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Pattanam - letter sent to authorities by Dr Cheriyan to get land at pattanam.

പി ജെ ചെറിയാൻ പട്ടണമാണു മുസിരിസ് എന്നു സ്ഥിരീകരിച്ചുകൊണ്ടു ഇന്ത്യൻ പ്രധാനമന്ത്രിക്കും യു പി എ ചെയർ പേഴ്സനും അയച്ച അപേക്ഷ-പട്ടണത്തു 45 ഹെക്ടറ് ഭൂമി അവിടൊം സംരക്ഷിക്കാൻ വേണമെന്നാണു ആവശ്യം. കടപ്പാട് : www.PetitionOnline.com o

To: Prime Minister of India and UPA Chairperson

Dear Dr. Manmohan Singh and Ms. Sonia Gandhi, 

We, the undersigned, request your urgent intervention to help protect Pattanam, a site of great archeological significance, in Kerala, South India.

Some depressing images of the Arikamedu (Veeram Pattinam) archaeological site posted may be found at http://akmdestructions.blogspot.com/ These were collected by Ms. Ania (Oxford University student presently working on Pattanam site in Kerala). Arikamedu, on the Eastern Indian Coast, is one of the prime ancient "Indo-Roman" port sites identified on the ground in the Indian Ocean rim.

As you may know, Arikamedu, was first excavated by Mortimer Wheeler in 1946 and later by J M Casal, Vimala Begley et al. The site has made a rich contribution to the study of world maritime history.

Pattanam, the recently excavated Kerala site is also an "Indo-Roman" port site but with greater significance and has many parallels with Arikamedu. Both sites produced wharf contexts and extensive brick structures, so also ring wells, large numbers of terracotta objects, including local, regional and foreign pottery. Another strong comparable feature is the industrial character - the metal and lapidary workshop contexts. Of course, there are differences too. Pattanam, with lesser excavated area, has already surpassed Arikamedu with regard to the range and quantum of artefacts unearthed. It has great potential to enrich our knowledge of ancient global exchanges and rewrite the history of peninsular India.

Pattanam has the scope to be a world heritage site by virtue of its extensive trade links dating back to antiquity - with the Mediterranean Basin, Red Sea and Indian Ocean rims- from East Africa to the South China Sea.

While offering such exciting possibilities, it is also a big challenge when it comes to the preservation of the site for posterity. If Arikamedu - a sparsely inhabited location - could become so ruined over the last few decades, what fate awaits the thickly populated village of Pattanam is anybody’s guess… This petition is to share that apprehension and seek your help to save and protect this historical site.

The Chairman of the Kerala Council for Historical Research (http://keralahistory.ac.in/) has already submitted a Pattanam Heritage Management Proposal to the Government of India. It is a comprehensive proposal to the extent that it takes care of the on-going research, establishment of a centre for Indian Ocean studies with archaeo-sciences facilities and people-centered heritage management at Pattanam. The objective of the proposal is the building up of a model heritage site in South Asia. Unless it is favorably considered by the Indian Government led by an academic- politician, we fear Pattanam will be irrecoverably lost as is happening to Veeram Pattinam now.

We request that urgent measures be taken up by the Government of India to help save the historical site. Any delay in initiating such action may lead to irrecoverable damage to Pattanam.

A poster containing details of the Pattanam site is available at http://picasaweb.google.com/deepakp7/Pattanam#5543494044363832274


Sincerely,
The Undersigned

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

View Current Signatures

The Online petition to help save Pattanam archaeological site in Kerala state, India Petition to Prime Minister of India and UPA Chairperson was created by and written by PJ Cherian (assisted by Deepak P) (deepakp7@gmail.com). This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.