Dwaraka

Dwaraka (modern Dwarka) is a coastal town in Gujarat, western India, and in Hindu tradition the city Krishna founded after leaving Mathura. The Dwarkadhish Temple there is a major pilgrimage site; the present building dates to about the 15th–16th century.

In the Mahabharata, King Salva attacks Dwaraka from Saubha, a flying city that can vanish and rain weapons, while Krishna is away; Krishna later destroys it. Other texts say the site was once Kushasthali, capital of King Kakudmi. After Krishna's death, the Mausala Parva says, the sea rose and swallowed Dwaraka.

Marine archaeologists, notably S. R. Rao from the 1980s, reported submerged stone structures and anchors off the coast. Supporters link them to the legend; others argue the finds are much later, from historic-period port activity, and that the link to Krishna's city is not proven. The site is therefore both a real town and a disputed legendary one.