KOCHI: As the work of the NH-66 bypass moves ahead albeit at a slow pace, a demand has been made by the residents and also those working for the protection and conservation of heritage sites seeking the construction of an underpass near the historical site of Pattanam.
Speaking about the need to construct the underpass, P J Cherian, who is the chief in charge of the research activities conducted under the leadership of the Kerala Council for Historical Research (KCHR) from 2007 to 2015 and PAMA since 2019, says, “Considering the location of the archaeological village, the town gains international importance. Hence, the demand for an underpass at the town junction is quite justified.”
He says, “It is also our commitment to the future potential of the archaeological site in the town. We have been able to find irrefutable evidence of the global sea trade that had been active at Pattanam village nearly 2,000 years ago. The sea trade happened between 300 BC and 300 AD. Over 67 excavations that were conducted between 2007 and 2022 have uncovered evidence of exchanges with regions that spoke 40 different languages. Today the world has recognised the fact that the town is the ideal location for the global port of Muziris.”
Cherian urged the authorities concerned to consider the demand wholeheartedly.
“Providing the infrastructure that would pave way for the better connectivity to this historical site would be doing justice to not only the future generations but also the ancestors. While the future generation will get to see and learn how things were in ancient times, road connectivity will help towards study, conservation and protection of the site,” he adds.
“Here we must also remember the fact that today there is no other place in Kerala where we can find evidence of the daily life of our ancestors 2,000 years ago,” says Cherian. According to Sanjo Joseph of PAMA, if an underpass is not constructed, people will have to travel quite a distance before taking a U-turn to reach Pattanam village.
“It would be a great hassle and cause unnecessary traffic congestion. This would be also a hurdle to the tourism prospects of the village,” he says.
Evidence of sea trade
According to experts there have been irrefutable evidence of the global sea trade that had been active at Pattanam village nearly 2,000 years ago. The sea trade happened between 300 BC and 300 AD. Over 67 excavations that were conducted between 2007 and 2022 have uncovered evidence of exchanges with regions that spoke 40 different languages.