Let’s reveal Poompuhar’s pride, says TN CM, as undersea excavation begins in early Chola capital

Chennai, Sep 20 (PTI) After Keezhadi, Poompuhar undersea excavation has begun, and it will reveal the ancient civilisation that once flourished, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin said on Saturday.

The deep-sea excavation between the early Chola capital, Poompuhar, and Nagapattinam, a medieval trade hub with maritime links to Southeast Asia, was commenced by the state Archaeology department on September 19 in collaboration with the Indian Maritime University.

The ancient port city was once known as Kaviripoompattinam located in the present-day Mayiladuthurai district. The previous undersea survey was carried out in Poompuhar in 1991.

The Keezhadi site on the banks of the Vaigai River in Sivaganga district is situated close to Madurai and a series of excavations carried out by the state Archaeology Department showed evidence of an urban civilization dating back to the Sangam period, about 2,500 years ago. It was once a thriving industrial and trade hub, it is claimed.

Indicating that Poompuhar could be as ancient as Keezhadi, Stalin said in a post on the social media platform ‘X’ that the deep-sea excavation would reveal to the world the "pride of the flourishing Poompuhar," which was submerged in water.

A preliminary underwater exploration in 1981 confirmed the existence of archaeological remains. There was evidence of brick structures, rolled pottery and pier walls in the intertidal zone.

A 2023 study by the Bharathidasan University identified further evidence of an ancient port city buried undersea, and also evidence of a large harbour, settlements and shipyards at a depth of 50-100 meters.

The Chief Minister was reacting to a post by Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu, who holds the Archaeology portfolio, on Friday, announcing the commencement of the undersea exploration at Poompuhar.

"The history of Tamils will now be explored even beneath the sea. At Poompuhar, a celebrated Sangam and post-Sangam literature as a flourishing seaport of great renown, archaeological explorations have begun to rediscover and study the antiquity of ancient Tamil civilisation," minister had said in the post.

Later, in a post on X on Saturday, Thennarasu thanked the Chief Minister for his support in the efforts to make the glory of the ancient Tamils known to the entire world through archaeological and scientific research.

A source said the exploration was led by a team of experts, including eminent archaeologist and writer K Rajan, and joint director of TN State Archaeology Department R Sivanantham.

A couple of divers took the plunge to map and document anomalies using advanced equipment. PTI JSP ADB