in mystery. The city's earliest incarnation, known as the ancient kingdom of Krishna in the epic of Mahabharata, was spread across nearly 84 kilometers as a fortified city where the Gomti River and the ancient city sank beneath the Arabian Sea. Historians and archaeologists are diving to find evidence providing the existence of Krishna's majestic kingdom, the lost city of Dwarka. The most famous legend about the lost city of Dwarka can be found in the ancient epic of Mahabharata. Dwarka, one of the four sacred dhams of Lord Vishnu, is located in Gujarat's district on the Arabian Sea's coast. Thousands of devotees visit this small city to worship Lord Krishna. According to the Bhagavad Purana, after killing Kansa, Shri Krishna settled in Mathura with the Yadava clan. Kansa's father-in-law Jarasandh, furious over Kansa's death, attacked Mathura 17 times. Fed up with the relentless assaults, Shri Krishna decided to leave Mathura and construct a new city elsewhere. He sought the permission of the sea god who granted him 12 yojana of the land and sea. On this land, Lord Vishwakarma built the city of Dwarka, a marvel of urban planning, with roads, palaces of gold, grand gates, gardens and ponds. At its center stood Shri Krishna's magnificent palace. After its completion, Krishna used his power to transport his family and the entire Yadava dynasty from Mathura to Dwarka. Following this, he defeated Jarasandh and Kalyavan in a battle and returned to Dwarka to live peacefully. However, just like any other being on earth, Shri Krishna was bound by the cycle of happiness and sorrow. After some time, the great battle of Mahabharata began, where Shri Krishna played a key role as Arjuna's charioteer. The war lasted 18 days, resulting in the victory of the Pandavas. However, Gandhari, the mother of the Kauravas, cursed Shri Krishna, blaming him for the war. She foretold that just as her sons and clan had perished, Krishna's Yadava dynasty would also be destroyed in 36 years. Shri Krishna, knowing the curse was inevitable, accepted it. But there was another curse that led to the downfall of the Yadava clan. Once, in a holy place near Dwarka, Krishna's son Samba and his friends played a prank on some visiting saints by pretending Samba was a pregnant woman. The saints, angered by the joke, cursed that Samba would give birth to an iron pestle that would cause the Yadava dynasty's destruction. The curse came true and when King Ugrasen learned about it, he had the pestle crushed and thrown into the sea. But a fish swallowed the pieces and when the fish was caught, the iron caught from the fish's stomach was used by a hunter to make a poisonous arrow. Years passed and Gandhari's curse took effect. The Yadava clan, drunk and enraged, began fighting amongst themselves. The conflict escalated, leading to a Even Balaram, Krishna's older brother, departed from the world. Seeing this, Krishna sat beneath the peepal tree, where the hunter who had made the arrows from the cursed iron mistook him for a deer and shot him. The arrow struck Krishna's foot and thus he left the world. When Arjun heard about Krishna's death, he hurried to Dwaraka only to find the city engulfed in flames. He managed to evacuate the women and children but as soon as the city was empty, it was swallowed by the sea, lost forever beneath the waves. Today, Dwaraka is divided into two parts, Dwaraka and Beth Dwaraka. Dwaraka is a coastal city while Beth Dwaraka is an island. For many years, the existence of Dwaraka was dismissed as a myth. However, in 1930, a search began and significant artefacts were found at Beth Dwaraka. The first archaeological excavation in 1963 uncovered ancient relics and statues. It was suggested that Krishna administered his kingdom from Dwaraka while living with his family Between 1983 and 1990, underwater archaeologist Dr. S. R. Rao and his team conducted further exploration and discovered the remains of an extraordinary city under the sea. They found city walls, stones, pillars, statues and an irrigation system. To confirm the connection to Dwaraka, the stones were carbon dated, revealing they were from the same era as Mahabharata. The city's area measured 12 yojana, matching the dimensions described in the Bhagavad Purana. Numerous anchors were also found, suggesting Dwaraka was an ancient port that facilitated trade between India and other nations. Due to a lack of funds, the excavation was halted but resumed by the Archaeological Survey of India in 2007 and it continues today. Some