Patrons purchasing this book will to entitled to a free membership service in
SPICE CRUISE and HERITAGE club. Our wellwishers and patrons will receive Monthly Newsletters
and access to guest lectures and seminar presentations from industry leaders and historians.
To Purchase the Book, Click Here / Contact : info@spicecruise.com
History is replete with references to the ancient spice route, but not much is known about the role played by Madurai in trading of commodities much sought after by the Romans. To preserve and document this slice of history, N. Ayyanathan, Professor, Crescent Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, has written a book ‘Madurai’s ancient spice route’ in association with INTACH Madurai Chapter. The book was released at Thiagarajar College here on Friday.
Chief guest S. Ramachandran, Historian and former epigraphist, Tamil Nadu State Archaeology Department, in his address, said that in ancient times, Madurai was a cosmopolitan city and a commercial hub. Citing an instance from the book, he said Mr. Ayyanathan talks about an ancient toll gate set up by the Pandyas in the 13th century CE at Kunnuvarankottai, which is now located in Dindigul district. With pepper being the most-sought after commodity in the western world, trade links had been established in the region as cultivation of this produce was widespread in Thandikudi. From here, the produce was taken to Madurai and then shipped from Thondi, Alangulam, Vizhinjam and Korkai ports. The presence of culverts bear witness to this trading business, he added.
Pointing out that it was important for academia to develop heritage sites into sustainable tourism modules, V. Selvakumar, Coordinator, Centre for Indian Ocean Studies, and Head, Department of Maritime History and Marine Archaeology, Tamil University, said that the book would help in bridging various gaps in the study of ancient trade route through interdisciplinary research.
The author, Mr. Ayyanathan, with his background in Computer Applications, has brought the much-needed scientific approach by digitally reconstructing the spice route from the foothills of Kodaikanal to various ports located on the east and west coasts of southern India. “This book is just a beginning and it is for the students to unearth and map the various sites that played a big role in the glorious past of Madurai,” he said.
“This is INTACH Madurai Chapter’s first ever initiative on developing one such route exclusively on its transnational and inter-cultural heritage values,” said P. Rajesh Kanna, Convener-INTACH Madurai Chapter
