Kudiramalai
Encyclopedia
Kudiramalai is a headland cape, point and ancient port town on the west coast of Sri Lanka
. It was once a flourishing emporium of international trade and the capital of an ancient Kingdom based in Jaffna peninsula
of the Naka, before the capital was moved to Nallur
in the medieval period. Situated on the Gulf of Mannar
's coast close to Silavaturai, the town has a shared history with the proximally located Karaitivu
island, the ancient port town of Mannar
and the historic and famous Thiruketheeswaram temple
. Kudiramalai is the northernmost point of the Puttalam District
, and proved to be a useful subsidiary southern port of Mannar in the classical period
, serving the island's northern kingdoms of the Jaffna Peninsula and Vanni
country as one of their southernmost border towns. It lies directly west across the Vanni from Trincomalee
(Thiru-Konamalai), home of the historic Koneswaram temple
. The shores from Kudiramalai point 20 km north up to Vankalai
village formed the most famed pearl fishing banks in the classical and medieval eras.
Famous rulers of this land included Queen Alli Arasani, Chief Korran
, his father Pittan, and Korran's contemporaries Chief Elini and Athiyamān Nedumān Añci
(father/son duo) and Kumanan. Traders brought several horses in watercraft to the island during the Sangam period. The port was known as Hippuros to ancient Greeks (literal translation of Kudiramalai in Greek - Horse Mount/Hill) and finds mention in the Periplus of the Erythrean Sea of Ptolemy
. Archaeological excavations have revealed Kudiramalai to have been a site of ancient habitation from the 1st century BCE-to the 7th century CE and later. Kudiramalai's ruins attract visitors from around the world. It is now a barren dry zone landscape, with red earth terrain typically seen in Northern and North Western Sri Lanka, and sand dunes once serving as sites of habitation.
or tsunami
. Queen Alli's ruined palace can still be seen in Kudiramalai. Although a major portion has been lost to the sea, some of its walls have managed to withstand the waves of the Gulf of Mannar. A cave like structure, ancient architecture adorns the upper portions of the palace wall's entrance. Alexander Johnston (1775–1849)
in a testimony revealed he had in his possession the history of Queen Alli who ruled North Western Sri Lanka eighteen hundred years before him.
The ancient Tamil
chief Korran
ruled Kudiramalai between the 1st century BCE- late 1st century CE. He was a commander in chief of the Chera Dynasty
under the King Makkotai. An avid horseman
and great patron of poetry, Korran ruled from and adminstered the locality surrounding the ancient capital. He earned the epithet Kattuman Korran or "Horseman Korran" due to his love of horse riding. His father was Pittan, another famous Chera chief. His full name was sometimes credited as Pittan-Korran, following Tamil naming conventions detailed in the Tolkappiyam
.
Korran oversaw the trade with Phoenicians, the Romans
, the Seres
and the Egyptians
. Inscriptions in Tamil-Brahmi
script from the 1st century BCE-1st century CE bearing his name (Korra-Puman - Korra The Chieftain) were excavated on an amphora fragment at the international Roman trading port of Berenice Troglodytica in present day Egypt
. Korran's rule is described at length in the Purananuru
and he is eulogised in several poems of Sangam literature
. He ruled this area alongside two other chieftains, Elini Athiyamān Nedumān Añci and Kumanan. Chief Elini of Kudiramalai is described at length in the Purananuru and Akananuru
. Kudiramalai was known as Hippuros, a famous port of the island to the ancient Greeks. The historian Pliny
states that in the reign of the Emperor Claudius
in 47 CE:
An embassy of four envoys were sent from the island to Rome, including ambassador-in-chief Rasaiah from the King of Kudiramalai. To the Romans, the Kudiramalai envoys related particulars about their kingdom's inhabitants, including their common life expectancy of 100 years, their government, a council of thirty persons, free civil liberties and laws pertaining to abuse of sovereign power, their trade with the Seres (Chinese), their festivals surrounding "the chase", and their delights in the elephant and the tiger. The ambassadors felt their kingdom to be richer than Rome's, although in their eyes Rome put its wealth to much better use.
