‘History of Madurai, Pandya dynasty needs more focus’

The history of Madurai and the Pandya dynasty needs more focus. Madurai was an important trade centre and part of ancient trade routes, said epigraphist Madhusudhanan Kalaiselvan at a literary legacy series conducted by INTACH Madurai on Saturday.

The history of Madurai and the Pandya dynasty needs more focus. Madurai was an important trade centre and part of ancient trade routes, said epigraphist Madhusudhanan Kalaichelvan at a literary legacy series conducted by INTACH Madurai on Saturday.

He was speaking on the topic ‘A sneak peek into Ancient Trading and Traders of Madurai’. 

He said that Madurai had been culturally significant and trade flourished. Pointing to the archaeological excavations being carried out near Madurai and nearby districts, he said that the findings in these sites established how important Madurai had been and its connections with other important cities.

Referring to the findings in Keeladi near Madurai, he said that the findings show that it could have been an industrial site. He also referred to other important sites like Alagankulam, Kovalanpottal and Korkai. Tamil Brahmi inscriptions were found in the findings at the Keeladi site, he said.

He said a lot of people were coming forward to protect the heritage. This resurgence was needed to protect heritage, he said. Vani Senguttuvan of INTACH Madurai welcomed the gathering.