Poompuhar, also called "Kaveripoompattinam" is an ancient historic town situated in Sirkali Taluk (also spelt as Taluka) of Nagapattinam district, Tamil Nadu. An archaeologist delight, Poompuhar is a town for those who like to wander amidst history and take a stroll through time.
It was once a major port during the reign of Cholas. The Kaveri, merging with the bellowing sea, was known as "Puhar", but to the exquisite beauty of the port town it came to be called "Poompuhar". A fine beach and calm water offer good bathing. The Department of Tourism offer shell shaped cottages to the Tourists in the Poompuhar Tourist Complex, at a moderate tariff.
History Of Poompuhar:
Details of Poompuhar have been read in the Brahmi-inscription dating back to the second century BC in 'Barkuth' of north India. The historical details of Poompuhar have also been found in the inscriptions of Sayavanam Temple at Poompuhar. The ancient Kings like Sembiyan, Musugundam, Manuneethi Cholan and Karikal Cholan who carried myths with them, added to the glory of Poompuhar town. Poompuhar grew into a great city during the reign of Karikal Cholan. Even after Sangam Chola's period Poompuhar occupied a significant place during the regime of Kalabras. After the Kalabras in the 6th century AD, Poompuhar came under the Pallava regime and during that time the Pallavaneeswaran temple was built by them. With the rise of later Cholas in 850 AD the city regained its past glory. It is mentioned as "Rajathiraja Valanaattu Nangoor Naattu Kaveripoompattinam" in the Sayavanam temple inscription of Vikrama Cholan in the same temple, calls the town "Puhar Nagaram". Later Kopperunchingan also contributed to the grandeur of the place. After the Sangam Chola period the Bay of Bengal swallowed a major part of Poompuhar town. Though Poompuhar became a prey of times, still a few small villages remain a silent witness to the cruelty of times. Thirusaikadu (Sayavanam), Pallavaneeswaram, Melapperumpallam, Keelaperumpallam, Keezaiyur and Vanagiri are mortal remains of ancient Poompuhar.
For generations, the people of Poompuhar have spoken of the days when their sleepy fishing town was the capital of a powerful kingdom, and traders came from Rome, Greece and Egypt to deal in pearls and silk.
Then, more than 1,500 years ago, it was gone. The thriving town, according to ancient Tamil-language texts, was "kodalkol" -- "swallowed by the sea."
Perhaps, archaeologists and historians thought, the sea water had gradually risen. Or, some think now, perhaps it was something else.
"Nobody knew what had happened," said Murugaiyan, a 38-year-old fisherman whose family has long talked of the vanished kingdom. But on Dec. 26, when the tsunami struck, he says it all became clear.
"Now I know," he said. "It must have been another tsunami."
At least 170 people died in Poompuhar in last month's tsunami. More than 150,000 other people died across nearly a dozen countries -- the deadliest tsunami since the one caused by the 1883 volcanic eruption at Krakatoa in Indonesia which killed an estimated 36,000 people.
The toll in Poompuhar would have been worse, except that most of the fishermen had pulled their boats to shore when the waves appeared.
"The sea was unusually calm. Then we saw the sea rising suddenly and we knew something was terribly wrong. We started running," Murugaiyan said. Most of the dead in Poompuhar were women and children, including four of Murugaiyan's relatives.
He survived by clinging to a coconut tree.
He believes the town's past is echoed in what it's going through now.
"My grandfather used to say our town was taken by the sea. His grandfather told him there was a big town long, long ago -- very rich, very beautiful," said Murugaiyan, who like many south Aisans uses only one name.
Ancient city lies underwater Poompuhar was the capital of the Chola rulers, a Tamil dynasty with a recorded history dating to the second century B.C. It was a place where silk merchants and grain traders set sail for the Far East, Greece and Egypt, archaeologists say.
The town had special enclaves for foreign visitors and the king's soldiers. In the streets, languages could be heard from around the world. It was dotted with temples, a sign of a prosperous Hindu kingdom.
But the ancient city now lies under water about two miles offshore. All that remains are a few temples and the modern town, which consists of about 2,000 fishing families.
Undersea excavations and studies by historians show that Poompuhar grew during the reign of Karikal Cholan, the second-century Chola king who established trade ties with China, Arabia and the Roman Empire.
Remnants of brick buildings, water reservoirs, a boat jetty and Roman coins have been found during undersea excavations.
The archaeologists' findings are supported by ancient Tamil literature, which has frequent references to Poompuhar.
"The description we have in our ancient literature is that it was a bustling port town," said S. Jayadevan, professor of Tamil Studies at Madras University. "The Romans would come here to buy pearls. They would bring the Arabs," Jayadevan said. "There was also trade in spices and silk."
It's not clear when the town was submerged, though most estimates put it somewhere between the third and sixth centuries.
"There is a break in Tamil history during this period. We believe we were under foreign rule," said M. Rajendran, director of Tamil Sangappalgai, a government-funded group researching Tamil Nadu's ancient history and literature.
There are references to Poompuhar in literature written after the ninth century, but none mention the grandeur described in earlier writings.
-Tamilan
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