[S.T.D.]

Madurai was a very ancient town.It may not be appropriate to fix the date 300 AD to it.Graham Hancock,a Edinbugh marine archaeologist says that the Poompuhar site could even predate the Sumeria in the Mesopotamia and this civilization is believed to have originated 5000 years ago(The Indian Express December17,2002).Silapathikaram which deals elaborately with Poompuhar also deals with Madurai.Both were State capitals.Hence Madurai should also be 5000 years old.If we carefully read Pattinap paalai with Sir John Marshal's "Mohenjo-Daro and Indus Valley Civilization"(Published in 1931),we will find many striking similarities.Rig Veda 1st Mandal Hymn 103:3 speaks about the forts of Dasyus.These refer to the forts of the Proto-Dravidians.Hence we have to fix the date of Madurai prior to the period of the Rig Veda.