Samuel Bochart
, a French biblical scholar, first suggested eastern localities for the ports of Ophir
and Tarshish
during King Solomon
's reign, specifically the Tamilakkam where the local people were well known for their gold, pearls, ivory and peacock trade. He fixed on "Tarshish" being the site of Kudiramalai, a possible corruption of Thiruketheeswaram. The Classical Tamil names for ivory, apes, cotton cloth and peacocks which the Israelites imported from the Tamil country are preserved in Hebrew in the Hebrew bible.
Settlements of culturally similar early populations of ancient Sri Lanka and ancient Tamil Nadu
in India were excavated at megalithic burial sites at Pomparippu on the west coast just south of Kudiramalai and in Kathiraveli
on the east coast of the island. Bearing a remarkable resemblance to burials in the early Pandyan kingdom
, these sites were established between the 5th century BCE and 2nd century CE. Kudiramalai shared a similar Tamil name with the equally bustling international port town of Northern Sri Lanka, Kandarodai-Kadiramalai of the Jaffna Peninsula
. Other excavations have been conducted at Kudiramalai in the modern era; Bertolacci and Pridham refer to several ruins at the foot of the Kudiramalai hill and nearby Karaitivu
island.
. Nearby Puttalam
would serve as the medieval Jaffna kingdom
's second capital during the pearling season, and increased fishery activity was noted along the banks between Kudiramalai and Mannar
.
Several Tamils of the Mukkuvar
fishing tribe migrated from Kilakarai
in mainland Tamilakkam to Kudiramalai and other Malabar cities such as Puttalam and Jaffna
of the Northern kingdom from the 8th century CE. Originally Saivites, they fled to the west coast from mainland Tamilakkam to escape forced conversion to Islam. In a return for comradeship rendered to them by Arabs in a struggle with a rival chief, many of these inhabitants embraced Islam. With the rise in Portuguese influence in the 1500s, many of the Mukkuvars converted to evangelical Christianity.
A water well
dated to the 11th century CE has been excavated at the town, which maintains an average diameter of three feet in construction.
lie at the northern edge of Kudiramalai cliff. Ruins of a once thirty foot sized statue of a horse with its front legs in the air and a man holding its reins were also excavated.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. It was once a flourishing emporium of international trade and the capital of an ancient Kingdom based in Jaffna peninsula
Jaffna Peninsula
The Jaffna Peninsula is an area in Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is home to the capital city of the province, Jaffna and comprises much of the former land mass of the ancient Tamil kingdoms of the Nagas and the medieval Jaffna kingdom. The peninsula is mostly surrounded by water, connected to...
of the Naka, before the capital was moved to Nallur
Nallur
Nallur is a panchayat town in Kanniyakumari district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.-Geography:Nallur is located at . It has an average elevation of 15 metres .-Demographics:...
in the medieval period. Situated on the Gulf of Mannar
Gulf of Mannar
The Gulf of Mannar is a large shallow bay forming part of the Laccadive Sea in the Indian Ocean. It lies between the southeastern tip of India and the west coast of Sri Lanka. A chain of low islands and reefs known as Adam's Bridge, also called Ramsethu, which includes Mannar Island, separates the...
's coast close to Silavaturai, the town has a shared history with the proximally located Karaitivu
Karaitivu
Karaitivu may refer to*Karaitivu - A Tamil village in Puttalam District, North Western Sri Lanka*Karaitivu - An island Tamil village in Jaffna District, Northern Sri Lanka...
island, the ancient port town of Mannar
Mannar
Mannar may refer to:* Mannar, Alappuzha, a town in Alappuzha district, Kerala, India* Mannar, Kaduthuruthy,a town in Kottayam district, Kerala, India* Mannar, Sri Lanka, a town in northern Sri Lanka* Mannar District, a district in Sri Lanka...
and the historic and famous Thiruketheeswaram temple
Ketheeswaram temple
Ketheeswaram temple is an ancient Hindu temple in Mannar, Northern Province Sri Lanka. Overlooking the ancient period Tamil port towns of Manthai and Kudiramalai, the temple has lay in ruins, been restored, renovated and enlarged by various royals and devotees throughout its history...
