Just 12 kilometers from the south-western city of Dwarka, Panchkui Beach is a white-sand coastal destination with stunning views of the Arabian Sea on the horizon. Bathed by a sunny, humid subtropical climate, the crowd-free location wins praise for spiritual tourism, snorkelling and island hopping activities.
Easily accessible and with a wide range of diving to suit all tastes, it’s one of the cheapest and most exciting scuba places in the world – and PM Modi agrees, describing his experience on X (formerly Twitter) as “very Told as “divine”. “Praying in the city of Dwarka, which is submerged in water, was a very divine experience. I felt connected to an ancient era of spiritual splendor and eternal devotion. May Lord Shri Krishna bless us all,” he wrote while sharing a set of photos from his underwater journey.
And tourism has recently increased significantly as a result of the popular activity and attention paid to the destination. “Since Sunday, there has been a huge increase in queries from potential visitors,” confirmed Harshit Jakadia, partner at local scuba operator Dwarka scuba. “Although this is common knowledge in the state, people from all over India are now becoming aware of the local and we are definitely expecting to see an increase in numbers.”
Travel operators also saw an increase in demand. “We are seeing over 2.5x growth in demand for the destinations envisioned by the Prime Minister – and not just from metros, but also from India’s tier 2-3 source markets,” said Daniel D’Souza, President and Country Head, Holidays. SOTC Travel. “Our customer data reflects the interest of not only the traditional segments of families and senior citizens, but also the millennials and Gen Z of young India and this is a very encouraging trend,” he said.
“After Lakshyadeep, Dwarka is another case where our searches have seen an increase of over 150%. Furthermore, what is noteworthy is the impact of the Prime Minister on inspiration for unique experiences and after his Dwarka images were shared by the media we have seen a surge in queries for scuba/underwater inclusions for our tours,” said the Chairman and Head of Country Rajeev Kale said, MICE, Visa, Thomas Cook (India) Limited.
For those who are still learning about scuba-diving exploration near Dwarka to see the submerged remains of ancient Dwarka, Panchkui Beach and Shivrajpur Beach both offer the most convenient and exciting experiences in the state. From exploring the archaeological journey that leads to discovery with a local expert and PADI instructor, to the peace and quiet of living in a marine environment, it is hard not to be amazed when uncovering Gujarat’s dive scene. Tour consultant Anshika Gupta shares, “A great base for sightseeing, pilgrimage, seaside sports or bird watching and marine exploration, visitors to Dwarka can reserve their own 15-20 minute, (approximately) 10 meter dive , provided they meet the necessary requirements.” Universal Adventures.
Required Information:
Best time: October to April, water temperature between 27 to 30 °C and visibility between 5 to 7 metres.
Age: Anyone above 10 years of age can engage in this activity and elderly people above 50 years of age can participate, provided they are physically fit.
Booking the Experience: Select a reputable diving agency that offers comprehensive packages including equipment rental, training and guided dives.
Cost: Depending on the diving location and agency, scuba diving in Dwarka can cost between Rs. £2,000 to £2,500 cover equipment, training and a dive session.
Where to book: Dwarka SCUBA (dwarkaslub.com), Universal Adventures (universaladventures.in), Divine SCUBA (divineslub.com) Dwarka Tourism (dwarkatourism.in)
Health Advice: People suffering from asthma, epilepsy, diabetes, heart disease or any breathing problems are discouraged from doing this activity.
Safety and Training: Participants receive training on equipment use and safety measures before diving. The agencies ensure a safe and guided diving experience with professional instructors.
Conclusion: Most packages include scuba diving equipment, a costume, training, complimentary underwater video and photography, and all necessary permits and taxes.
