Panchalankurichi
Panchalankurichi was the capital of the Nayaka chief, Vira Pandya Kattabomman at the close of the 18thcentury. It is situated in Ottappidaram taluk of Tuticorin District.
The Panchalankurichi fort area measuring 35 acres remained as a mound. The aim of the excavation was to find out the remnants of the palace of Kattabomman.
The excavation revealed the main palace with its east facing entrance in the southern end. Three rooms on each side flanked the entrance. There was a square pit about one and a half meters lined with lime plaster probably intended for storing grains. A passage with a slope to the north led to the audience hall, which is the most impressive part of the structure. It had a raised platform at the western end, built of brick.