Inscriptions on the Ulòka Gopuram

Pandyan Coinage

The coinage of the Pandya Empire was mostly in copper and silver, with gold being uncommon. The coins were typically square in shape with the image of an elephant on one side. The other side could contain the form of a stylised fish, the Nandi or the Chakram. As the Kingdom evolved, the imagery used in the coins changed as well.

While the image of the fish, a well-known Pandya badge, remained more or less consistent, during the 7th-10th centuries, other images like the 'Pandya bull', 'Chalukya boar', etc. were also featured. The copper coins had inscriptions of Tamil legends while the gold and silver ones had Sanskrit engravings.

The City of Korkai

The city of Korkai was the capital and an important centre of trade during the early Pandya period. It was well-known for pearl fishery and was the centre of the pearl trade in the ancient world.

Mentions of Korkai and its pearl industry can be found in both Sangam and Classical Western literature. The Roman writer Ptolemy called the city an emporium of pearls in his writings. While it was once a seaside city, excessive sedimentation has left the area well inland today.

Pandya Irrigation Systems

Agriculture was the backbone of the ancient Pandya economy. To fight against the effects of drought, the Pandya Kings had effective water management systems in place in their Empire. Man-made lakes were built to store water and ancient inscriptions have been found detailing the efficient water system put in place by Pandya Kings along the River Vaigai.

Nellaiappar Temple

The Nellaiappar Temple in Tirunelveli is an architectural confluence of all the great kingdoms of ancient Tamil Nadu. The Temple was first built by ancient Pandya Kings and, according to stone inscriptions found on site, was modified by later rulers. The overall architecture of the Temple is a mix of Chola, Pallava, Chera and Nayak styles.