1838.] Account of Tiruvapddi and Chettupat. 115 



Section 11. — Account of the fane of Tiruvapddi and of the ancient 



fort of Adi-narrayen Sambhuva Rayer at Vdyalar in the 



Chettupat district. 



In the ancient times Parasara-rishi (father of Vyasa,) and Mar- 

 candaya-rishi, retired for penance to this mountain named Sridari- 

 sanam. Vishnu came thither to see them, and remained reposing on 

 Athi-sesha ; giving rnocsham (or eternal happiness), to such as came 

 to worship him there : these visitors being not men, but the inferior 

 gods. They formed mountain-pools for bathing, which now make five 

 cascades. The tirthas (or pools), are designated by names. In one of 

 them the footsteps of Vishnu are visible by the marks left. A little to 

 the east of this hill Vira Narrayana Sambhuva Rayen built a fort, 

 governed the country, and made some charitable grants. Fragments of 

 buildings in brick- work indicate the site of this fort. His palace was 

 on a hill at some distance westward ; where also vestiges appear. There 

 is also a Vaishnava fane. As only a few dwellings are in that place 

 it is now called Vayalur (a hamlet in the open fields). At the foot of the 

 hill there was once a Saiva fane, of which now only the emblem of 

 Siva remains. Under the hill are other antique vestiges, among them 

 of a wide street with mantapas (or porches), and other similar things, 

 appendages to Hindu worship. In a former yuga (or age) the Vdnara 

 (sylvans) paid homage to Rama, the incarnation of Vishnu ; and when 

 the latter returned to Vdicontha, he called for them : some followed 

 him, and some remained, continuing to the present day, in Vaishnava 

 fanes, to attend on the god. The black-faced species of ape especially 

 abounds in this district. 



This statement was written according to the account given by the 

 Nam hi an (brahman) of Tiruvayipadi, and of Vencatesa-muthdliar. 



Remark. From an account like this we can extract nothing more 

 than the certainty of some head town of a district, having existed under 

 a chief, whose name elsewhere appears, and who may have been among 

 the chiefs arising out of the ruins of the ancient Chola dynasty. 



Section 12. — An inscription on a slab at the entrance of a Jainafane 

 at Turakal in the district of Vandivdsi. 

 The inscription commemorates the grant by Tirumucapa svasta 

 Sri Gova-perun-singhen, ofa Pallichuntam (alms-house), to the offi- 

 ciating hierophants and their assistants. It has no date except the 

 specification of Carteceya month (part of November). It is in Tamil 

 mingled with Prakrit in the usual Jaina manner ; and does not appear 

 to be complete, unless the sign at the end be intended to denote (&c.) 



