Dive Operations Planned After Korakai Sonar Data Clearance

Two years after a collaborative geographic identification survey with Indian Maritime University, the Korakai region is poised for its next investigative step. Modern equipment such as multi‑beam echo sounders and side‑scan sonar identified several promising targets on the ocean floor. With the sonar dataset now awaiting official approval, archaeologists will move forward with scuba‑based verification.

The objective is to confirm whether the anomalies correspond to the famed Sangam‑era harbour that once linked the Pandyan kingdom with the Roman world. Past excavations in 1968‑69 unearthed workshops for shell‑cutting, pearl‑processing stations, terracotta lamps and bone tools, underscoring the port’s commercial significance. Underwater verification could add a new layer of evidence to this rich maritime narrative.