Published By: Sayan Paul

The 'Lost City Under the Sea': What Really Happened to Dwarka?

Exploring the depths where myth meets marine archaeology.

As Indians, we often wonder how much of our mythology is rooted in real history. Where do the ancient stories end and the facts begin? Few questions capture this tug-of-war better than the mystery of Dwarka. Now, let’s be clear: Dwarka exists. It’s a thriving town and a major pilgrimage site in Gujarat, and home to the famous Dwarkadhish Temple. But when people talk about the “lost city of Dwarka,” they’re not talking about the town we see today. They’re talking about an ancient, possibly much older city, believed to have been founded by Lord Krishna himself, that, as legend goes, was swallowed by the sea. Over the years, archaeologists and researchers have explored the waters off the Gujarat coast, uncovering intriguing remains that hint at a city beneath the sea and a past waiting to be understood. The findings have sparked debates and raised a single, haunting question: Did a real city once vanish into the depths?

Now, before we dive into the evidence, a quick note - this story isn’t about religion. It’s about history, archaeology, and science. And every piece of information that follows is based on legitimate sources. We won’t be discussing mythology but only the facts that have surfaced from the ocean floor.

Then vs Now: Understanding the Two Dwarkas

Modern Dwarka occupies the western tip of the Saurashtra peninsula, where the Gomti River meets the Arabian Sea. It’s easy to confuse this living town with the submerged site under investigation, but that would be a mistake. The underwater site is not part of the modern town’s timeline. Instead, researchers focus on offshore structures that may date back to the Bronze Age, distinct from the historic town we see today.

When People Started Thinking About a Sunken City

While legends in the Mahabharata mention a mythical Dwārakā swallowed by the sea, the archaeological narrative begins in the early 20th century. In the 1930s, Hiranand Shastri noted possible submerged structures based on coastal surveys, but it wasn’t until the 1960s that excavations led by J.M. Nanavati and H.D. Sankalia uncovered Late Harappan pottery and seals onshore, hinting that a larger, submerged settlement might exist offshore.

The Dive Begins: Marine Archaeology Takes Interest

Marine archaeology off Dwarka kicked off in the 1980s, under S.R. Rao’s stewardship with the NIO and ASI. Between 1983 and 1990, diving operations and sonar surveys revealed stone blocks with L-shaped joints, bastions, and anchorages at depths of 3-14 meters, suggesting a fortified, organized coastal settlement dating to around 1500 BCE.

Meanwhile, in the early 2000s, the NIOT stumbled on a completely separate underwater site in the Gulf of Khambhat. Side-scan sonar revealed grid‑like shapes sprawling under 36-40 m of water. A piece of wood dredged from the floor returned a carbon‑14 date of roughly 7500 BCE, and smaller artifacts ranged from 3600 BCE to later periods. However, these claims were based on dredging, not controlled stratigraphic excavation, and remain highly controversial. 

(Credit: Clio's Chronicles) 

What Did They Find? Structures, Tools, and Timelines

Off Dwarka and Bet Dwarka, Rao’s team catalogued more than 120 stone anchors (triangular three‑holed and ring‑stone types), some weighing up to 150 kg, similar to vessels dated circa 1500 BCE in Cyprus and Syria. They discovered dressed limestone blocks with distinctive L‑joint masonry, bastions in situ, exotic artifacts like a copper bell, a marble figure, and bronze items (often found in sediment layers linked to Late Harappan contexts).

Onshore excavations at Bet Dwarka produced pottery and seals dated by thermoluminescence to around 1570 BCE, confirming trade and habitation

(Credit: Indian Infra Report) 

In contrast, the Gulf of Khambhat claims include sonar‑mapped patterns interpreted as streets, buildings, and conduits, along with artifacts recovered by dredging - pottery, microliths, wattle‑and‑daub remnants, and burned hearth materials. Yet critics note these items cannot be securely tied to the mapped features, and the wood’s carbon date alone doesn’t prove a structured settlement existed there.

The Debate: City or Natural Formation?

S.R. Rao interpreted these archaeological remains as evidence of a Harappan‑era city‑state, possibly with satellite towns and a well‑developed maritime port, given the anchors and masoned foundations. A.S. Gaur and Sundaresh underscored the presence of trade‑oriented artifacts like conch shell objects, suggesting significant marine commerce during the Late Bronze Age. 

Yet the skeptics remain vocal: the Gulf of Khambhat formations may be natural with their river channels, sediment ripples, or eroded rocks misread as urban features. Carbon dating yields a spread from 7500 BCE to medieval times, which could reflect multiple, distinct prehistoric activities rather than one cohesive city. Without systematic stratigraphic excavation, calling it a “city” is premature.

(Credit: SGAnon) 

So, What’s the Truth? Piecing Together the Puzzle

There is solid evidence of human coastal activity off Dwarka circa 2000-1500 BCE; a port settlement marked by stone anchors, pottery, and structural remnants indicating maritime use. But the evidence doesn’t yet confirm urban planning on the scale implied by “city.” Meanwhile, the Gulf of Khambhat findings remain tantalizing yet inconclusive: onward-dated wood and loosely associated artifacts suggest ancient habitation, but not necessarily a planned urban center or alignment with Harappan civilization. 

(Credit: Yadu) 

Key questions persist: Were all these remains the product of a single inhabited settlement, or are they disjointed remnants spanning centuries? Did rising sea levels between 6000-4000 BCE submerge these sites, as geological models suggest? Until we have finer dating and clearer imaging, many puzzles remain unsolved.

Conservation and What Comes Next 

In early 2025, the ASI revived its Underwater Archaeology Wing under Alok Tripathi, leading the first underwater surveys in 20 years, this time including women archaeologists in the team. The initial phase has focused on mapping bathymetry and artifact-rich zones off Gomti Creek, with plans to expand investigations in Okhamandal. Across onshore and offshore work, the teams are documenting submerged remains, collecting sediment and artifact samples, and deploying high‑precision tools like multibeam sonar and ROVs for better imaging. UNESCO guidelines underscore the urgency: marine sites deteriorate quickly, so preservation alongside research is essential. 

What lies beneath the waters of Dwarka remains as enigmatic today as it did decades ago. The archaeological evidence strongly suggests a coastal settlement with maritime links dating to the Late Harappan era, but we don’t yet have conclusive proof of a fully developed “city” as often depicted in myth. The Gulf of Khambhat finds are even more controversial, possibly hinting at human activity thousands of years before Harappa, but far from a settled narrative. As new technology and rigorous investigation continue, these submerged mysteries may yet reveal surprising chapters in South Asia’s ancient history. Until then, the sea keeps its secrets, but with patience and precision, we’re slowly learning its language.