Korkai
Topic: Sangam Age and Early South India · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Korkai was the main port of the early Pandyas. It stood at the mouth of the Tamraparni (Tamirabarani) river, in present-day Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu. It was famous for pearl fishing, which was a big source of Pandya wealth. Foreign writers knew of it, which shows its place in Indian Ocean trade. Archaeologists from the Tamil Nadu government have excavated the site.
Example
The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea (c. 1st century CE) mentions pearl fisheries on the Pandya coast. Fine pearls appear in its list of south Indian exports. Kharavela, the ruler of Kalinga, also boasted of getting hundreds of pearls from the Pandya kingdom.
Don't confuse with
- Muziris: a port on the Malabar coast, linked to the Cheras and the pepper trade.
- Puhar (Kaveripattinam): the port of the Cholas at the mouth of the Kaveri.