India's Atlantis

**India's Atlantis** is the 22nd episode in Season 3 of Expedition Unknown.

## Plot Synopsis

Josh travels to India in search of Dwarka, a mythical kingdom swallowed by the ocean. To find evidence that the golden city is real, he dives into the Arabian Sea and visits a dig site that could rewrite history.

## Historical Context

"I'm talking about India's fabled city of Dwarka. Scriptures claim that Dwarka is a holy metropolis, built by Hindu's greatest God - Lord Krishna himself. The city is said to boast crystal palaces, thousands of temples, and even the advanced knowledge to build flying machines. But in the wake of Krishna's death, the glittering kingdom sinks into the Arabian Sea and all its glory fades into myth. But now, archaeologists from the Indian government are uncovering evidence that the myth may be rooted in reality."

- Josh Gates

## Summary

Josh goes to Mumbai, India and to the ISKCON Temple where he meets Parijata Devi Dasi, the temple priest, who explains to him the story of Dwarka and shows him the Mahabharata. He then takes a train to the modern city of Dwarka where he meets Amish Shah, an explorer, who takes him a research ship where they meet Dr A.S Gaur and Dr Sundaresh, marine archaeologists, and Bhima Plummer, an expert diver.

They dive into the Arabian Sea and find multiple architectural stones as well as arched stones and pedestals on the seafloor. Amish then takes Josh to Dwarkadhish Temple and joins in an Aarti ceremony. They then head to a dig site on Bet Dwarka, where they see an ancient wall and Amish shows him what's been found so far, including a seal which relates to the legend of Dwarka.

Along the shore, they use a dredge and find a sliced conch shell, a ceramic oil lamp, and a bead. The next day, they meet geophysicist Richard Bates, and they map the seafloor with echo sounding. They then dive to the hits and find a 5000-year-old limestone anchor which they pull to the surface.

## Final Words

"We return to the shore with rock-solid proof that in the waters off of modern Dwarka, there is a much older harbour and ancient structures waiting to be excavated. And on land, the discovery of ceremonial jewellery and a massive wall seem to align with the legend of Lord Krishna's holy city. In time, archaeologists may find irrefutable proof that Dwarka isn't just a religious parable in an ancient text. And perhaps Lord Krishna himself may have been a flesh and blood king. I leave India entranced. Swept up in thousands of years of myth, devotion and celebration. I'm eager to see what archaeologists turn up next but for the citizens of modern Dwarka and the nearly billion Hindus around the world, the legend is more than just real. It's divine."

- Josh Gates

## Notes & Trivia

* Richard Bates is also featured in Origins of Stonehenge and Africa's Cursed Lake of Gold.

## Quotes

* "This is next level commuting."
* "When it comes to train etiquette in India there really is only one rule. Do anything you can to get on board."
* "Other than the fact that we're sailing under 1000 seagulls."
* "This is the archaeological equivalent of vacuuming."

## References

1. ↑ https://travel.home.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/travel/fullrights/2017/3/4/TEXU316H\_Dwarka\_257533\_939193.1483761.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.966.725.suffix/1491594004175.jpeg