. Kudiramalai is the northernmost point of the Puttalam District
Puttalam District
Puttalam is a district situated near to the west coast of Sri Lanka. It has an area of . Along with the Kurunegala District, it formulates the North Western Province of Sri Lanka. The district capital is Puttalam, which borders the Kala Oya and Modaragam Aru in the north, Anuradhapura District and...
, and proved to be a useful subsidiary southern port of Mannar in the classical period
Classical period
Classical period can refer to the following:*The Classical Period of ancient Greece, which fell between its Archaic Period and Hellenistic Period.*Classical antiquity*Classical period of music*Classic stage of American archaeology...
, serving the island's northern kingdoms of the Jaffna Peninsula and Vanni
Vanni
Vanni may refer to:* Vanni , an area of northern Sri Lanka* Vanni Electoral District, an electoral district of Sri Lanka* Vanni Wang, international fashion designer China, USA...
country as one of their southernmost border towns. It lies directly west across the Vanni from Trincomalee
Trincomalee
Trincomalee is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 . The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay,...
(Thiru-Konamalai), home of the historic Koneswaram temple
Koneswaram temple
Koneswaram temple of Trincomalee is an Hindu temple in Trincomalee, Eastern Province, Sri Lanka venerated by Saivites throughout the continent...
. The shores from Kudiramalai point 20 km north up to Vankalai
Vankalai
Vankalai or Vangalai or Vangkaalai is a predominantly fishing and farming village situated in Mannar District of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It lies along the Naanaattan Road with the sea on its west connects to Indian Ocean...
village formed the most famed pearl fishing banks in the classical and medieval eras.
Famous rulers of this land included Queen Alli Arasani, Chief Korran
Korran
Korran, also known as Korra and Pittan Korran was an ancient Tamil chief of Kudiramalai, Jaffna kingdom, Tamilakkam, who ruled the world famous ancient international port town Kudiramalai on the western Gulf of Mannar coast of the Vanni Malabar country between the 1st century BCE- late 1st...
, his father Pittan, and Korran's contemporaries Chief Elini and Athiyamān Nedumān Añci
Athiyamān Nedumān Añci
Athiyamān Nedumān Añci was one of the most powerful Tamil Vēlir kings of the Sangam era. A famous royal of the Athiyamān family dynasty, he was the contemporary and the patron of poetess Auvaiyar of the Sangam period. Athiyamān was a dynastic title of the Vēlir line who ruled over the Dharmapuri,...
(father/son duo) and Kumanan. Traders brought several horses in watercraft to the island during the Sangam period. The port was known as Hippuros to ancient Greeks (literal translation of Kudiramalai in Greek - Horse Mount/Hill) and finds mention in the Periplus of the Erythrean Sea of Ptolemy
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
. Archaeological excavations have revealed Kudiramalai to have been a site of ancient habitation from the 1st century BCE-to the 7th century CE and later. Kudiramalai's ruins attract visitors from around the world. It is now a barren dry zone landscape, with red earth terrain typically seen in Northern and North Western Sri Lanka, and sand dunes once serving as sites of habitation.
Classical period
The place shares the famous millennia old legends of the Tamil Queen Alli Arasani with Mannar, during whose rule major changes to the western coastline occurred. According to legends she often travelled from Kudiramalai to Mannar. She traded internationally the pearls of the Mannar seas with horses from Arabia. The port town acquired its name Kudiramalai from this. Due to natural causes, the sea engulfed much of Kudiramalai in a cycloneCyclone
In meteorology, a cyclone is an area of closed, circular fluid motion rotating in the same direction as the Earth. This is usually characterized by inward spiraling winds that rotate anticlockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere of the Earth. Most large-scale...
or tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
. Queen Alli's ruined palace can still be seen in Kudiramalai. Although a major portion has been lost to the sea, some of its walls have managed to withstand the waves of the Gulf of Mannar. A cave like structure, ancient architecture adorns the upper portions of the palace wall's entrance. Alexander Johnston (1775–1849)
Alexander Johnston (1775–1849)
Sir Alexander Johnston, PC, FRS , was a British colonial official who served as Chief Justice of Ceylon. He learned the Tamil, Telugu, and Hindustani languages.- References :...
in a testimony revealed he had in his possession the history of Queen Alli who ruled North Western Sri Lanka eighteen hundred years before him.
