Report on the Mackenzie Manuscripts. 



\7 



Reference to the marriage of Siva and Parvati on Cailasa--\ht 

 assembly of rishis, and others, among them Jgastya and Pulast^hj/a, 

 at which time the earth was irregular in height, and Agastya received 

 an order to go and make the earth equal, or level. A promise that Siva 

 would appear to him by the way was accomplished at this place, 

 called Tirupanang-liodu^ as being situated in the DandacaranyUf 

 abounding with Panna (i. e. palmyra) trees. At a subsequent period 

 three celebrated poets named Smttarar, Appar, and Sampantar, came 

 to Tiruvalur, and sung the praises of that place. A little to the south 

 of Tiruvalur, at Tirupanang-kadu, the god appeared to them in the 

 guise of an old man, struck the ground with his sulam, producing 

 water, and provided food. Subsequently a Chola king, who had incur- 

 red the guilt of killing a Brahman^ came this way, and to remove that 

 guilt, seeing the place without a fane, he built a double shrine for the 

 god and goddess, with the usual accompaniments and grants, recorded 

 by inscriptions. After the Chola kings had passed away, one named 

 Tdmdlavaru built a large mantapa (porch) in front of the shrine, with 

 a mud fort around. Subsequently some district chieftains turned thia 

 fortification into a strong hold, and put troops therein. In the time of 

 Anaverdha Khan, nabob of Arcot, five hundred Mahrattas came by 

 treaty, and treacherously took the fort, killing Murtinayaken its com- 

 mander, and rasing it to the ground. The families of people for ten 

 miles round, through fear of the Mahratta cavalry, had taken refuge 

 in the fort : many of these the Mahrattas killed, while some escaped 

 wounded ; the shrine was plundered, and its service ceased. In th« 

 time of Rdyaji the ruler of Arcot, a wealthy man from Madras made 

 •ome endowments. In the great Mahomedan troubles worship ceased. 

 The Brahmans did not succeed in obtaining the patronage of the 

 Honorable Company. A Brahman made some repairs, with alms col. 

 lected by him, and the Cumb'hdhishegam (or transfer of the inherent 

 divinity of the image into a pot of water) was performed during the 

 process of the repairs. 



Section 15. — Account of the tribe of Nohkara in the Tiruvalur dig- 

 trict. 



This class of mountebanks arose about the year two hundred and 

 fourteen, era of Sa'ivdhana. They acquired skill by the assistance of 

 Devi (or Durga) ; on one occasion they especially exerted themselves 

 «t Trinomali, fixing their pole on the top of one of the loftiest turrets 



