PAGODA AT PERWUTTUlf. 30$ 



herdfmen, never gave her milk. He watched be- 

 hind the trees, and faw the cow daily milked by an 

 unknown perfon. Malica-Divi informed of this, 

 placed herfelf in a convenient fituation, and be- 

 holding the lame unknown perfon milking the cow, 

 ran to ftrike him with an iron rod or mace, which 

 (he held in her hand ; but the figure fuddenly difap- 

 peared, and to her aftonifhment, nothing remained 

 but a rude fhapelefs Gone. At night the god ap- 

 peared to her in a dream, and informed her, he 

 was the perfon that milked the cow ; flic, therefore 

 on this fpot, built the firft temple that was confecrated 

 to the worfhip of this deity reprefented by a rude 

 ilone." This is the fecond temple that was inewn 

 vefterday, where he is exhibited in the rude Irate 

 of the firft difcovery, and is called Mudi-Mulla-Car- 

 )cc or Mallecarjee ; the other temples were afterwards 

 built in later times, by Rajas and other opulent 

 perfons. The lingam, fhewn by reflected light in the 

 gilded temple, has alfo its hiftory and ftories, frill 

 more ablurd and wonderful, attached to it. It was 

 brought from the (now deferted) city of Chun- 

 dra-goompty-patnam. The princefs, now worfhipped 

 as a goddeis, is alfo called Brama-Rumho, or Stri- 

 chiltum-lhimbo, from whence this Pagoda is called 

 Strichillum. She delights . peculiarly in Perwuttum, 

 but is called by eighteen other names. 



It may be proper. here, to take notice of the carv- 

 ings on the outer walls, as they are remarkable for 

 their number, and contain lefs of thole monflrous fi- 

 gures than other buildings of this kind. It would 

 appear that the fiories reprefented on feveral divifions, 

 or compartments, are defigned to imprefs on the 

 mind fome moral leffon, or to heighten the reverence 

 inculcated for the object of adoration here. The\ 

 cuftoms and manners of the Gentoos ; their arms, 

 drefs, amufements, and the parade and itate attend- 

 ant on their fovereigns, in former times, might be 

 elucidated by a minute infpection of the figures repre- 

 fented 



