The Centre has sanctioned funds for underwater research and excavation at several of India's most historically significant submerged sites, including Dwarka and Bet Dwarka in Gujarat, Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu, and Karaikal in Puducherry, the government informed Parliament. The Underwater Archaeology Wing of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is currently conducting active exploration at all four locations.

Sites Under Active Exploration

Excavations at Bet Dwarka have already yielded significant finds: remains of earthen pots and artefacts from the Late Harappan period, and a 580-metre-long protection wall dated to approximately 1,500 BCE, believed to have been submerged following a sea storm. A Late Harappan seal and associated items were also recovered. Notably, shipwrecks and stone anchors unearthed at the site point to ancient trade relations with the Romans — a finding that broadens the known reach of India's early maritime commerce.

Underwater excavation and exploration at Vijay Durga and Janjira in Maharashtra is additionally planned and is expected to be undertaken by 2030.

Poompuhar: The Submerged Chola Capital

The government has separately granted a licence for underwater excavation at Poompuhar in Tamil Nadu to the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology. Poompuhar, the ancient Sangam-era capital and port city of the early Chola dynasty, is believed to lie partly submerged as a result of tsunamis that may have struck hundreds of years ago. The Tamil Nadu department has earmarked ₹7 crore for both land-based and underwater archaeological excavations.

Research Institutions and Budget Allocations

The Marine Archaeology Centre of the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) will continue its research at Bet Dwarka, Chhari, and Gangata Bet in Gujarat, with a budgetary allocation of ₹20 lakh. The NIO's sustained presence at these sites signals a long-term institutional commitment to maritime heritage documentation.

This comes amid a broader push by the Centre to systematically map India's submerged cultural landscape — a field that has historically received far less attention than land-based archaeology despite the country's extensive coastline and ancient maritime traditions.

Capacity Building and Training

The Underwater Archaeology Wing of the ASI has also launched a focused programme to train archaeologists in underwater survey techniques and to conduct systematic assessments of submerged sites across the country. The initiative is expected to expand the pool of specialists capable of working in India's coastal and riverine archaeological zones.

With multiple sites now under simultaneous study, researchers expect fresh discoveries that could reshape the understanding of India's ancient trade networks, urban planning, and maritime history in the years ahead.