Pearl Hunting

PEARL HUNTING

Pearling (or) pearl picking (or) pearl hunting is a method of taking pearls from the molluses that live in the deep parts of the ocean and bringing them to the surface of the ocean through proper training in diving.

1. Method of Pearl Hunting

Salabam and Pearl Salabam

Places where pearls were grown in the sea were called Salabam. Pearl hunting was also called Peal Salabam. Thus, Pavalam Hunting was called Pavala Salabam.

Sammattis and Bathers

The pearl hunters go into the sea by boat and pick pearls. They work as a team. Those who bend down and pick pearl oyster shells are called 'bathers'.

Barathava bathers with proper training in diving tie a net under their waist and dive into the sea. They would spread the net, collect the pearls, come up and put them into the boats and rest for a while. Then they dive back into the water and pick oysters. Thus, pearl hunting will be done from morning to evening. In the evening, they bring the oysters they have collected to the beach, spread them on the sand, break the shells and take out pearls from inside.

Training for Swimmers

Finding and collecting deep-sea molluses, such as pearl oysters and fresh water mussels requires special skills and training. Bathers should be generally stout, broad-chested and dark-skinned.

Shark Charming

The pearl hunting Barathas must have been attacked by sharks frequently. They have recited the mantra 'Shark Charming' to prevent this danger caused by sharks and save the men from them.

Generally, Anthanars sit on the shore and chant mantras to prevent the harms from marine life while collecting pearls. It was said that the Anthanars would bind the mouths of sea creatures like sharks and whales by their powers. In the evening, after the pearl collection, they would recite mantras and untie their mouths.

Proof: Agananooru 350

2. Bharathavars' Right in Pearl Hunting

The Bharathavars had the ability and rights to collect pearls. Bharathavars were known as 'bathers'. They were pearl bathers by profession. They also engaged in conch bathing. Pandyan kings supported them. During the period when the Pandyas were powerful, they not only exempted Bharathavars from general taxation but also protected them. Barathavars carried out their work by getting special privileges compared to others.

Proofs

1. The Italian traveller Marco Polo in his book 'Travels of Marcopolo' has written about 'Pearl Hunting', an event in Thoothukudi where people dive into the sea and pick pearls.

2. Caldwell, a Western scholar in his book has also detailed no mod bythe Pearl Hunting of Bharathavars in the Kayal Port.

3. Permission and the Role for Pearl Hunting

Since the Sangam era, Pearl Hunting in the sea should be done only after obtaining the king's permission. One tenth of the collected pearls should be given to the king and one twentieth to the Anthanars chanting the mantras. Apart from this, if high quality pearls are found, the king used to buy them from the merchants at a high price.

4. Convicted Criminals as Pearl Hunters

Sangam literature states that the Pandyas generally conducted 'Pearl Hunting' with 'convicted criminals'. Korkai Pattinam belonged to the Pandyan Kingdom. Evidences suggest that 'convicted criminals' were mostly used for 'Pearl Hunting'.

Proof: It is mentioned in the maritime accounts of Periblues.