Indian Temple Carving
Photo Source: Clipart.com

The tsunami was a terrible thing as we all know. The death toll was unimaginable. More people died from the tsunami than died in some wars. Fierce weather, earth quakes, freezes and other forces of nature are constantly striking this planet. Maybe someday man will decide to move to a less active world. But as bad as that killer tsunami was, it may have helped us discover something of our past. When the water receded in southern India, an ancient city was uncovered. I don't mean completely uncovered but I do mean that parts of it were exposed. Not only was a city uncovered but also parts of an ancient temple. Underwater excavations are taking place right now to dig out the rest.

A sports firm is offering dives to the submerged city. This is said to be the first time a submerged city can be seen underwater. Part of this city may be considered on a par with the Holy Grail, if it is found. This part is called the Lord's Abode. The government has signed a contract with the firm of Adventure Sports Limited, they will be conducting the dives. It is a strange thing, but some of the Mayan Temples seem to be very similar to the ancient ones found in India. But this seems to go even farther as the Tamil language, which is spoken by over 50,000,000 people in South India and also spoken in Ceylon, and Mayan language have several words that sound almost the same and mean almost the same. Could it be that either the Indians had some influence in the building of Mayan Temples or vice a versa? The next step is to see if the ruins are similar to Mayan ruins.

When the tsunami receded there were three structures that emerged near Mahabalipuram. The structures were covered with elaborate carvings that showed different animals. But how did they become uncovered? They had been buried in sand and this sand was sucked away by the receding tsunami, exposing these structures. It is believed at this time that they are all part of a port city that was built in the seventh century. These structures include the head of an elephant and horse fighting each other. Above the carving is a cut out with a carved statue of a deity. A reclining lion sculpture has also been exposed. Many Indians are hoping that the uncovered structures are part of the legendary seven pagodas. It is expected that receding water might uncover even more artifacts. The carvings might be part of a temple wall.

The city of Mahabalipuram is already famous in its own right for its magnificently carved temples and has been declared a World Heritage site and is visited by many thousands of Hindu pilgrims every year. To have another city appear so close, that contains carved temples, makes one wonder. Were these ruins originally part of the ancient city? The reason I say this is that Mahabalipuram has been around since about the first century BC. It was the chief seaport of the Pallavas who ruled much of South India from the first century BC to the eighth century AD. I know it has been said that the ruins are from another city, built later, but it does make you wonder why two cities would be built so close?

It is said that now the the water is receding you can see foundation walls in the water. A local fisherman had been thrown into the air by the tsunami but held tight to the great stone temple in the town. He noticed the structures through the water and several weeks later informed the authorities of what he had seen. There is a legend that a city had gone into the sea along with the six other pagodas. Supposedly the city was so magnificent that the gods were jealous and had the waters swallow it up.

There are a few archeologists that feel that the flood stories that are told in all the different cultures of the world should be taken more seriously. They would like to see these tales of lost cities investigated. Maybe the tsunami will provide the impetus for this to happen and because of this, who knows what treasures we might uncover?