Ancient Indian Ports

Poompuhar, also known as Puhar, is believed to be the Port town of Chola Empire.
Located in Nagapattinam district, Tamil Nadu on mouth of Kaveri River. Also known as Kaveripattinam.
Details about it have been found in several historic documents including Periplus of the Erythraean Sea.
According to historians, the port witnessed the Indian merchants trading their commodities, mostly spices, with other Asian countries as well as Arabs.

Arikamedu is in today’s Puducherry, a union territory of India, was an important ancient port city.
It finds mention in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea and Tamil poems of the Sangam period.
It is believed to be an active trading port of the region with Roman Empire as early as second century BC.
Excavations have revealed Roman Arretine ware, pottery, beads, intaglios, lamps, glass and coins here.

Bharuch, located in Gujarat, was a prominent port in the Indian subcontinent region during ancient India.
Also known as Barygaza/Bhrigukachcha and Broach.
Bharuch had established trade relations with Arabs, Greeks and Romans, Africans, Chinese and Egyptians.
Bharuch was ruled by numerous powerful empires, such as the Gupta dynasty, Rajputs and Mughals.

Calicut, also known as Kozhikode, was also one of the busiest ports and trading centres.
Located on Arabian Sea, this west coast port was an important trading port especially for spices including pepper, cloves and cinnamon.
History of this port goes back to AD 1100. It began to grow as a notable trade centre under Chera regime.
However, it became one of the most important seaports in India after arrival of the Portuguese sailor Vasco Da Gama in the year 1498.
Landing of the Portuguese sailor opened the routes for a never-ending relation between east and west.

Tuticorin or Thoothukudi port is one of the oldest seaports in India, established as early as 6th century.
Located near Chennai, Thoothukudi was ruled by several dynasties including Pandyas, often using it as their important seaport.
Most important trade here included fishery and pearl.
Earliest mention in Periplus of the Erythraean Sea.

Located in present-day West Bengal. It lies just south of the Rupnarayan River.
Jain sources identify Tamralipti as the capital of the kingdom of Vanga. It was long known as a port.
According to the Mahavamsa, an epic history of Sri Lanka, it was the departure point of Prince Vijaya’s expedition to colonize Sri Lanka (c. 500 BCE).
It was the departure point for the Buddhist missionary expedition dispatched by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka to Sri Lanka 250 years later.
It was also the port for trade with Southeast Asia.
Chinese pilgrim Fa-Hein visited the city in the 5th century CE, and Hieun-Tsang visited it in 7th century.
Heun-Tsang reported presence of Buddhist monasteries and an Ashokan pillar there. He referred to Tamralipti as a port for export of indigo, silk and copper (tamra), from which it derived its name.
It was an important port under the Gupta empire.

Ancient port near Karachi in Indus Delta. Important for Indo-Roman trade in ancient times.

Important port during Golconda rulers of medieval times. (Or Machilipatnam port)