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marvellous occurrence, the water in the tank is greatly 
agitated, foaming and boiling to the accompaniment of 
considerable noise. Onthe appearance of the chank the 
foam subsides and the sound ceases. Then the chank 
comes to the side where it is picked up, purified and holy 
water sprinkled upon it. Thus consecrated it is carried 
in solemn procession through the village to the Vetha- 
giriswarar temple, where it is placed in the treasury with 
the rest of the temple treasures. 
Locally this chank is considered superior to all other 
chanks in the world and the origin of the periodic 
miracle is narrated as follows :— 
When the sage Markkandéya was visiting the sacred 
places with his disciple, the latter forgot to bring the 
Siva puja-box containing the chank required for the 
libation necessary in the ritual of worship. The sage 
took his bath in the tank and as puja time was fast 
approaching he prayed to be helped in this misfortune. 
As a result of his prayer and by the special grace of the 
deity, a chank appeared in the tank. Then he placed a 
Lingam before him and, with the help of the chank 
miraculously provided, performed his worship in an 
acceptable and proper manner. He also prayed that a 
chank might appear each day he should worship at this 
tank. The Puranas say that this request was granted 
and has been since continued until the present day. In 
this connection my informant remarks that it is to be 
noted that twelve ordinary years constitute one divine 
dav. 
Thousands of pilgrims resort to the Tirukalikundram 
shrines each year and the marvel of this story is one 
of the great assets of the place just as is the periodic 
liquefaction of blood to the shrine of San Gennario in 
Naples. 
In temple worship, the chank fulfils important 
service. The ordinary and sinistral forms are both 
employed whenever the temple possesses them. ‘The 
former is used in the menial duty of summoning the 
god’s attention, announcing the commencement of the 
principal rites as well as in calling the devout to wor- 
ship; such are among the general explanations given 
for its employment, but some ethnologists hold that the 
innate and primitive significance of the use of the 
