Following a theory first proposed by bestselling author and television presenter,
Graham Hancock, a joint expedition of 25 divers from the Scientific Exploration
Society (SES) and India’s National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) led
by Monty Halls and accompanied by Graham Hancock, have indeed discovered an
extensive area with a series of structures that clearly show man made attributes,
at a depth of 5-7 meters offshore of Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu.
The scale of the submerged ruins, covering several square miles and at distances
of up to a mile from shore, ranks this as a major marine-archaeological discovery
as spectacular as the ruined cities submerged off Alexandria in Egypt.
This could prove the ancient myths of a huge city, so beautiful that the gods
became jealous and sent a flood that swallowed it up entirely in a single day!
Contacts: Melissa Dice: Tel: 01747 854898
e-mail: base@ses-explore.org
Sarah Jane Lewis (Press) Tel: 01963 240468
A team of underwater archaeologists from National Institute of Oceanography
NIO have successfully `unearthed’ evidence of submerged structures off
Mahabalipuram and established first-ever proof of the popular belief that the
Shore temple of Mahabalipuram is the remnant of series of total seven of such
temples built that have been submerged in succession. The discovery was made
during a joint underwater exploration with the Scientific Exploration Society,
U.K.
The team of archaeologists from NIO, trained in diving, carried out underwater
exploration between April 1 – 4, 2002 and have successfully recorded evidence
of presence of ruins underwater off Mahabalipuram. The salient features of the
findings are as follows:
• Underwater investigations were carried out at 5 locations in the 5 – 8 m water depths, 500 to 700 m off Shore temple.
• Investigations at each location have shown presence of the construction of stone masonry, remains of walls, a big square rock cut remains, scattered square and rectangular stone blocks, big platform leading the steps to it amidst of the geological formations of the rocks that occur locally.
• Most of the structures are badly damaged and scattered in a vast area, having biological growth of Barnacles, Mussels and other organisms.
• The construction pattern and area, about 100m X 50m, appears to be same at each location. The actual area covered by ruins may extend well beyond the explored locations.
• Based on what appears to be a Lion figure, of location 4, ruins are inferred to be parts of temple complex.
• The possible date of the ruins may be 1500-1200 years BP. Pallava dynasty, ruling the area during the period, has constructed many such rock cut and structural temples in Mahabalipuram and Kanchipuram.
To place reasonable arguments on submergence of ruins, full-scale investigations are underway to record the role of sea level fluctuations, coastal erosion and neo-tectonic activities in effecting shoreline changes in the area in the recent past.
The site has great potential to explore total lay out plan of the structures
and causes of submergence.
Kamlesh Vora
Scientist-in-Charge
Marine Archaeology
National Institute of Oceanography
http://www.grahamhancock.com/underworld/underworld4.php
Ancient underwater city found off Bay of Bengal
A real-life "Atlantis" off the Indian coast has
been discovered by a manager from Merton Park, who was among the first to see
the underwater buildings dating back thousands of years.
http://www.wimbledonguardian.co.uk/search/display.html?nwid=587068
Mergulhadores descobrem ruinas submersas na Índia
Uma estória de pescador levou britânicos e
indianos a descobrir ruínas submersas no litoral de Mahabalipuram.
http://globonews.globo.com/GloboNews/article/0,6993,A276565-571,00.html
Verlorene Stadt" entdeckt
(Ingo) Vor der Küste Südostindiens ist eine
antike Unterwasserstadt entdeckt worden.
http://www1.giga.de/storie/0,2850,28167,00.html
>
english version
Ruins of lost Indian city found below sea
The ruins of an ancient underwater city have been discovered
off the coast of Mahabalipuram, in the South Indian State of Tamil Nadu.
http://www.britannicaaustralia.com/nics.asp?tsearch=1821
Atlantis'ten de eski
Güney Hindistan k¶y¶lar¶nda, Atlantis'ten 1000 y¶l
daha yas¸l¶ bir 'bat¶k kent bulundu.
http://www.aksam.com.tr/arsiv/aksam/2002/04/12/dunya/dunya5.html
Divers find remains of six 'lost temples'
A MYSTERIOUS settlement that sank beneath the waves at least
1,200 years ago has been discovered by divers off the south-east coast of India.
http://portal.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/04/11/wtemp11.xml&sSheet=/news/2002/04/
www.saigonnet.vn/homepage-data/diembao/ tinquocte/2002/04/12.htm
Ruins clue to a sunken civilization
The myth of a lost civilization under the sea has been revived
by the discovery of ancient ruins off the coast of southern India.
http://www.dailytelegraph.news.com.au/printpage/0,5942,4115525,00.html
Lost city found off Indian coast
An ancient underwater city has been discovered off the coast
of south-eastern India
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/English/world/south_asia/newsid_1923000/1923794.stm
Posted on April 11 2002.
http://www.grahamhancock.com/underworld/underworld7.php
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia_china/story.jsp?story=283664
Divers 'discover' ancient temple
Indian and British scientists have brought back pictures
from the seabed of what they say could be a vast temple complex off the coast
of Tamil Nadu - the ruins of a long-lost city, drowned beneath the waves.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,682031,00.html
http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/humanities/story/0,9850,682302,00.html
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,2-263376,00.html
Divers find ruins of mythical city off India
Explorers believe they have discovered remains of a mythical
city off the coast of India.
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_563330.html?menu=news.scienceanddiscovery.archaeology