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A submerged temple complex off Pindara, on the northwestern coast of Saurashtra
Abstract
Pindara has been an important religious centre since the early historical period as it has been recorded in several ancient texts. An onshore exploration on the northwestern coast of Saurashtra brought to light the remains of a temple complex presently lying in inter tidal zone of Pindara. There are several temples on the coast of Pindara, which are dated between 7th and 10th century A.D. The archaeological evidence indicates the advancement of shoreline during last 1000 years near Pindara. It is difficult to assign a particular reason for the submergence of temple, however, minor sea level rise and seismic activity might have played a vital role in submerging of the temple
... For example, since the last interglacial, it appears there has been uplift of up to 15 m above mean sea level, and this can be observed in the form of Holocene marine terraces and notches (Gupta, 1972; Bhatt & Bhonde, 2006). These conclusions with respect to uplift follow in the light of widespread underwater and onshore archaeological surveys carried out in the western part of Saurashtra (Rao, 1991Rao, , 1996 Gaur & Vora, 1999; Gaur & Tripati, 2006; Gaur, Tripati, & Tripati, 2007). The archaeological surveys found submerged living quarters and ports, and even a submerged Hindu temple in the northwestern part of Saurashtra (Gaur, Tripati, & Tripati, 2007 ). ...
... These conclusions with respect to uplift follow in the light of widespread underwater and onshore archaeological surveys carried out in the western part of Saurashtra (Rao, 1991Rao, , 1996 Gaur & Vora, 1999; Gaur & Tripati, 2006; Gaur, Tripati, & Tripati, 2007). The archaeological surveys found submerged living quarters and ports, and even a submerged Hindu temple in the northwestern part of Saurashtra (Gaur, Tripati, & Tripati, 2007 ). Such discoveries are further evidence for active coastal change. ...
... With regard to the site that is the subject of this study, modeling of eustatic sea level changes has shown that the present-day relative sea level is stable along the coasts of Saurasthra (Peltier, 2002). Therefore occurrences of both uplifted and submerged archaeological features in Saurashtra (Rao, 1991Rao, , 1996 Gaur & Vora, 1999; Gaur & Tripati, 2006; Gaur, Tripati, & Tripati, 2007) invite a tectonic explanation. ...
There is a tank hewn into coastal Pleistocene limestone near Diu city on the Saurashtra Peninsula of western India. Site survey and a review of similar structures worldwide provide evidence that this tank could have been used for holding fish or Murex snails. The approximately 5 × 5 m tank is connected to the sea by a 1-m-deep canal; today it would be impossible to use the tank, given that not even the high spring tides can fill it. It is suggested that the Diu coast was uplifted by ∼0.5 m after the tank was hewn in the coastal platform. Since that time, the carved surfaces have been modified by coastal karst dissolution and have developed deep gouge marks. Uplift of the Diu coast raises the possibility of a major seismic event in Diu during the latter part of the last millennium.
The shoreline of Gujarat in western coast of India has remained exposed to tsunamis and storm surges in past from distant to regional sources and processes. The catalogue of past tsunami and storm events whose geological signatures have been archived in the coastal records, often hints at frequency, magnitude and recurrence. In present work, we compile all possible signatures of palaeo-extreme wave events and attempt to assess the vulnerability to this rapidly developing shoreline. We report a total of six major extreme wave events, out of which atleast two have been identified to be associated with palaeotsunami deposits, whereas three are storm surge deposits and one is designated as a washover deposit. Archeological findings like the presence of thick walls around Dholavira (an ancient Harappan coastal trading centre) is also supportive of Harappan learning from the wrath of marine waves they would have faced. This study reports the wider time gap between the events, attributed to lack of preservation, difficulty in recognition, higher reworking or lack of detailed investigation ∼ making the task of estimating recurrence a mammoth effort. The study shows that the shoreline of Gujarat has remained vulnerable to extreme wave events atleast during the last 6000 years, and have affected ancient settlers as well as modern anthropological activities.
The 1819 earthquake in Kutch, northwestern India, is one of the most significant events to have occurred in a plate-interior setting. Despite being the second largest among the stable continental region (SCR) earthquakes, this event has not been analyzed within the context of present-day understanding of earthquake seismology. Coseismic changes related to this earthquake include massive ground deformation in a wide low-lying tidal-flat area. Although detailed historic accounts of this earthquake exist, many questions regarding the mode of deformation and the seismic history of the region remain unresolved. We explored the region nearly 180 years after the earthquake, and the information gathered adds to our understanding of this event and provides a fresh perspective on this unique intraplate seismogenic zone. A 90-km-long tract of elevated land with a peak height of 4.3 m is the most visible surface expression of this earthquake. We surveyed and analyzed the morphological features of this scarp and also carried out exploratory trenching in this region. The scarp morphology is suggestive of a growing fold related to a buried north-dipping thrust rather than a discrete fault that could have resulted from a surface rupture. The extensive liquefaction field associated with the earthquake offered an ideal setting to explore the paleoearthquake history. Age data of liquefaction features suggest that a previous event of comparable size must have occurred 800-1000 years ago. Seismic activity appears to be related to the reactivation of an ancient rift in a stress regime that is dominated by nearly north-south compression.