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Lost city found off Indian coast
"An ancient underwater city has been discovered off the coast of
south-eastern India.
Divers from India and England made the discovery based on the statements
of local fishermen and the old Indian legend of the Seven Pagodas. The
ruins, which are off the coast of Mahabalipuram, cover many square miles and
seem to prove that a major city once stood there. A further expedition to
the region is now being arranged which will take place at the beginning of
2003.
The discovery was made on 1 April by a
joint team of divers from the Indian National Institute of Oceanography and
the Scientific Exploration Society based in Dorset. Expedition leader Monty
Halls said: "Our divers were presented with a series of structures that
clearly showed man-made attributes.
"The scale of the site appears to be extremely extensive, with 50
dives conducted over a three-day period covering only a small area of the
overall ruin field. "This is plainly a discovery of international
significance that demands further exploration and detailed
investigation." During the expedition to the site, divers came across
structures believed to be man-made. One of the buildings appears to be a
place of worship, although they could only view part of what is a huge area
suggesting a major city.
The myths of Mahabalipuram were first
set down in writing by British traveller J. Goldingham who visited the South
Indian coastal town in 1798, at which time it was known to sailors as the
Seven Pagodas. The myths speak of six temples submerged beneath the waves
with the seventh temple still standing on the seashore.
The myths also state that a large city once stood here which was so
beautiful the gods became jealous and sent a flood that swallowed it up
entirely in a single day. One of the expedition team, Graham Hancock, said:
"I have argued for many years that the world's flood myths deserve to
be taken seriously, a view that most Western academics reject. "But
here in Mahabalipuram we have proved the myths right and the academics
wrong." Scientists now want to explore the possibility that the city
was submerged following the last Ice Age. If this proves correct, it would
date the discovery at more than 5,000 years old.
from: BBC News,11 April, 2002
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