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Volume 13, Issue #3. Published on February 28, 2005
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Photo Associated Press
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Visitors flock to newly uncovered Indian artifacts.
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AMONG THE HISTORIC TRAGEDY UNFORSEEN BOUNTIES FOUND
Tsunami Uncovers Underwater City
1200 year old Indian treasures found.
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Harim Martinez
Asian Pacific Review
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It would seem hard to find something positive of the tsunami of December 26, 2004; unless you happen to be an archaeologist. On the coast, near India's 1200-year-old Mahabalipuram temples, the force of the tsunami waves helped uncover some ancient stone structures.
Nearly six feet tall, two are lions carved from a single granite rock, discovered after the tsunami caused the coastline to recede in the area. Based on elaborate engravings similar to those found in the Mahabalipuram temples, archaeologists figure the stones date back to about the 7th Century A.D.
"They could be part of the small seaport city which existed here before water engulfed them. They could be part of a temple or a building. We are investigating," said T Sathiamoorthy of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
Mahabalipuram is known for its group of five freestanding temples. Four carved from a single long granite boulder are detailed replicas of ancient wooden structures that represent the rathas (chariots) of five Pandava princes and their common wife.
The myths of Mahabalipuram were first heard by the Western world when they were set down in writing by a British traveler. J Goldingham, visited the South Indian coastal town in 1798, at which time it was known to sailors as the Seven Pagodas.
The myths speak of six temples submerged beneath the waves with the seventh temple still standing on the seashore. The myths also talk about a large city that once stood on the site was so magnificent the gods became jealous and sent a flood to swallow it up in a single day.
Mahabalipuram was the chief seaport of the Pallavas who ruled over much of South India from the first century B.C to the eighth century A.D. Under the reign of Narasimha Varman (c. 630), this seaport began to grow as a great artistic center.
The area now is recognized for having some of the greatest architectural and sculptural achievements in India, which are a United Nations World Heritage site.
The monument also has cave temples and gigantic open-air reliefs built out from granite dating from the seventh century.
The tsunami ferocious waves have also aided in revealing one such relief, which had been covered with sand. The half-completed rock relief of an elephant was "naturally desilted" and is now drawing large crowds of tourists.
"The sea has thrown up evidence of the grandeur of the Pallava dynasty. These have been buried for centuries," said Sathiamoorthy.
For the past three years, archaeologists working with divers from India and England have slowly found the remnants of the ancient port. Archaeologists say they had done underwater surveys 1 km into the sea from the temple and found some undersea remains.
Cartographers say the waves that left many dead or missing in southern India and the country's far-flung Andaman and Nicobar islands have redrawn the entire Mahabalipuram coastline.
The archaeologists have become more excited as they have received reports from locals that just before the waves struck on December 26, the sea withdrew a great distance exposing the seabed a short time, on which lay a temple structure and several rock sculptures that were previously unknown.
The ASI will be sending out a team of marine archaeologists next month to the area. "We'll be exploring the seabed to document these Pallava relics," said Sathiamoorthy. "We're all very excited about these finds."
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