MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court sought response from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking direction to conduct underwater archaeological excavation to find out 'Kumari Kandam'.
The litigant, V Narayanamoorthy of Dindigul, submitted that the Kumari Kandam is a submerged continent that is located to the South of Kanniyakumari and extends till Australia in the East and Madagascar in the South.
He cited various Tamil classical literature, including Silappathikaram, to prove the existence of Kumari Kandam. He also claimed that the Russian Academy of Science had found that nearly 5,000 years ago, a crater named 'Burckle Crater' fell down into the Indian Ocean, resulting in the submerging of the Kumari Kandam. He wanted ASI to trace the submerged continent.
A Bench of N Kirubakaran and B Pugalendhi sought response from ASI in this regard. They also decided to rope in a researcher, one Orissa Balu who is the litigant's friend, to assist the court.
The judges also issued notice on two more PILs filed by a law student, K Pushpavanam, and Thoothukudi resident S Kamaraj. While Pushpavanam sought a series of directions for proper maintenance of archaeological monuments in Tamil Nadu and to create an ASI Circle in Thoothukudi, Kamaraj wanted direction to conduct archaeological excavation at Athur river bed in Tiruchendur.