Karaikal’s centuries-old Pandagasalai Warehouse is among the few surviving river-port warehouses on the Coromandel Coast
The centuries-old Pandagasalai Warehouse on the banks of the Arasalar River in Karaikal is one of the few surviving examples of a traditional river-port warehouse on the Coromandel Coast. Located barely two kilometres from the Bay of Bengal, it once served as a key logistical centre in Karaikal’s riverine-maritime trade network, where commodities from the fertile Cauvery delta were stored and redistributed before being transported to coastal ports and overseas destinations.
Research by Sudarshan R, architect, archaeologist and research associate at INTACH Pondicherry Chapter, highlights Karaikal’s importance as a feeder port in the larger Cauvery delta trading system. The Arasalar, a distributary of the Cauvery, connected the agricultural hinterland with the Bay of Bengal.
Hardwood timber from Burma, Thailand, Penang, Malaysia and Singapore is believed to have been stored in the warehouse. Eighteenth-century French colonial maps identify the warehouse’s location. It is owned by Mu. Thamby Saibu Maraikayar, also known as M.T.S. Marican, whose descendants retain the property. Today it stands largely hidden behind modern construction. Nihaal Maricar, a descendant, said some have been rented out to hotels and shops while a few have been encroached.
Source: The New Indian Express
