The discovery of the legendary city of Dvaraka, which is said to have been founded by Sri Krishna, is an important milestone in validating the historical relevance of the Mahabharata. It has put an end to the doubts expressed by historians about the historicity of the Mahabharata and the very existence of the city of Dvaraka. It has greatly reduced the gap in Indian history by establishing the continuity of Indian civilization from the Vedic era to the present day. The discovery has also shed light on the second urbanization in the so-called ‘Dark Ages’, on the revival of dharma, on the resumption of maritime trade and the use of the Sanskrit language and the modified Indo script.

Indeed, underwater exploration has also generated useful scientific data for the study of changes in sea level and the effects of the marine environment on metals and wood over long periods. All this was possible thanks to the dedication and audacity of the archaeologists, scientists and marine technicians of the Center for Marine Archaeology of the National Institute of Oceanography.

Dwaraka is a coastal town in the Jamnagar district of Gujarat. Traditionally, modern Dwaraka is identified with Dvaraka, mentioned in the Mahabharata as the city of Krishna. Dwaraka was a port, and some scholars have identified it with the island of Barka mentioned in the Periplus of Erythrean Sea. Ancient Dwaraka sank into the sea and is therefore an important archaeological site. The first clear historical record of the lost city dates from 574 AD.C. and is found in the Palitana Plates of Samanta Simhaditya. This inscription refers to Dwaraka as the capital of the western coast of Saurashtra and, more importantly, states that Sri Krishna lived here.

The Marine Archaeological Unit (MAU) of the Archaeological Service of India (ASI) conducted a second round of excavations in 1979 under the supervision of Dr. S. R. Rao (one of India’s most respected archaeologists). Rao, a scientist emeritus from the Marine Archaeology unit of the National Institute of Oceanography, has excavated a large number of Harappa sites, including the port city of Lothal in Gujarat. He found a distinct pottery known as bright red pottery, which could be more than 3,000 years old. Based on the results of these excavations, the search for the sunken city in the Arabian Sea began in 1981. Scientists and archaeologists have worked continuously on the site for 20 years.

The underwater exploration project was sanctioned in 1984, directly by the then Prime Minister for three years. Digging under the sea is an arduous and arduous task. The sea offers too much resistance. Excavation is only possible between November and February, at low tide. The sea has to be calm and there must be a bright sun. All of these requirements effectively reduce the number of diving days from 40 to 45 in a season. In order to make the most of the time available, divers use echoesondes to get a fairly accurate idea of the location and depth of the object underwater. The side-scan sonar offers a view of the seabed. The sonar signals sent into the water return the signals. Reading the signs reveals the broad nature of the underwater object. Underwater scooters, in addition to the usual diving equipment such as diving equipment, were also put into service. Between 1983 and 1990, the SR Rao team came across discoveries that cemented the existence of a submerged city.

In January 2007, the Underwater Archaeology Wing (UAW) of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) again began excavations at Dwaraka. Alok Tripathi, a UAW superintendent archaeologist, said ancient underwater structures found in the Arabian Sea have not yet been identified. “We have to figure out what they are. They are fragments. I wouldn’t want to call them a wall or a temple. They are part of some structure,” said Dr. Tripathi, himself a trained diver. Dr Tripathi had said: “To study the antiquity of the site in a holistic way, excavations are being carried out simultaneously both on land [near the Dwarakadhish temple] and under the sea, so that the findings of both sites can be correlated and scientifically analysed.”

In 2001, the Indian government commissioned students from the National Institute of Oceanography to do a study on pollution in the Gulf of Khambat, seven miles off the coast. During the survey, they found buildings made of stones covered in mud and sand that covered five square miles. Divers have collected copper blocks, samples, artifacts and coins, which scientists believe is evidence of an age of about 3,600 years. Some of the samples were sent to Manipur and Oxford University for carbon dating, and the results created more suspicion, as some of the objects were found to be 9,000 years old.

In fact, it is overwhelming to discover that what had been discovered underwater in Cambat Bay is an archaeological site, dating back to 7500 BC. C. and is older than the older civilization sites claimed earlier.