The Pandyan capitals were at Kurkhi (Korkoi), Kalyanapura, Kulasekara-pattanam, and Madura. The site of Kurkhi or Korkai is still a matter of dispute. It has been considered to be the Kolkhi of the Periplus, identified by D'Anville with Kilakarai near Ramisseram, and by others with Korkai or Gorkai near the mouth of the Tamra purni.
The Chera was an ancient dynasty in the south of the Indian Peninsula, the rise and fall of which, as also the extent of their dominions, are only vaguely known. They seem to have risen on the fall of the Pandya sovereignty, and to have ruled over Travancore and Coimbatore, and parts of Salem. The Chera princes seem to have been first established at Scandapura on the Malabar coast, and subsequently at Talcad or Dalavanpura on the Cauvery and Mudugonda-patnam, perhaps the same as the modern village of Mudugondur on the road from Seringapatam to Kunghal. The site of Scandapura is unknown. Talcad is de scribed by Buchanan as a place of some extent, containing many buildings nearly covered with sand. The Carura regio Cerebothri, one of the earliest sites, has been supposed to indicate Carur in Coimbatore.
The ancient kingdom of Kerala on the Malabar coast was for some time subject to the Chera princes.
The several capitals of the Chola were at Con jeveram, Wori-ur, Cornbaconum, Gangondaram, and Tanjore. The whole history of this for some time the most important power of the Peninsula, is involved in great obscurity. There is no reliable information anterior to the 9th century, yet they must have been exercising sovereignty anterior to the time of Ptolemy, who makes mention of Arcati Soren ; and, in the Mahawanso, there are frequent references to transactions with the Chola during the earliest periods of the Singhalese annals. The Tamil traditions also abound with stories of Adonda Chakravarti, who appears to have been a soldier of the prior Kurumbar tribes ; but there are no trustworthy records forthcoming of his origin and actions, neither have there been obtained any authentic accounts of the overthrow and extinction of any of the great southern states.—Mr. W. Elliot ; Elphinstones History of India, p. 412.