Water front
has always fascinated the mankind. That is why the coastal regions of
India have seen maximum growth and development. Earlier when land
transport was not developed sea-faring and reaching places via the
rivers on a boat was a common practice.
The coastal habitation is exposed to various geohazards like salinity in
drinking water, cyclones, tsunamis, tidal waves and of course of late
flooding as well. Yet another hazard that has affected our shores in the
past is change in shoreline. Such changes in the shoreline are a common
feature all along the coasts anywhere in the world. These could be due
to seal level fluctuations, erosion, sedimentations and earth movements.
Well, natural processes are in the hands of the Nature only. The problem
comes when the pressure of the swelling population starts stressing the
coasts. The coastal zone regulations are ignored by the settlers and the
authorities both. The nature suddenly decides to change the shoreline
and submerge the land all of a sudden. Habitations are lost and lives
perish.
This has been happening since ages. A changing coastline affects the
human settlements on the shore. Everywhere in the world, especially in
territories where evidences of older civilizations are found, coastal
zones often have submerged habitations. Marine archeology has therefore
developed in to a specialized branch of studying such townships or other
structures.
During the past 13000 years the sea level has risen from -100 m to +50
m. Such changes in the sea level have caused vast areas of the shores to
be engulfed by the sea. Therefore the advantage of marine archeological
and marine geological studies is that one gets exact configuration of
the past shorelines. The submerged habitations speak volumes of the
human folly of the past and also are a warning for the present day
occupiers of the 'seafront' apartments and villas and resorts against
the anger of the sea.
It is interesting to know that the history of the Baltic Sea is recorded
through late Pleistocene and Holocene chapters from the prehistoric
sites discovered from the sea bed. Similar studies in Sweden show that
around 8000 years ago, the sea level was much lower as confirmed by the
presence of Mesolithic site now in the sea bed. Similarly southern
California coastline has shifted from 2 to 6 km in the history as
evidenced from the remains of buried habitations in the sea.
The annals of the Indian history and archeology are full of reports of
ancient settlements along the coast which are now submerged. The
Mahabharata mentions about the city of Dwarka in the Gulf of Cambay and
'Manimekhalai, an ancient Tamil text has record of the submergence of
Poomphuar on the east coast on Tamilnadu. Relicts of ancient settlements
and temples have been exposed by the marine archeologists at Dwarka and
similarly at Poomphuar off the west and the east coast. Similarly
Mahabalipuram is yet another locality in Tamilnadu where several temple
complexes now lie in the depths of the sea.
Recently A.S. Gaur and Sundaresh of the National Institute of
Oceanography, Goa found archeological remains of a temple complex during
a low tide off Pindara on the northwestern coast of Saurashtra and
established changes in the coastline during the recent past. The ancient
temple site of Pindara juxtaposes northern Saurashtra coast in the Gulf
of Kachchh. Marshland Okha Rann is west of Pindara says Gaur.
The ancient site of Pindara temple complex is well sheltered from open
sea-waves. The Hindu Epic, Mahabharatha mentions Pindara as Pindarka.
Till as late as 8th century the site Pinda-tarakkshetra and was an
attraction for the pilgrims. It is believed that this was part of an
ancient city Devpuri, which was much older than Dwarka and was a
favorite haunt of Hindu sages like Durvasa and Agastya.
The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) has dated the oldest antiquity
of Pindara belonging to Early Paleolithic (Middle Pleistocene chapter)
of the earth's history, say approximately a million year old! Well to
find stone-age relicts indicating a million year old human presence
shows that this area on the shore of the Arabian Sea was being thronged
by the ancestors. The find of Red Polished ware and Amphora from the
locality give credence to early historical settlement and also a
possible sea-faring community that had overseas interaction with the
Mediterranean Sea.
Between 7th to 10 centuries Pindara had become an important temple town
with a huge temple on the coast.
As of today, on the shore stands a huge temple complex, which is a
protected monument, reports Gaur. These temples date back to 7th to 10th
century AD. They face east and have a square sanctum sanctorum. Amongst
these the most famous is the Sun Temple located about 100 m from the
high water line.
What is amazing about the place is that about 300 m offshore relicts of
another huge temple were found by Gaur and his colleague. Of this temple
only the flooring made of limestone blocks is visible. The vertical
walls have been obliterated due to nature's ire or may be the dressed
limestone blocks have been carried away! This is a Siva temple as
confirmed by the presence of a 'Yoni'. Architecturally this relict
corresponds with the existing temple on the shore.
The presence of a temple at a place now under the sea is perplexing.
Though in simple words there was land where it is now sea. But what
perplexes the geologists is that this is not in conformity with what has
been deduced from the geological formations. As per that the highest
water marks (strand lines) have been found +20 m and +6 m to +10 m
dating back to Pleistocene and Holocene Epochs respectively. The
presence of remains of three small port towns of Harappan period at Amra,
Lakhabawel and Vasai gives further support to the geological observation
that the sea level was higher.
Now this leads to the controversy. If the sea level was higher, then how
the temple came in to being at the site exposed recently?
Coastal temple complexes of 6th to 8th century AD at Mahabalipuram and
of 11th to 13th century AD near Poomphuar and Tranquebar on the east
coast have been submerged. An archeological site close to Pindara at Bet
Dwarka has shown a lower sea level some 2000 years ago. It means this
coast has been unstable in the last two millennia. The sea level was
lower between 2000 and 1000 years in Gujarat coast.
The fluctuating sea level could have been either due to Gujarat being
seismically active. Though a precise reason has not yet been
established, it is also being argued that the submergence could have
been due to tsunamis that visited the west coast 1000 years ago.
It is time that the entire coast of the country is systematically
studied by geologists, marine archeologists and oceanographers jointly
to work out the sea level fluctuations of the past couple of thousand
years. It is certain that as the climate warms up sea levels are bound
to rise. Demarcation of past coastlines will certainly give some clues
for the future rise of the sea levels. In the process many more temple
and cultural complexes might be unearthed, which will also certainly
enhance the heritage value of the Indian coasts.
October 14,
2007
Image 1: Present temple
complex on the sea shore at Pindara, Gujarat
Image 2: Submerged temple site 300 m offshore from coast at Pindara
Image 3: Submerged temple exposed during a low tide
(All Images curtsey Editor, Current Science, Bangalore, India)
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The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) has dated the oldest antiquity
of Pindara belonging to Early Paleolithic (Middle Pleistocene chapter)
of the earth's history, say approximately a million year old! Well to
find stone-age relicts indicating a million year old human presence
shows that this area on the shore of the Arabian Sea was being thronged
by the ancestors. The find of Red Polished ware and Amphora from the
locality give credence to early historical settlement and also a
possible sea-faring community that had overseas interaction with the
Mediterranean Sea.
Between 7th to 10 centuries Pindara had become an important temple town
with a huge temple on the coast.
What is amazing about the place is that about 300 m offshore relicts of
another huge temple were found by Gaur and his colleague. Of this temple
only the flooring made of limestone blocks is visible. The vertical
walls have been obliterated due to nature's ire or may be the dressed
limestone blocks have been carried away! This is a Siva temple as
confirmed by the presence of a 'Yoni'. Architecturally this relict
corresponds with the existing temple on the shore.