| Cavari puhum patinum | |
| — village — | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Coordinates | |
| Country | India |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| District(s) | Nagapattinam |
| Nearest city | Trichnapalli |
| Parliamentary constituency | Mayalathurai |
| Assembly constituency | Poompuhar |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+05:30) |
| Area |
• 1 metre (3.3 ft) |
Puhar (Tamil: பூம்புகார்) (also known as Poompuhar) is a town in the Nagapattinam district in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It was once a flourishing ancient port city known as Kaveri puhum pattinam, which for a while served as the capital of the early Chola kings in Tamilakkam. It is located near the end point of the Kaveri river, aside the sea coast. Much of the town was washed away by what is now speculated to be a tsunami around 500 AD. Ancient pottery dating back to the 4th or 5th century AD have been discovered off shore around this town.
Contents |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The general plan of the city of Puhar is described in considerable detail in the fifth book of Silapathikaram (c. fifth century CE). The town was built on the north banks of the river Kaveri. Elara Chola are ruled(1,389,968 sq mi)from the Place of present parts India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Maldives and they had around 10,000 battle ships in the kavaripatinum port .near river Kaveri mouth. The town had two distinct villages Maruvurpakkam near the sea and Pattinappakkam to its west. These two vilage were separated by a stretch of gardens and orchards where daily markets were held under the shades of the trees. The market place was known as Naalangadi during the day and as allangadi by night.
The village of Maruvurpakkam was near the beach and had several terraced mansions and warehoused with windows shaped like the eyes of the deer. Maruvurpakkam being close to the shore and hence to the shipyard was naturally preferred by the many overseas travellers, merchants and 'yavanas (foreigner) whose pleasant features arrested the eyes of the spectators living close to each other.
Maruvurpakkam was inhabited by the fisher folk. The town had several warehouses. Weavers, silk merchants, vendors, fish and meat sellers, potters, grain merchants, jewellers and diamond makers lived in Maruvurppakkam.
The kings and nobles, rich traders and farmers, physicians, astrologers, members of the king’s army, court dancers occupied Pattinappakkam. The five Manrams - Vellidai Manram, Elanchi Manram, Nedankal manram, Poothachathukkam and Pavaimanram were located in Pattinappakkam. Gardens like Elavanthikaicholai, Uyyanam, Chanpathivanam, Uvavanam, and Kaveravanam added beauty to the town.
The greatness of the cin
A Purananuru poem (poem 30) says that big ships entered the post of Puhar without slacking sail, and poured out on the beach, precious merchandise brought from overseas. In the extensive markets of Puhar there were many tall mansions surrounded by platforms reached by high ladders. These mansions had many apartments and were provided with doorways, great and small, and with wide hallways and corridors (Pattinappaalai – II –142-158). In all parts of the town there were flags of various kinds and shapes flying in the air.
Pattinappaalai, a poem that describes the ancient Puhar very vividly, was written by the poet Kadiyalur Uruthirangannanaar is part of the Ten Idylls anthology and was sung in praise of Karikala Chola, a second century Chola king.
Pattinappaalai also gives an idealised description of the merchants plying their trade in Puhar (Pattinappaalai – II –199-212):
The ancient city of Puhar was destroyed by the sea around 1500 years ago. Scientists speculate that this could have been the effects of a Tsunami possibly caused by Krakatoa 535 AD event. This tsunami is mentioned in the Tamil poem Manimekhalai (see below), which relates that the town Kāveripattinam or Puhār was swallowed up by the sea due to the Chola King not holding the annual Indra festival, causing the wrath of the sea goddess Manimekhalai.[1] This event is supported by archeological finds of submerged ruins off the coast of modern Poompuhar.[2][3] The town of Kāveripattinam is believed to have disappeared in between the 3d and the 6th century.[4]
The ancient Tamil Buddhist poem Manimekhalai by the poet Seethalai Saathanar is set in the town of Kaveripattanam.[5][6] Ancient ruins of a 4th-5th century Buddhist monastery, a Buddha statue, and a Buddhapada (footprint of the Buddha) were found in another section of the ancient city, now at Pallavanesvaram.[7]
Kaveripattanam is located at .[8] It has an average elevation of 1 m (3.3 ft).
Poompuhar assembly constituency is part of Mayiladuturai (Lok Sabha constituency).[9]
The major tourists attractions in Poompuhar :
Silappathikara Art Gallery A beautiful building of great sculptural value has been built as Sillappathikara Art Gallery.Scenes from Sillappathikaram, the Epic of the land have been given lively shapes in stones on the walls of the Gallery. These sculptures carved by the sculptors of Mamallapuram Art College remain the treasure house of Tamil Culture.
Masilamani Nathar Koil Though heavily eroded by the sea in a number of places, this temple built in 1305 by Maravarma Kulasekara Pandiyan, still manages to impress all the tourists to Poompuhar with its architectural richness.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||