14 lieport on the Mackenzie Manuscripts. [JaK» 



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

 {sylvans) paid homage to Rama, the incarnation of Vishnu : and 

 when the latter returned to VaiconCha, 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 

 apes especially abounds in this district. 



This statement was written according to the account given by the 

 Namhiyan {Brahman) of Tiruvayipadi, and of Fencatesa muthaliar. 



Remark.-— Yvom. 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 Jaind 

 fane at Turakal in the district of Vandivast\ 



The inscription commemorates the grant, by Tirumucapa svasta sri 

 Gcva-perun singhen^ of a PaUichantam (alms house) to the officiating 

 hierophants, and their assistants* It has no date except the specifica- 

 tion of Carticeya month (part of November). It is in Tamil mingled 

 with Pracrity in the usual Jaina manner, and does not appear to be 

 complete, unless the sign {an abreviation) be intended to denote (&c.) 

 by the copyist, as not having transcribed the whole, which seems to 

 be not improbable. 



A remark by Jpdvu (Colonel Mackenzie's servant). In Turakal 

 there is a small hill on which there is a curious J aina fane, and ano- 

 ^ ther one at the base ; in one place there is an image of fine workman- 

 ship ; and in another place four well sculptured images* In the latter 

 there are three inscriptions, respectively in the Canarese, Tamil, andi 

 Sanscrit, of which the letters would require great pains to copy oi* 

 decipher. There is the unfinished commencement of a sculptured 

 cave, like those at Mdvalipuram / and several natural caves around the 

 hill J in three of which there are J'ama images, on seats (or pedes- 

 tals). They say that J^ama ascetics lived in these caves; there was 

 most probably a Jaina sahha (or assembly) here in former times* 

 The description and account were obtained from Loga-ndtha-naya' 

 nan 



