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[Vol. X. 



called Three in one and Two in one ! who hast three eyes 

 and reignest on the banks of Palavi at Matoddam, which 

 abounds in mangoes ! Remit my sins. 



10. I, a native of Tiruvottiyiir, which is held in great 

 esteem by men of all religions, am not worthy to sing these 

 ten verses on thee who dwellest at Tirukketisvaram at 

 Matoddam surrounded by the sea, where beetles of all kinds 

 make sweet music. 



REMARKS ON MR. BOAKE'S PAPER ON THE 

 RUINS OF TIRUKKETISVARAM. 

 By the Hon. P. RAma-NAthan. 



The proper name of the temple is Tirukketisvaram, or 

 Tirukketichchuram, in which Tiru (a pure Tamil word) 

 means " sacred," " prosperous," or " eminent," and Ketlsvaram 

 means the residence or temple of the god Ketisvara. I cannot 

 tell for certain what the derivation of Ketlsvaram is, but 

 Ketu in Sanskrit means, among other things, a banner or 

 standard of distinction, and Tsvaram is the residence of 

 Tsvara or Siva. Nor am I certain that Ketaram in the 

 Himalayas or Kedara-ghat in Benares has any historic or 

 legendary connection with Ketlsvaram in Ceylon. The word 

 is formed on the same principle as Ramesvaram, which is 

 divisible into Rama-Psvaram. 



Mr. Boake speaks of Ketlsvaram as a city. I do not think 

 it was anything more than a temple, surrounded by a small 

 population of office-bearers and devotees, such as are usually 

 found in the precincts of any Brahmanic temple. 



Then, as regards the antiquity of the temple, Mr. Boake is 

 inclined to believe that it was built contemporaneously with 

 Ramesvaram. It is well known that most of the great stalas, 

 or holy places, especially temples of India, have each a 

 purdna, in which its history is given. Tirukketisvaram had 

 undoubtedly a purdna at one time, but from inquiries I have 



