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Thanks, Cool.

Poompuhar was once a major port of the Chola Empire. The original city was submerged by the sea and at present only a small village is there. Thiss ancient city is also the birth- place of Tamil epic - Silapathikaram. The ancient glory of this place has been revived by the Government of Tamil Nadu.

An art gallery depicting scenes from the Silapathikaram was opened in 1973. Other monuments are the Nedungal Manram, the Pavai Manram, the Elagni Manram and the Kotrappandal.

Puhar known to Ptolemy and Pliny, was a planned city built over 2000 years ago. Excavations show an extent of planning that would make most modern planners envious. An archaeologists delight, Poompuhar is a town for those who like to wander amidst history and take a stroll through time. For the more prosaic, a fine beach and calm waters offer good sea-bathing.

I was wrong about the Location of Poompuhar in the map in #25. It is actually located closer to "Nagore".

The part that is bothering me is the dating of the destruction of this city. Poompuhar, was a city during the Chola times. That must be well in the A.D's. Chola's were the people who colonized, Burma, Indonesia and Malay penninsula during their reign. They had a vast kingdom in the early A.D's. Also "Silapathikaram" and "Manimekalai" was written just around the time of Jesus or maybe a couple of centuries either way of A.D.

It is possible this city existed from 7000B.C , but I am sure it existed well past 1000B.C., or "Silapathikaram" and "Mamemekalai", were describing the mythical/ancient city that went under.

The temples in and around this area are HUGE and beautiful. I did visit this area in Jan 1998. Was worth the trip.