Puhar

Puhar ( _ta. பூம்புகார்) (also known as Poompuhar) is a town in Nagapattinam district in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It was once a flourishing ancient port city known as Kaveripattinam, which for a while served as the capital of the early Chola kings in Tamilakkam.Fact|date=August 2008It is located near the mouth 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 A.D. Ancient pottery dating back to the 4th or 5th century A.D. have been discovered off shore around this town.

City layout

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 near its mouth. The town had two distinct districts: Maruvurpakkam near the sea and Pattinappakkam to its west. These two districts 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 "NALangADi" during the day and as "allangADi" by night.

Maruvurpakkam

The district 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.

Pattinappakkam

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.

In culture

Etymology

Ancient Puhar was known by several names such as Poompuhar, Kaveripumpattinam or Kaveripattinam and was one of the few great cities of the ancient Chola period. The city was extolled and heralded in a number of temple inscriptions and in ancient literature by many names such as Kaganthi, Sampapathi, Palarpukar Moothur, Mannagathu Vanpathi, Cholapattinam, and Kolapattinam. Puhar in the Tamil language means "the estuary of a river in the sea". Being on the seacoast, it was also a great trading centre for the Chola kingdom. The city, its port and the trade are fully described in Sangam literature, particularly focused on in the epics "Silapathikaram" and "Manimekalai".

In ancient sources

The greatness of the city is brought out in the Sangam epics "Silapathikaram" and "Manimekalai". The life and time of the Tamil classic "Silapathikaram" has been recreated at Poompuhar.

There are frequent references to this important port town in ancient Tamil literature of the third century BC onwards. "Akananuru", "Purananuru", "Pattinappaalai", "Pathirruppaththu", "Mutthollayiram", "Silapathikaram", "Manimekalai" all refer to this town.

Ancient Pali literature like "Milindapan", "Buttha Jathakakathaikal", "Abithamma Avathar" and "Buddhavamsakatha" and the "Periplus of the Erythraean Sea" ("Periplus Maris Erythraei") contain references to Kaveripoompattinam. The Buddhist Jataka tale "Akiti Jataka" refers to the "Damila-rattha" (Tamil country) including the region of Kaveripattinam. Ptolemy and Pliny also mention Poompuhar in their writings.

Somaya a Buddhist Pikkuni from Poompuhar donated one of the beautifully sculptured pillars that were erected by the Sunga-Kings of North-India during the second century B.C. The pillars carry the inscription "Kaganthia Somaya Pikkunia Thanam" ("This Pillar was donated by Somaya Pikkuni of Poompuhar").

Thriving ancient city

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.

Merchants of Puhar

"Pattinappaalai" also gives an idealised description of the merchants plying their trade in Puhar ("Pattinappaalai" – II –199-212):

:They shunned murder, and put aside theft, pleased the gods by fire offerings,…they regarded others rights as scrupulously as their own, they took nothing more than was due to them and never gave less that was due from them. Trading thus in many articles of merchandise, they enjoyed an ancient heritage of prosperity and lived in close proximity to one another.

City's destruction

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.

Politics

Poompuhar assembly constituency is part of Mayiladuturai (Lok Sabha constituency). [cite web
url = http://archive.eci.gov.in/se2001/background/S22/TN_ACPC.pdf
title = List of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies
accessdate = 2008-10-12
work = Tamil Nadu
publisher = Election Commission of India ]

References

* Mudaliar, A.S, Abithana Chintamani (1931), Reprinted 1984 Asian Educational Services, New Delhi.
* Nilakanta Sastri, K.A. (1935). The CōĻas, University of Madras, Madras (Reprinted 1984).
* http://www.nio.org/projects/vora/project_vora_5.jsp

External links

* [http://books.google.lk/books?id=MrBi0ghiZN0C&pg=PA11&lpg=PA11&dq=poompugar+german+memories+in+asia&source=web&ots=-Q_P_cA69x&sig=wWgqHQrdof_HGJjXKW9bXWAoRk4&hl=en Poompugar in Memories in Asia]
* [http://www.thefreelibrary.com/German+Memory+in+Asia+-+A+Visit+to+Tsunami-Hit+Jungle+Areas-a01073746822 A Visit to Tsunami-Hit Jungle Areas]

ee also