Kollidam Mouth

The Kollidam is the northern branch of the Kaveri, separating from the main river at Srirangam and crossing the delta to the Bay of Bengal. Farther south near another mouth of the Kaveri stood Puhar, also called Kaveripattinam, an ancient Chola port celebrated in Tamil literature. Poems describe great ships bringing overseas goods to its markets, and the epic Manimekalai tells how the sea swallowed the city. The waters and shifting shores of the delta have long shaped its settlements.