Bharat Rakshak

I am surprised that many guys here have never been aware of the controversial Graham Hancock whose agenda is to refute everything mainstream science and archeology predicts.

One of his favorite themes is to prove the existence of Altantis, which according to Plato existed 9000 years before his time (i.e 11-12,000 BC). That is why all his hectic attempts to prove a "common global civilisation" existed 12,000 years ago. Many of his programs have been aired in Discovery Channel. In one, he notices that the temples in Cambodia (selectively picked of course) coincide with a star constellation as it appaeared 12,000 years ago. Such theories have been rubbished by archeological/astronomical experts. (There are of course many who have genuineley tried to look for evidence of Atlantis, by carbon-dating and other scientific methods of mapping, but failed so far.)

In more recent works like Fingerprints of the Gods, Graham Hancock subscribes to the Alien visitor theory of Daniken, a sure red-light for serious minded readers. In a more preposterous recent work, he supports the "Face on Mars" theory; that is certain Martian rock formations photographed by NASA probes (looking vaguely like a human face) are actually built by intelligent beings. Mr Hancock had also identified a huge ruined city Martian city complete with pyramids(called Cydonia) next to this Face. He then wonders wether this Pyramid techology could have been transferred from Mars to Atlantis and then distributed to Egypt, Sumeria and South America.

Such are the investigations of Mr Hancock. In the new-age, think there is big money to be made in catering to a significant minority of the population which subscribe to alternative theories and Mr Hancock caters to them.

Submerged temple ruins uncovered off Mahabalipuram

From Devika Sequeira
DH News Service
PANAJI, April 25

Legend has it that the shore temple of Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu, is the last of a series of seven temples, six of which were submerged over time.
Marine archaeologists of the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) here and the British Scientific Exploration Society say they now have evidence to substantiate that belief.
Their joint underwater exploration in waters off Mahabalipuram earlier this month has uncovered submerged temple ruins they assess date back to 1500 to 1200 BC.
Extremely excited by the find, Dr K H Vohara who heads the NIO's marine archaeology section said the evidence was significant, for it lent credence to the belief that the ruins were part of a temple complex typical of the Pallava dynasty which ruled the area in that period.
The Pallavas had constructed many such rock-cut and structural temples in Mahabalipuram and Kanchipuram, said archaeologists.
"So far we only had the legend to go by. After the discovery we were able to touch, feel and measure the ruins," Dr Vohara told this newspaper today. He said the site offered the potential for future explorations of the structure’s total layout plan, and the causes of submergence.
The exploration, jointly financed by the Indian and British teams was carried out some 500 metres off the Mahabalipuram shore. Divers discovered stone masonry, remains of walls, square and rectangular blocks scattered around, and a big platform with steps leading to it. They also found a lion figure typical of temple complexes of that area.
Most of the structures are badly damaged and scattered over a vast area, say archaeologists, who will now get down to analysing the data uncovered, including material on shoreline erosion and seabed changes.
The NIO which has been engaged in the Beth Dwarka explorations off Gujarat, said it plans to expand its research here to the Saurashtra region to try and uncover more details of Indo-British trade of that period.
As of now, the marine archaeology section plans to concentrate on locating shipwrecks off Goa, says Dr Vohara. Goa, once an important colony and port for Portugal's trade with the east, has spawned many a colourful legend of sunken ships and vast treasures. The NIO, which has sought information from the public, hopes to uncover some evidence to pin a historical and scientific perspective on such legends.

Gee!! Have you looked closely at POTUS Gee-Dubya and Sec. of Defense Rumsfeld?

Later analysis, according to "usually unreliable sources", showed that the Face bore a strong resemblance to that of then-NASA Administrator Dan Goldin, and that it was sticking a tongue out. An optical illusion caused by using cameras built and launched under his "faster-better-cheaper" policy - the camera had a pre-stored image from the limited testing it underwent at JPL.

How did the giant statues appear on Easter Island, again? Or the Incas / Mayas build stone cities out of perfectly-hewn blocks, 8000 feet up in the Andes, with water provided using a canal from a geothermal spring at high altitude?

Anyway, ... back to Mahabalipuram, but I wish you wouldn't "diss" the Aliens so callously

From the Telegraph, 4/30/02

SUNKEN CITY’ SURFACES IN SOUTH

FROM FREDERICK NORONHA

Panaji, April 29:
Oceanographers here have announced that they have made preliminary underwater archaeological exploration of what is believed to be a sunken city off Mahabalipuram.