The ancient Tamil
Tamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
chief Korran
Korran
Korran, also known as Korra and Pittan Korran was an ancient Tamil chief of Kudiramalai, Jaffna kingdom, Tamilakkam, who ruled the world famous ancient international port town Kudiramalai on the western Gulf of Mannar coast of the Vanni Malabar country between the 1st century BCE- late 1st...
ruled Kudiramalai between the 1st century BCE- late 1st century CE. He was a commander in chief of the Chera Dynasty
Chera dynasty
Chera Dynasty in South India is one of the most ancient ruling dynasties in India. Together with the Cholas and the Pandyas, they formed the three principle warring Iron Age Tamil kingdoms in southern India...
under the King Makkotai. An avid horseman
Horseman
Horseman may refer to:* Horse rider; see Equestrianism* Wrangler , in the United States* Stockman , who works with horses rather than with cattle or sheep* Horseman, a 2003 Croatian film...
and great patron of poetry, Korran ruled from and adminstered the locality surrounding the ancient capital. He earned the epithet Kattuman Korran or "Horseman Korran" due to his love of horse riding. His father was Pittan, another famous Chera chief. His full name was sometimes credited as Pittan-Korran, following Tamil naming conventions detailed in the Tolkappiyam
Tolkappiyam
The Tolkāppiyam is a work on the grammar of the Tamil language and the earliest extant work of Tamil literature. It is written in the form of noorpaa or short formulaic compositions and comprises three books - the Ezhuttadikaram, the Solladikaram and the Poruladikaram. Each of these books is...
.
Korran oversaw the trade with Phoenicians, the Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
, the Seres
Seres
Seres was the ancient Greek and Roman name for the inhabitants of eastern Central Asia. It meant "of silk," or people of the "land where silk comes from." The country of the Seres was Serica....
and the Egyptians
Egyptians
Egyptians are nation an ethnic group made up of Mediterranean North Africans, the indigenous people of Egypt.Egyptian identity is closely tied to geography. The population of Egypt is concentrated in the lower Nile Valley, the small strip of cultivable land stretching from the First Cataract to...
. Inscriptions in Tamil-Brahmi
Tamil-Brahmi
Tamil-Brahmi, or Damili is an early phonetic script used to write Tamil characters. It is a variant of many Brahmi scripts used throughout South Asia, namely Ashokan Brahmi, Southern Brahmi, Bhattiprolu script and the Sri Lankan based Sinhala-Brahmi. It is known from surviving inscribed cave beds,...
script from the 1st century BCE-1st century CE bearing his name (Korra-Puman - Korra The Chieftain) were excavated on an amphora fragment at the international Roman trading port of Berenice Troglodytica in present day Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. Korran's rule is described at length in the Purananuru
Purananuru
Purananuru is a Tamil poetic work in the Pathinenmaelkanakku anthology of Tamil literature, belonging to the Sangam period corresponding to between 200 BCE – 100 CE. Purananuru is part of the Ettuthokai anthology which is the oldest available collection of poems of Sangam literature in Tamil....
and he is eulogised in several poems of Sangam literature
Sangam literature
Sangam literature refers to a body of classical Tamil literature created between the years c. 600 BCE to 300 CE. This collection contains 2381 poems composed by 473 poets, some 102 of whom remain anonymous The period during which these poems were composed is commonly referred to as the Sangam...
. He ruled this area alongside two other chieftains, Elini Athiyamān Nedumān Añci and Kumanan. Chief Elini of Kudiramalai is described at length in the Purananuru and Akananuru
Akananuru
Akananuru , a classical Tamil poetic work, is the seventh book in the Sangam literature anthology Ettuthokai. It contains 400 Akam poems dealing with matters of love and separation...
. Kudiramalai was known as Hippuros, a famous port of the island to the ancient Greeks. The historian Pliny
Pliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...
states that in the reign of the Emperor Claudius
Claudius
Claudius , was Roman Emperor from 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, he was the son of Drusus and Antonia Minor. He was born at Lugdunum in Gaul and was the first Roman Emperor to be born outside Italy...
in 47 CE:
- "Annius Plocamus, a freedman, having farmed the customs of the Red Sea, was, while sailing along the coast of Arabia over fifteen days, driven by contrary winds into Hippuros, a port of Taprobane, where he was entertained with kindly hospitality by the king. In six months' time he acquired a thorough knowledge of the Tamil language."
