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Excavations prove that civilisation existed in Gujarat 4,000 years ago
"The sea, which had been beating against the shores, suddenly broke the boundary that was imposed on it by nature. The sea rushed into the city. It coursed through the streets of the beautiful city. The sea covered up everything in the city. Even as they were all looking, Arjuna saw the beautiful buildings becoming submerged one by one. He took a last look at the mansion of Krishna. It was soon covered by the sea. In a matter of a few moments it was all over. The sea had now become as placid as a lake. There was no trace of the beautiful city that had been the favourite haunt of all the Pandavas. Dwaraka became just a name; just a memory". This is an account of the submergence of Dwarka taken from the Mahabharata. It is said that at about the time that Lord Krishna, was killed by a hunter�s arrow near Somnath, Dwarka, Krishna�s capital, disappeared into the sea.
And in memory it remained for more than 5,000 years-the facts growing into legends, the legends into myths, handed over orally through generations of bards and wandering mendicants. The whole coast of western India sank by nearly 40 feet around 1500 B.C. taking with it rich tradition and the magic of the legend of Krishna.
Now fresh archeological evidence has surfaced proving beyond reasonable doubt the existence of the historic city of Dwaraka, and throwing light on the lives of people who inhabited the "City of Gold. This is hallowed ground-the city over which Krishna ruled. Gujarat dates back to pre-historic times, here exists one of the three largest dinosaur sites of the world that include clutches of eggs that date back 65 million years. But interest in Jurassic Park notwithstanding, for devout Indians, Gujarat is closely linked with one of India�s most enduring gods-Krishna
Excavations at Dwaraka that began in 1981 helped add credence to the legend of Krishna and the Mahabharat war as well as provide ample evidence of the advanced societies that lived in these areas-the Harappan settlements that represent some of the world�s greatest civilisations. One of the first outposts to be excavated, soon after independence was in the Ahmedabad district. Further surveys of the peninsulas of Saurashtra, Kutch and mainland Gujarat brought to light the different phases of Harappan civilization, expanding the reach of the Indus empire.
It is now believed that around 2500 B.C. the Harappans started infiltrating into Kutch and settled there in great numbers. So far 60 Indus settlements have been found in Kutch, of which about 40 belong to the �early� phase and the remaining represent the late or mature Harappan culture. These discoveries extended the civilization by 500 kms right up to the north of the river Kim.
Evidence suggests that these settlers brought with them a highly developed culture that was rich not just in the arts but in the sciences as well. The emphasis was on a well-organised society based on trade that was conducted through their ports.
Dwaraka, for example was a well-planned township, its harbour consisted of a rocky ridge modified into an anchorage for berthing vessels, a unique feature in harbour technology that was in use even before the Phoenicians attempted this in the Mediterranean sea much later. The man-made holes in the ridge and the large stone anchors lying there suggest that large ships used to be anchored there while smaller boats carried men and cargo up the river.
NThe foundation of boulders on which the city's walls were erected proves that the land was reclaimed from the sea about 3,600 years ago. The Mahabharata has references to such reclamation activity at Dwaraka. Seven islands mentioned in it have also been discovered submerged in the Arabian Sea. Pottery, which has been established by thermoluminiscence tests to be 3,528 years old and carrying inscriptions in late Indus Valley civilization script; iron stakes and triangular three-holed anchors discovered here find mention in the Mahabharata. Among the many objects unearthed that further prove Dwaraka's connection with the epic is a seal engraved with the image of a three-headed animal. The epic mentions that such a seal was given to the citizens of Dwaraka as a proof of identity when the city was threatened by King Jarasandha of the powerful Magadh kingdom. "The findings in Dwaraka and archeological evidence found compatible with the Mahabharata tradition remove the lingering doubt about the historicity of the Mahabharata," says Dr Rao, of the National Institute of Oceanography that was instrumental in conducting much of the underwater excavations. We would say Krishna definitely existed."
These evidences prove beyond doubt that Kusasthali, a pre-Dwaraka settlement did exist in Bet, Dwaraka. Archeologists have concluded that this early settlement of Kusasthali was first occupied and fortified during the Mahabharata period and was named Dwaraka. After realizing that the narrow terraces were not sufficient for the increasing population, a new town was built a few years later at the mouth of the river Gomati. This planned port city was also called Dwaraka, further adding credence to the fact that the Mahabharata was not a myth but an important source of history.
It is not just Dwaraka that is of importance in Gujarat. Excavations at places like Lothal, Rangpur, Amri, Lakhabaval and Razdi, in the Kathiawar peninsula as well as Dholavira have yielded valuable information. The name Lothal literally means the place of death and is essentially a single Harappan culture site. The Harappans were attracted to Lothal not only by its sheltered harbour with a rich cotton-and rice-growing hinterland but also by its bead-making industry. The Indus dichotomy of dividing the city into a citadel or Acropolis and a Lower Town was followed in planning Lothal too. The ruler and his entourage lived in the acropolis where houses were built on 3 m high platforms and provided with all the civic amenities including paved baths, underground drains and a well for potable water.
There are two other important aspects that the engineers of Lothal accorded high priority to-a dock for berthing ships and a warehouse for storing and examining cargo. The need for a warehouse arose from the large volume of cargo that Lothal handled. The site has been dated to have been in existence around 2350 B.C. and even then enjoyed great prosperity due to foreign trade. It became a busy industrial center importing pure copper and producing bronze celts, fishhook, chisels, spearheads and ornaments which were supplied too much of the western world.
But of all the Harappan sites, Dholavira, locally known as Kotada, in the Rann of Kutch, is a city par excellence. It is remarkable for its magnificent planning and enormity of size. It is one of the two largest settlements in India and the fourth largest in the subcontinent, the others being Mohenjo-daro, Harappa, Gharo Bhiro and Rakhigarthi. Dholavira is famous for the unique distinction of yielding an inscription of ten large-sized signs of the Harappan script, possibly the oldest signboard of the world. A variety of funerary structures are yet another important feature that throws new light on the socio-religious beliefs that indicate the presence of composite ethnic groups. Inside the fortified city are three distinct complexes-an Acropolis, a middle town and a lower town, that have been furnished with their own defence network, gateways, built-up areas, street-systems, wells and large open spaces. The city within the general fortification goes well beyond 100 hectares in expanse. Amazing feats for a civilization that goes back 5,000 years. But what�s more amazing is the fact that people today neither have the time nor the inclination to preserve this ancient culture of our land.
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