Dive 'n' discover Lord's kingdom
TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2005
AHMEDABAD: The barren coastline of Gujarat could emerge as an exotic destination for global tourists, if initiatives by the government and a private firm to market a dive into the submerged ancient city of Dwarka are any sign.
If all goes well, back-packers can head for Bet Dwarka this summer, go scuba-diving a hundred feet beneath the sea to explore Lord Krishna's swarna-nagri, which went under the sea thousands of years ago to be discovered only recently. And also, flirt with whale sharks, rub shoulders with sea turtles and even view live corals.
Adventure Sports Ltd (ASL), a local firm that promotes adventure sports and tourism recently entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Gujarat government to kick off the project at a cost of Rs 13 crore.
The company expects 3,000 to 4,000 certified divers as well as scuba diving enthusiasts from across the country to travel all the way to this temple town during mid-March and May end.
"The potential for this kind of tourism is extremely high. There has been a paradigm shift in the attitude of travellers. In addition to experiencing 'something different', a class of tourists also wish to return home equipped with new skills," says Vishwas Bhamburkar, chief executive officer of ASL.
Bhamburkar says that his firm has already received around 200 e-mails, a large number from Delhi, wherein people have evinced interest in his plans. The company is planning to offer a four-day package for a cool Rs 16,000.
The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) recently established the presence of a city submerged under the sea near the temple town of Dwarka, for many years believed to be the abode of Lord Krishna.
Excavators from the ASI have found remains of a citadel wall, crockery pieces and rubbles of a palace about 40-60 feet deep in the sea. The visibility in the sea in the area is also conducive for scuba diving, Bhamburkar says.
"This is perhaps the first time in the world that one would be diving to see a submerged city", he claims.
The scuba diving enthusiasts could also experience a stay in "live aboard" boats, which the ASL plans to design to lodge a family or a group.
AHMEDABAD: The barren coastline of Gujarat could emerge as an exotic destination for global tourists, if initiatives by the government and a private firm to market a dive into the submerged ancient city of Dwarka are any sign.
If all goes well, back-packers can head for Bet Dwarka this summer, go scuba-diving a hundred feet beneath the sea to explore Lord Krishna's swarna-nagri, which went under the sea thousands of years ago to be discovered only recently. And also, flirt with whale sharks, rub shoulders with sea turtles and even view live corals.
Adventure Sports Ltd (ASL), a local firm that promotes adventure sports and tourism recently entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Gujarat government to kick off the project at a cost of Rs 13 crore.
The company expects 3,000 to 4,000 certified divers as well as scuba diving enthusiasts from across the country to travel all the way to this temple town during mid-March and May end.
"The potential for this kind of tourism is extremely high. There has been a paradigm shift in the attitude of travellers. In addition to experiencing 'something different', a class of tourists also wish to return home equipped with new skills," says Vishwas Bhamburkar, chief executive officer of ASL.
Bhamburkar says that his firm has already received around 200 e-mails, a large number from Delhi, wherein people have evinced interest in his plans. The company is planning to offer a four-day package for a cool Rs 16,000.
The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) recently established the presence of a city submerged under the sea near the temple town of Dwarka, for many years believed to be the abode of Lord Krishna.
Excavators from the ASI have found remains of a citadel wall, crockery pieces and rubbles of a palace about 40-60 feet deep in the sea. The visibility in the sea in the area is also conducive for scuba diving, Bhamburkar says.
"This is perhaps the first time in the world that one would be diving to see a submerged city", he claims.
The scuba diving enthusiasts could also experience a stay in "live aboard" boats, which the ASL plans to design to lodge a family or a group.
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