What the 2004 Tsunami Revealed About Mahabalipuram
On the morning of 26 December 2004 , something extraordinary happened at Mahabalipuram. As the tsunami approached India's east coast, the sea suddenly retreated. For a few minutes, the Bay of Bengal exposed a stretch of seabed that had been hidden for centuries. Local residents, fishermen and visitors reported seeing rows of dressed stones, walls and other structures before the water rushed back. The scene immediately revived one of India's oldest coastal legends: the Seven Pagodas . But did the tsunami really uncover a lost city? The answer is more interesting than the legend. A Story Older Than the Tsunami Long before archaeologists began studying Mahabalipuram, European sailors knew it by another name: The Seven Pagodas . For centuries, European sailors called Mahabalipuram the 'Seven Pagodas'. The name came from a local tradition that several magnificent temples once stood along the coast, while only one—the Shore Temple—remained visible abov...