The formal announcement has excited the international media, with a section of the press labelling the exploration an attempt to find “India’s Atlantis”.

It is believed that a great flood swallowed a city along the eastern coast some 1,500 years ago because the “gods grew jealous”.

The Goa-based National Institute of Oceanography said its team of “underwater archaeologists” along with the Scientific Exploration Society of the UK had “unearthed” evidence of submerged structures off Mahabalipuram earlier this month.

“There is a popular local belief that the Shore temple of Mahabalipuram is the last of a series of seven temples, six of which have been submerged,” the institute’s spokesman, S.R. Bhat, said.

During the exploration, underwater investigation was carried out at five locations in 5m to 8m of water depths, 500m to 700m off the Shore temple.

“Investigations at each location have shown the presence of stone masonry, remains of walls, a big square of rock-cut remains, scattered square and rectangular stone blocks and a big platform with steps leading to it. All this amid the geological formations of rocks that occur locally,” the spokesman said.

But most of the structures are badly damaged and scattered over a vast area, with centuries of biological growth of barnacles, mussels and other sedentary organisms.

It was found that the area covered by the construction was 100m by 50m. But scientists feel that the actual area covered by the ruins “may be much larger”.

“The possible date of the ruins may be 1,500 to 1,200 years Before the Present. The Pallava dynasty, which ruled the area during the period, had constructed many such rock-cut and structural temples in Mahabalipuram and Kanchipuram,” the scientists said.

The other questions that arise are what structures did exist and the cause of their submergence.

British newspapers recently reported that photographs of what appear to be submerged ruins off the coastal town of Mahabalipuram in the Bay of Bengal corroborated the long-held myth. The pictures were taken by divers led by a former Royal Marines officer, Monty Hall.

Mahabalipuram is full of stone-carved temples. It was the chief port of the Pallavas, who ruled over much of southern India from the first century Before the Current Era to the eighth century AD.

British media reports said the location of the ruins was pinpointed by Graham Hancock, the best-selling author of The Sign and The Seal, who has studied the myths of the region as well as of similar lost cities in the Mediterranean.

“Mr Hancock believes cities such as Mahabalipuram were destroyed when waters rose at the end of the last Ice Age between 17,000 and 7,000 years ago, swallowing up about 25 million sq kilometres of formerly habitable lands,” said a report in London’s The Independent.

Hmmmm!!! They had BRF addicts then too, heh?

More scientific question:

If the "waters rose at the end of the last Ice Cream Age" enough to completely submerge temples under 7m of water...

Lets think about that. A temple, comparable to the remaining one at Mahabalipuram, must have been about 10 m high from the ground. The ground must have been about 3 m above sea level at the time, so that the delicate and dainty princesses could be safe from having the polluted salt water touching their golden ruby-studded anklets which they needed for the times when they needed to cause earthquakes by tossing them. So .... the water level has risen about 7+10+3 = 20 meters.

Now imagine the ocean 20 m down from present levels .. and think of the distance between Rameswaram and Talaimannar of Sri Lanka. Actually, beyond Rameswaram was the peninsula of Dhanushkodi, which was washed over and cut off during the cyclone and tidal waves of 1965 ( a train full of people was also wiped out at the outer signal of Dhanushkodi station, though the misguided waves and winds completely failed to wipe out the Customs Offices & their denizens).

While the sea is rather rough there, that is probably due to currents and winds in a narrow and shallow strait. From the above sophisticated calculation, the strait may have been a heck of lot narrower in the Ice Cream Age.

It would appear eminently plausible that a healthy, happy and well-fed troop of apes could hop, skip and dance over to Sri Lanka.

OTOH, The Aministration Building at the IITM would have been situated on a high mountain - this would account for the oxygen-deprived atmosphere in the offices on the 6th floor where the Top Officials dozed between sudden episodes of gratuitous rudeness.

Land link between India and Sri Lanka as recent as 7000 y ago.

http://www.the-prehistory-of-sri-lanka.de/august2001.pdf

Calvin:

Thanks very much for that link.

This solves a very important puzzle - the lineage of my first teacher in Lower Kindergarten at the Convent in SL - the Police Inspector's wife (she was a heck of lot more terrifying than he was) who boxed my ears for being ignorant of Subtraction, and made me cry. Peace be upon her soul if she is not around any more... I DID learn subtraction eventually...

So, from this article, it appears that the last big sea-level-recession is estimated to have occurred circa 7000 years ago. This fits with the rest of the M'puram findings, does it not?