ASI begins fresh underwater surveys at Gujarat's Dwarka to uncover its past, legends

Ahmedabad: The underwater archaeological wing (UAW) of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has once again started "onshore and offshore expeditions" at Dwarka in Gujarat. The coastal town, famous for the Dwarkadhish Temple dedicated to Lord Krishna, has witnessed several such expeditions in the past looking for evidence of its legendary stories.

ASI said in a statement that the expedition was started earlier this week following a brief fieldwork conducted by a team of experts led by professor Alok Tripathi, the additional director-general of ASI. Tripathi is the same officer who also led the team of ASI to scientifically survey Gyanvapi mosque adjacent to Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi.

On the fresh expedition, the statement read, "Dwarka is an important place from historical, archaeological and cultural point of view, which has always been a matter of research mentioned in the ancient literature. It has remained a significant part of cultural history of India. Considering its importance, Dwarka has been explored and researched by historians and archaeologists in the past as well."

It said that "to take the research forward", a five-member team carried out an investigation south of Gomati Creek, on the eastern side of the town. "It was aimed to inspect earlier explored areas and examine present conditions," ASI stated. It said that past excavations were done in a "limited area" due to unavailability of open areas around the temple.

Previous investigation, according to ASI, had revealed "important archaeological remains including ancient sculptures, stone anchors, and other objects of historical importance." In 2007, the ASI excavated a deposit of about 10 meters having 26 layers located at the northern gate of the temple. The officials recovered several antiquities, including iron objects, beads, copper objects and rings.

The fresh study is planned to cover an expanded area in Okhamandal region. Teams of archaeologists are looking for other potential sites in the area to understand the history of the site.

A group of nine archaeologists selected from different parts of the country are participating in the ongoing investigations. Divers participating in the team also include three women - Dr Aprajita Sharma, Assistant Superintending Archaeologist of the Underwater Archaeology Wing, Poonam Vind, Assistant Superintending Archaeologist, and Rajkumari Barbina, Assistant Archaeologist.

Meanwhile on Thursday, union minister of culture and tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in written reply informed Rajya Sabha that the objectives of the exploration off the coast of Dwarka and Bet Dwaraka are to search, document, and study submerged archaeological remains besides imparting training to archaeologists."

The minister said that UAW also carries out different activities including fieldwork and research through the budget allocated during the financial year. The statement read that an amount of Rs 10 lakh was allocated for the current fieldwork.