An embassy of four envoys were sent from the island to Rome, including ambassador-in-chief Rasaiah from the King of Kudiramalai. To the Romans, the Kudiramalai envoys related particulars about their kingdom's inhabitants, including their common life expectancy of 100 years, their government, a council of thirty persons, free civil liberties and laws pertaining to abuse of sovereign power, their trade with the Seres (Chinese), their festivals surrounding "the chase", and their delights in the elephant and the tiger. The ambassadors felt their kingdom to be richer than Rome's, although in their eyes Rome put its wealth to much better use.
Samuel Bochart
Samuel Bochart
Samuel Bochart was a French Protestant biblical scholar, a student of Thomas Erpenius and the teacher of Pierre Daniel Huet...
, a French biblical scholar, first suggested eastern localities for the ports of Ophir
Ophir
Ophir is a port or region mentioned in the Bible, famous for its wealth. King Solomon is supposed to have received a cargo of gold, silver, sandalwood, precious stones, ivory, apes and peacocks from Ophir, every three years.- Citations :...
and Tarshish
Tarshish
Tarshish תַּרְשִׁישׁ occurs in the Hebrew Bible with several uncertain meanings:*One of the sons of Javan .* In the Bible Solomon set up a trade with Tarshish and received ivory, apes, and peacocks from Tarshish which are all native to the jungles in India. India's state bird for example is the...
during King Solomon
Solomon
Solomon , according to the Book of Kings and the Book of Chronicles, a King of Israel and according to the Talmud one of the 48 prophets, is identified as the son of David, also called Jedidiah in 2 Samuel 12:25, and is described as the third king of the United Monarchy, and the final king before...
's reign, specifically the Tamilakkam where the local people were well known for their gold, pearls, ivory and peacock trade. He fixed on "Tarshish" being the site of Kudiramalai, a possible corruption of Thiruketheeswaram. The Classical Tamil names for ivory, apes, cotton cloth and peacocks which the Israelites imported from the Tamil country are preserved in Hebrew in the Hebrew bible.
Settlements of culturally similar early populations of ancient Sri Lanka and ancient Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
in India were excavated at megalithic burial sites at Pomparippu on the west coast just south of Kudiramalai and in Kathiraveli
Kathiraveli
Kathiraveli or கதிரைவெளி is a town in Batticaloa District, Sri Lanka. It is located about 75 km Northwest of Batticaloa....
on the east coast of the island. Bearing a remarkable resemblance to burials in the early Pandyan kingdom
Early Pandyan Kingdom
The Early Pandyas of the Sangam period were one of the three main kingdoms of the ancient Tamil country, the other two being the Cholas and the Cheras. As with many other kingdoms around this period , most of the information about the Early Pandyas come to us mainly through literary sources and...
, these sites were established between the 5th century BCE and 2nd century CE. Kudiramalai shared a similar Tamil name with the equally bustling international port town of Northern Sri Lanka, Kandarodai-Kadiramalai of the Jaffna Peninsula
Jaffna Peninsula
The Jaffna Peninsula is an area in Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is home to the capital city of the province, Jaffna and comprises much of the former land mass of the ancient Tamil kingdoms of the Nagas and the medieval Jaffna kingdom. The peninsula is mostly surrounded by water, connected to...
. Other excavations have been conducted at Kudiramalai in the modern era; Bertolacci and Pridham refer to several ruins at the foot of the Kudiramalai hill and nearby Karaitivu
Karaitivu
Karaitivu may refer to*Karaitivu - A Tamil village in Puttalam District, North Western Sri Lanka*Karaitivu - An island Tamil village in Jaffna District, Northern Sri Lanka...
island.
Medieval period
By the medieval period, the capital moved from Kudiramalai to NallurNallur (Jaffna)
Nallur , , is a small holy town within the present day city of Jaffna, Sri Lanka. It is located 3 km away from the colour and bustle of Jaffna Town. Originally known by its Royal term "Singai Nagar", Nallur formerly functioned as the capital of the ancient Jaffna kingdom for many years during...
