Kumari Kandam - All You Need To Know About This Lost Continent
- Dheeraj Edat
- Jul 28, 2022
- 6 min read
We are all aware that the origin of the Tamil people and their culture is shrouded in deep mystery. Though there are many traditions narrated in early literature, “Kumari Kandam”, the land that lay to the south of India and, which later submerged in the Indian Ocean, has been a matter of conjecture for a study by scholars. Kumari means “Queen” and Kandam means “Continent”. Kumari Kandam is a mythical lost
continent during the ancient Tamil civilization. This territory is believed to be covering most of Africa, India, and Australia. Two American eminent geologists McKenzie and Sclater have clearly explained that Africa and South America were locked together as part of the primitive continent until about 200 million years ago. Western people know this land as lost continent. They call it by Lemuria. Even we relate to Atlantis. The ancient westerns might have made a misc inception on this. Hence after long time the land was submerged under the Indian Ocean. Still there are numerous evidences for the civilization is said to be existed!
It is heard that this continent was divided into 49 territories such as:
- Seven Coconut Lands (Elu Thengu Nadu)
- Seven Mango Lands (Elu Maturai Nadu)
- Seven Front Sandy Lands (Elu Munpalai Nadu)
- Seven Back Sandy Lands (Elu Pinpalai Nadu)
- Seven Hilly Lands (Elu Kunra Nadu)
- Seven Coastal Lands (Elu Kunakarai Nadu)
- Seven Dwarf Palm Lands (Elu Kurumpanai Nadu)
Tamil nationalists strongly believes that this continent really existed. The phrase Kumari Kandam originally appeared in the Tamil version of the Skanda Puranam, the Kanda Puranam, in the 15th century (Kanda Puranam, a 15th-century Tamil version of the Skanda Purana, written by Kachiappa Sivacharyara). However, many earlier Tamil literary works contain stories of an ancient land submerged by the Indian Ocean. According to legend, the Pandiyan rulers previously ruled a stretch of land that was eventually absorbed by the sea. The Pandiyan kings of Kumari Kandam ruled over the whole Indian peninsula, and Tamil civilization is the world's oldest civilization.When stories about Lemuria came in colonial India, the country was in the midst of a period when folklore was coming to be accepted as fact. As a result, Kumari Kandam was rapidly associated with Lemuria. Kumari Kandam is more than a story; it appears to be laced with nationalistic feelings.
One of the eminent professor of the University of Jaffna, Dr. A. Shanmugathas, Head of the Department of Tamil, confirms the lost of Kumari Kandam in his findings.
It is said that a big Tsunami like catastrophe occurred during those times which broke and submerged the continent. The Sangham Literature, which is said to be more than 2,000 yrs old refer to similar natural catastrophes which occur time to time in those areas and which affected and destroyed the Tamil speaking world of those times.
Who Lived In Kumari Kandam?
Tamil revivalists in the 20th century believed Kumari Kandam to be the place where the first two Tamil sangams were organised. They also asserted it to be the cradle of the civilization which represents the heritage of Tamil culture and language.
How Far Is The Story Of Kumari Kandam True?
According to researchers at India's National Institute of Oceanography, the sea level was lower by 100 meters approximately 14,500 years ago and by 60 meters about 10,000 years ago. This would have flooded prehistoric towns in India and Sri Lanka's low-lying coastal zones. These disastrous occurrences may have been passed down orally from generation to generation before being written down as Kumari Kandam's narrative.
Why Was Kumari Kandam Left Un-Researched?
Graham Hancock took initiative to do an underwater research about this Lost Continent but Govt of India denied permission.
So far the story of India starts with Indus Valley Civilization and Sanskrit being the origin of all Indian languages. Recent archaeological excavations at Keeladi defies this theory. It will change the course of entire history that southern India being the origin of ancient civilization. Though there were literary evidences, there never been a solid archaeological evidence.
Sangham Period Of Kumari Kandam
According to Kumari Kandam tradition, over a period of about 11,000 years, the Pandyans, a historical dynasty of Tamil Kings, formed three sanghams, in order to foster among their subjects The Love of Knowledge, Literature and Poetry. Three sanghams were the fountain heads of Tamil culture and their principal concern was the perfection of the Tamil language and literature.
The first two sanghams were not located in what is now South India but antediluvian Tamil Land to the south which in ancient times bore the name of Kumari Kandam, literally the Land Of Virgin.
