Pic courtesy Smithsonian mag
The Smithsonian Magazine has an article about ancient cities lost to the seas. India’s Mahabalipuram finds a place in the list, along with Egypt’s Alexandria and others.
This started me thinking of other Indian cities I know that have been lost to the sea. There are Dwarka and Lothal in the West, and in the south you have Poompuhar in addition to Mahabalipuram. There are reports that Kodungallur in modern Kerala was once ancient Muziris (or Musiris).
But why is it that there are no lost cities in the East? Given the way every cyclonic storm seems to head for Orissa/ Bengal/ Bangladesh, you would think that in the past, it should have wiped out at least one city.
Or are there lost cities in the East that I just haven’t heard about?
Sujatha
nittin
shyam
Anonymous
great one.
there is kumari kandam – the continent south of TN that is supposed to be the home to the earlier Tamil Sangams !
there is Dwarka – which has just been excavated ! huge docks have been found
there is kishkinda – the city of the vanars by the sea – that has been lost.
i am sure that there are more !!
A whole lost continent? I’d never heard of Kumari Kumandam. How large was it supposed to be?
i will take it with a bit of salt
but here is some basic reading on kumari kandam
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumari_Kandam
http://mystiquearth.blogspot.com/2009/01/kumari-kandam-sunken-land-mass-from.html
A fascinating topic. Most weblinks I’ve read have the same cities that you’ve mentioned.
But your question about cities on the east is a valid one. Though, the cities may be lost due to more than just factors like cyclones. I just finished reading a book on Afghanistan’s archeology, which mentions several (stunning) examples of fairly large cities lost to encroaching deserts.
Apparently kumari kandam was the home of present days dravidians. proponents of pro-Tamil homeland argue with this as a basis in fact. some anthropologists suggest that aborogines of Australia are from the same stock as dravidians. Fascinating stuff actually.
what about atlantis and lemuria?
This is an interesting topic. I have watched a documentary about Dwaraka couple of years back. History fascinates me and the connections.
It is not much of lost city, some years ago we had visited a native Indian village. Most of the things they used in the past were in a museum sorta place and very similar to things used in ancient India.
Here are couple of places listed.
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/seven-lost-cities-of-india/9982