theories suggest that 3500 years ago, the land on which Dwaraka stood was above the sea level, but rising waters gradually submerged it. However, according to the Mahabharata, the city was submerged quickly by the powerful waves. Though some still consider the Mahabharata, Ramayana and other ancient stories to be myths, discoveries like the submerged Dwaraka suggest that human civilization may be far older than what we previously thought. Dwaraka, like Atlantis, is said to have sunk when beneath the sea at some point in the distant past. However, unlike Atlantis, whose remains have never been discovered, remnants of this ancient kingdom could be found in the depths. The Bhagavad Purana says that the city of Dwaraka quickly rose to prominence and became the unstoppable pivot of Lord Krishna's mission, housing thousands in approximately 900 palaces. The city was heavily fortified and could only be reached by ship. The lost city of Dwaraka quickly became a talking point around the world, inspiring awe and wonder. According to the Mahabharata's 23rd and 34th phrases, the city was inundated and submerged by the Arabian Sea on the same day that Krishna departed the earth to join the spiritual world after 125 years, and this is when the Kali Age began. The ocean's deity reclaimed the land, sinking lost city of Dwaraka but sparing Lord Krishna's palace. It is also said that the lost city of Dwaraka was attacked by a Viman, a flying machine. The description of the flight piques the interest of the ancient alien theories, as it happens to imply that it was fought with sophisticated technology and powerful weapons, possibly even from orbit. The spacecraft launched an attack on the city using energy weaponry, which resembled a lightning striking to onlookers, and it was so devastating that much of the city lay in ruins following the attack. Until recently, the submerged city of Dwaraka was only a matter of folklore. The question, is Dwaraka real, was constantly asked. Could it be that Lord Krishna and his aerial fight were more than just a legend, now that the remains have been discovered underwater and with many signs pointing to this being the famous Dwaraka, the residence site of Lord Krishna. The initial excavations that began in the 1930s around the island of Beth Dwaraka, located approximately 30 km north of modern Deh Dwar in Gujarat's Jamnagar district. More excavations were carried out in the 1960s, but no definitive results were obtained. In 1979, the Archaeological Survey of India conducted another excavation. During this, the excavator discovered pottery dating from the second millennium BC. Archaeologists discovered a This suggests that the ancient city walls must have been built along the river banks. Over 500 antiques were unearthed from the site. Some samples and date elements strongly established the 2000-year cultural succession. Stone blocks, pillars and irrigation systems were discovered, although the actual date of these discoveries is still being contested. According to Dr. Rajiv Nigam, former chief scientist, the process of underwater exploration began with excavation near the current Dwaraka Dheesh temple. The Dwaraka Mandir was built during the 13th and 15th century. Dr. SR Rao conducted an offshore survey to look for signs of the submerged metropolis, and a full excavation was carried out in 2007. He explained that the the westernmost tip of India in the modern-day Gujarat corresponds to one given in the written literature. According to one theory, the lost city of Dwaraka was built on a reclaimed land roughly 3,500 years ago and was drowned in water when sea levels rose. Scientific studies have revealed that the sea level in the area has risen and decreased numerous times before reaching its current levels in 1000 CE. These changing sea levels could be caused by anything from geological disturbances to coastal erosion. A great number of anchors were discovered in this location during Dwaraka underwater archaeology. It indicated that Dwaraka under sea was a historic port. History reveals that it must have played a role in trading contacts between India and Arabic regions from the 15th to the 18th century and the harbour sea was previously utilized for anchoring vessels. The word Dwaraka means portal or door in Sanskrit, hinting that this was the ancient port city. It may have served as an ancient point for foreign manors coming to India. Archaeologists are now preparing an underwater dig to hunt for the ancient city's walled foundations.