Lemuria / Kumari Kandam

Kumari Kandam a mythical continent believed to be lost by an ancient Tamil civilization, is supposedly located south of India in the Indian Ocean. In the 19th century, European and American scholars proposed the existence of a submerged continent called Lemuria, based on similarities between Africa, Australia, India, and Madagascar, and connected it to ancient Tamil legends. Philip Sclater, an English geologist, proposed in 1864 that Madagascar and India were once part of a larger continent, named 'Lemuria'. This theory was accepted by the scientific community as an explanation for lemur migration. However, modern concepts like continental drift and plate tectonics challenged this notion, leading some to believe in a lost continent.Tamil nationalists, influenced by stories from earlier Tamil literary works, associate Kumari Kandam with an ancient land submerged by the Indian Ocean. This folklore, which permeated historic knowledge in colonial India, led to the association of Lemuria with Kumari Kandam.Kumari Kandam's story is a nationalistic tale, claiming the Pandiyan kings were rulers of the Indian continent and Tamil civilization is the oldest. Submerged, its people founded various civilizations, making it the cradle of human civilization. The story of Kumari Kandam may have been a myth due to rising sea levels and periodic flooding, which may have submerged prehistoric settlements in low-lying coastal areas of India and Sri Lanka. Evidence such as Adam's Bridge supports the existence of Kumari Kandam, suggesting that the story may have been passed down through generations. The ancient Tamil legend of Kumari Kandam suggests a bridge in the location, as Rama's wife Sita is held captive on Lanka, and he commissions a bridge to transport his army. The truth of these myths remains uncertain.