1st Sangham Period:
Pandya King named Kanjhi Valluvathur, during the period of his rule I st sangham period start functioning at Kumarikandam. There were about 549 siddhas that is inclusive of Tamil scholars, the total number were 4449. The head of Sangham were Agasthiya guru. In the executive body of the Sangam there were new siddhas, saptharshikal and 18 siddhas present. 1st Sangham could prevail over the period from Kanjhi Valluvathor to the period Kadumkovan King. That is to say a total of 4400 years at Kumarikandathil. Also about 89 Pandya Kings ruled during the said period.
Most of the lands of Kumari Kandam were submerged in the sea during first devouring of the land by the sea. Most of the Pandyan Kings and other people then migrated to remaining land of Kumari Kandam and the King moved the capital to Kapatapuram. At the same time the present location of Tamil Nadu was ruled by Chera, Chola and 46 other small kingdoms.
2nd Sangham Period:
Kavatapuram, the capital city of Pandyan King. 2nd Sangam period prevailed over 3700 years. 59 pandya kings ruled during the above said period. There were total of 3757 members present in that Sangham. That is inclusive of Siddhas and Tamil scholars. As per the books named Marma Sarasangraha Adinool, Agasthiyar guru was the head of that Sangam. The executive members were Navanatha siddhas, saptharshikal and 18 siddhas. During this period, whatever the books written that were presented to the executive body and discussed. After that whatever books accepted by the body were propagated. As per the available records certain portion of this place where this Sangham was functioning, was taken away due to sea erosion(Kadal kol). Ramayana and Arthasasthra of Kautalya corroborates the existence of a city named Kavatapuram. Having lost the complete Kumari Kandam, the Pandyan King conquered the parts of lands belonging to Chera and Chola Kings and made Korkai, a seaport on southernmost tip of the Indian Peninsula, as his capital and in later times moved his capital to the current city of Madurai.
3rd Sangham Period:
This sangham functioned at Madurai, capital city of Pandya King. During the period i.e, total of 850 years. About 49 pandiya kings ruled during the entire period. There were 498 members inclusive of Siddhas, Tamil scholars in that Sangham. Agasthiya guru was not a member of that Sangham. During the period, Aryan civilization was progressing well. History reveals that this Sangam starts functioning 13500 years before the birth of Jesus Christ.
In India, we have a good bit of literature in the ancient Tamil texts of our lost continent by the name Kumari Kandam. It is not only mentioned as a first hand eyewitness support in popular
- Tamil Treatises
- Silapathikaram
- Manimegalai
But it is also mentioned in good graphic detail in the other ancient Tamil texts namely:
- Tholkappiyam
- Prananuru
- Kalithokai
- Kurunthokai
- Kamba Ramayanam
- Iraiyanar Akapporul
These texts speak of a Pandya King Nilan Tharu Thiruvil Pandyan 2 who led his people north when the Kumari Kandam continent was submersed by the sea.
These Tamil litterateurs speak of three noble flourishing periods of Tamil culture. Each of these three phases of high Tamil culture is called Sangam age. The first Sangam age was entered around then Madurai and the second Sangam age was in the capital city of Kapatapuram. It is only the third and final Sangam age was compiled at Madurai, the present day city in South Tamil Nadu.
Kumari Kandam did exist, but at this point in time, we have no evidence to suggest that it was Lemuria. It was quite possibly a landmass the size of Tamil Nadu which lay to the South of modern India and a cluster of islands between Madagascar and India and maybe Pandyans ruled it.
Tamil literatures say that during the Kurukshethra war, Chera Kings had given food to both the armies. From all these we come to a conclusion that the Ancient South India would have been with tall cliffs, dense forests with high fertility.
Because of a calamity, which took place in 9,000 BC, a terrific destruction occurred and destroyed Chera, Chola and Pandiya Kingdoms and they all then came and settled in South India. The great scholar Sri Avvai Duraisamy Pillai has established that the “Pancha Dravidam” is the region consisting Gujarath, Maharashtra, Andhra, Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
This is the time to write the correct history of Tamil Nadu. In “Irayanar Agapporul” (Nakkeerar Urai) it is mentioned that 72 Pandiya Kings had ruled Tamil Nadu (which was inclusive of the destroyed Kumari Kandam) from 30,000 B.C. to 16,000 B.C. (i.e. for 14,000 years).
A Featured Story Series Coming Soon on Kumari Kandam. Stay Tuned On My Blog !!!
By
DE (Dheeraj Edat)
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