One
of the must visit places in Pondicherry
is Arikamedu. Arikamedu is a great
tourist spot as it has a lot of historical
relevance. A lot of students arrive
here on study tours periodically.
It is located on the banks of the
Ariyankuppam River about 4 km from
Pondicherry. This place is remembered
as a trade centre of the Romans a
number of centuries back.
The place was excavated
several times and it was concluded
that this city was essentially into
bead making and fishing and had trade
relations with the Romans. A lot of
excavated material shows sign of Roman
presence here. There are coins, ceramics
and other materials excavated here
that show a clear Roman connection.
Wine was supposed to have been imported
whereas exports included textiles,
glass, and so on. Chola coins have
also been found here. The excavations
brought into light several important
findings of olden time. There have
been references made of this ancient
city in Tamil as well as Roman literature.
The findings of Arikamedu have been
preserved in the Pondicherry museum
for all to see.
A present day visitor
is not likely to find any specimens
of the excavated material. There are
the perpendicular walls and the mission
house which are the only remnants
of the past. The trenches created
by the excavations have been filled
up. Now the place has a thick mango
and coconut plantation. Tourists can
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