India finds more 'tsunami gifts'

[emad]

BBC


Indian divers have found more evidence of an ancient port city, apparently revealed by December's tsunami.

Stone structures that are "clearly man-made" were seen on the seabed off the south coast, archaeologists say.

They could be part of the mythical city of Mahabalipuram, which legend says was so beautiful that the gods sent a flood that engulfed six of its seven temples.

Other relics were revealed when the powerful waves washed away sand as they smashed into the Tamil Nadu coast.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4302115.stm

[Igel]

1. I didn't know there was an Indian sunken city.

So "Mahabalipuram" joins Vineta and Atlantis.

(Ok, Sanskritists: 'maha' is 'great', 'pur' is cognate with Gk polis 'city'. What's the -bali- part mean?)

[Bhaisahab]

2. 'bali' means strength...

the word mahabalipuram translates as "city of the mighty"
but this is strange, there already IS a very famous prilgimage town called mahabalipuram (safe on land) in the same region. its got some majestic temples by the sea.
www.cyberfocusindia.com/Mahabalipuram.html

what's also curious is i haven't seen this story in the national media.. hmmm...

[Igel]

3. Thank you much.

I remember seeing a couple of pictures, I thought in the New York Times, about structures (ok, large stone things) being uncovered by the tsunami. Can't find the article, may not have been the Times.

Not a real big story compared to, oh, Michael Jackson or Zimbabwe.

[alfredo]

4. I guess that name "Safe on Land" was given by the people who

had to move out of the sinking "City of the Mighty."

The poem "Four Preludes on Playthings of the Wind" came to mind.

from the poem.

And the wind shifts
and the dust on a doorsill shifts
and even the writing of the rat footprints
tells us nothing, nothing at all
about the greatest city, the greatest nation
where the strong men listened
and the women warbled: Nothing like us ever was.