. Nearby Puttalam
Puttalam
Puttalam is the capital city of the Puttalam District in North Western Province, Sri Lanka.-History:The history of this dry zone dates back to the arrival of Prince Vijaya, nearly 2500 years ago, when his vessel washed ashore. The name "Puttalam" may be a modification of the Tamil word Uppuththalam...
would serve as the medieval Jaffna kingdom
Jaffna Kingdom
The Jaffna kingdom , also known as Kingdom of Aryacakravarti, of modern northern Sri Lanka was a historic monarchy that came into existence around the town of Jaffna on the Jaffna peninsula after the invasion of Magha, who is said to have been from Kalinga, in India...
's second capital during the pearling season, and increased fishery activity was noted along the banks between Kudiramalai and Mannar
Mannar
Mannar may refer to:* Mannar, Alappuzha, a town in Alappuzha district, Kerala, India* Mannar, Kaduthuruthy,a town in Kottayam district, Kerala, India* Mannar, Sri Lanka, a town in northern Sri Lanka* Mannar District, a district in Sri Lanka...
.
Several Tamils of the Mukkuvar
Mukkuvar
Mukkuvar also Mukkuva are a social group or caste primarily a fishing community, living in the coastal districts of Kerala, south Tamil Nadu in India and also in Sri Lanka. It is a community that has differing ethnic identities based on the state or country of domicile...
fishing tribe migrated from Kilakarai
Kilakarai
-About:Kilakarai, Kilakkarai or Keelakarai is a municipality in Ramanathapuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.Kilakarai is an ancient coastal town and a port, located in the southern Tamil Nadu. It was a flourishing sea port and a gateway to places as far as Madurai till the early 20th...
in mainland Tamilakkam to Kudiramalai and other Malabar cities such as Puttalam and Jaffna
Jaffna
Jaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna district located on a peninsula of the same name. Jaffna is approximately six miles away from Kandarodai which served as a famous emporium in the Jaffna peninsula from classical...
of the Northern kingdom from the 8th century CE. Originally Saivites, they fled to the west coast from mainland Tamilakkam to escape forced conversion to Islam. In a return for comradeship rendered to them by Arabs in a struggle with a rival chief, many of these inhabitants embraced Islam. With the rise in Portuguese influence in the 1500s, many of the Mukkuvars converted to evangelical Christianity.
A water well
Water well
A water well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, boring or drilling to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The well water is drawn by an electric submersible pump, a trash pump, a vertical turbine pump, a handpump or a mechanical pump...
dated to the 11th century CE has been excavated at the town, which maintains an average diameter of three feet in construction.
Ruins
The ruins of an ancient Hindu templeHindu temple
A Mandir, Devalayam, Devasthanam, or a Hindu temple is a place of worship for followers of Hinduism...
lie at the northern edge of Kudiramalai cliff. Ruins of a once thirty foot sized statue of a horse with its front legs in the air and a man holding its reins were also excavated.
See also
- Sources of ancient Tamil historySources of ancient Tamil historyThere are literary, archaeological, epigraphic and numismatic sources of ancient Tamil history. The foremost among these sources is the Sangam literature, generally dated to the last centuries BCE to early centuries CE...
- Tamil history from Sangam literatureTamil history from Sangam literatureSangam Literature is one of the main sources used for documenting the early history of the ancient Tamil country. The ancient Sangam poems mention numerous kings and princes, the existence of some of whom have been confirmed through archaeological evidence...
- Chera DynastyChera dynastyChera Dynasty in South India is one of the most ancient ruling dynasties in India. Together with the Cholas and the Pandyas, they formed the three principle warring Iron Age Tamil kingdoms in southern India...
- Kandarodai, JaffnaJaffnaJaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna district located on a peninsula of the same name. Jaffna is approximately six miles away from Kandarodai which served as a famous emporium in the Jaffna peninsula from classical...
- Berenice Troglodytica
- KonamalaiTrincomaleeTrincomalee is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 . The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay,...
, ThirukoneswaramKoneswaram templeKoneswaram temple of Trincomalee is an Hindu temple in Trincomalee, Eastern Province, Sri Lanka venerated by Saivites throughout the continent...