Poompuhar (ancient Kaveripattinam or Puhar) was once the flourishing port capital of the early Chola dynasty during the Sangam age (c. 3rd century BCE to 3rd century CE). It was the setting of the Silapathikaram, one of the five great Tamil epics, which describes a wealthy, cosmopolitan city with grand mansions, bustling markets, and ships from across the Indian Ocean. Today, most of this city lies under the sea — swallowed by coastal erosion and rising sea levels over two millennia.
Archaeological explorations, including underwater surveys by the National Institute of Oceanography, have revealed submerged brick structures, pottery, Roman coins, and what appear to be the foundations of a harbour — confirmation that the literary descriptions were grounded in reality. On land, the remains are modest: a few brick foundations, pottery shards, and a museum displaying artefacts recovered from both underwater and terrestrial excavations.
The Silapathikaram (The Tale of the Anklet), attributed to the Jain prince Ilango Adigal, begins in Puhar and tells the story of Kannagi, whose husband Kovalan is wrongly executed by the Pandyan king of Madurai. Kannagi's rage destroys Madurai by fire — a narrative that, whatever its historicity, preserves vivid descriptions of urban life in a Sangam-era port city.
Today, Poompuhar is a quiet fishing village. The Silapathikaram Art Gallery (maintained by the Tamil Nadu government) displays sculptures depicting scenes from the epic. A bronze statue of Kannagi — holding the fatal anklet — stands on the shore, gazing out at the sea that swallowed the city her husband's story immortalized.
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