656 Notes, chiefly Geological, [No. 165. 



Carnatic, the famous Wallajah. The other sects of Brahmans prevailing 

 here are the Telinghi, Madual, and Shaivum ; and it is calculated that 

 Conjeveram contains nearly a thousand families of Brahmans of the 

 above five sects. Remnants of the old Jain temples are traceable in 

 fanes now occupied by their fierce Brahmanical persecutors ; and there is 

 still one family of this sect living at Conjeveram, and a small busti or 

 temple at Tripetty Goodum, a neighbouring village. 



In the erection of the temples, the Hindu architects like the Egyp- 

 tians, in the N. and S. disposition of their walls, appear to have gone 

 by the polar star or the rising and setting of the sun, rather than by 

 the magnetic meridian. In their tanks near the place I observed both 

 the sacred lotus or Tamari (Nymphaea Nelumbo,) and the smaller lotus, 

 (Nymphsea lotus) called by Tamuls, " Alii" with its flower of the richest 

 and deepest pink, studding the surface of the clear water which is often 

 completely carpeted with its broad peltate serrated leaves. The seed 

 of this aquatic plant is eaten, and also its root. 



Much of the grey granite used for the foundation and lower parts of 

 the Gopars, Vimanas, and walls of the temples is, I am told, brought 

 from the rocks of Sholingur, about twenty-five miles to the west by 

 north, and from Tirvaloor. 



Some large blocks of a bottle-green hornblendic rock, resembling 

 that of the Palaveram hill, were brought from Pattamully coopum. 



Astronomy, for which the Brahmans of Conjeveram and Trivaloor 

 were once so famous, is now at a low ebb. The Joshi of Great Conje- 

 veram is a Telinghi Brahman, named Yaikambria, who adopts the 

 tables of the Chandra Siddhanta of Anawa Ayenga, a Sri-Vaishnavam 

 Brahman of Little Conjevaram ; but the most celebrated Joshi lives 

 at Caverypauk ; he is a Brahman of the Smartal sect, named Rama 

 Joshi. They calculate the movements of the heavenly bodies and 

 eclipses for each year ; the lucky and unlucky moments ; and draw out 

 written annual almanacs. But their principal occupation is astrology, 

 calculating of nativities, horoscopes, &c. 



Sri Permatoor. The plain around Sri Permatoor, as at Conjeveram, 

 undulates slightly ; and gradually inclines towards the sea coast, which 

 is about twenty-seven miles to the eastward. The lower grounds are 

 occupied by tanks, some of them of great size, as is the wet cultivation 



