CEYLON BRANCH — ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY, ft 



self cured, erected a temple in the neighbourhood at what ha» 

 thenceforward been called Mdmttapuram, or "the city where 

 the horse quitted. * Subsequently to this event, it happened that 

 at blind minstrel, named Ydlppdnen, departing from Chola> ar- 

 rived at the Court of the King Narasingha Rdja,f who then 

 swayed the sceptre of Ceylon, and having by his wonderful feats 

 on the lute ingratiated himself into the favor of that monarch, 

 obtained from him a grant of the peninsula. He called it af- 

 ter his own name Ydlppdna Nadu or Ydlppdnam, J and inviting 

 from the Continent as many of his countrymen as chose to share 

 with him in his good fortune, established them in the different 

 parts of his territory, which he continued, to govern for many 

 years. No sooner had he died than Pandi Maluver, a chief 

 ©f the Velldlas, J J without any reference to the Singhalese 

 King, proceeded to Madura, and induced a Prince, named 

 Singha Arimal or Singha Ariya § to come over to Jaffna, 

 and assume the reins of Government, which, we are assured, he 



* Mdvittapuram is situated exactly i I miles north of Jafmapata-wi, 

 and the temple, which now stands there, is said to occupy the site 

 of that erected by the Cho/a Princess. The tradition concerning tht 

 Princess, although it wears in some respects the ' character of a fa- 

 ble, is evidently founded upon some historical fact, her memory 

 being still commemorated by the people of Jaffna in the annual 

 ablutions performed at Keerimalle. and the festival celebrated at 

 Mavitlapuram. t The Kyldsa Mala represents Narasingha Raja as 

 the son of the Chola Pri ucess herself by a Prince, who resided at Kadi* 

 ramalle, or Katragam. His name, however, does not occur in the 

 list of the Singhalese Kings, and I am therefore induced to be- 

 lieve, that he was merely a subordinate King, who ruled over the 

 northern part of the maritime provinces of Ceylon ; for there are said to 

 have been in ancient times no less than sixteen Kings in the Island, 

 each having a certain portion of it under his sway, and paying 

 homage to the Emperor of Sitawaka, Philalethes' History of Ceylon, 

 page 51. Note. % This name is still in use amongst the natives, 

 although the Europeans have corrupted it into Jaffana or Jaffna* 

 %% Velldlas, those of the agricultural tribe. § Some accounts repre- 

 sent Singha Ariya as sprung from the stock of Chold by a Brah- 

 man female of Manavy in Ramnad ; and hence he is said to have 

 assumed the ambiguous title of Ariya to signify both sides of his 

 parentage ; for the word Ariya is a synonyrne tor the Chola Kings 

 m well as for the Brahmins. Bertolacci, in his Account of Ceylon, 



