Korkai

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Coordinates: 8°37′60″N 78°4′0″E / 8.63333, 78.06667

Korkai is a small village in the Srivaikuntam taluk of Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu, India. It is situated about 3 km north of the Thamirabarani River and about 6 km from the shore of Bay of Bengal. Korkai was a capital and important port of the Pandyas of the Sangam age. At that time, it was located on the banks of the Tamraparani River and at the sea coast, forming a natural harbour. Due to excessive sedimentation, the sea has receded about 6 km in the past 2000 years, leaving Korkai well inland today. The famous urn burial site, Adichanallur, is located about 15 km. from Korkai.

In ancient times, Korkai was a well known center of pearl fishery; it is mentioned often in the Sangam literature and in classical western literature. Ptolemy refers to the place as Kolkhai and says that it was an emporium. The Periplus says that the Pandyan kingdom extended from Comari towards the north, including Korkai, where the pearl fisheries were. The Pandyan kings often employed convicts as pearl divers.^[1]

The 2000-year-old 'Vanni' tree is in Korkai.