Published Feb 28, 2021, 4:10 am IST Updated Feb 28, 2021, 4:10 am IST It was most fascinating to pore over the book on modern South India which is a history from the 17th century right up to the modern times Modern South India — A History from the 17th Century to Our Times By RAJMOHAN GANDHI (Photo: Twitter @AlephBookCo) A lesser-known fact may be that the Venetian merchant-explorer Marco Polo came to Pulicat Lake where he berthed his boat in 1292 and travelled towards what would have been ancient Madras. Of course, the history of visitors to South India goes way back to Greek and Roman traders. The history of far-flung parts of the world trading with South India goes back centuries, beyond Vasco Da Gama who was one of the most famous traders to come south. A historic visitor in the first century CE was the doubting apostle Saint Thomas, who is celebrated in Chennai with the famous St Thomas Mount named after him and long before that had the Portuguese naming the village of San Thome after him. In the first century CE, he was interred in the basilica in Santhome