1837.] 



Account of the Province of Rdmndd, 



375 



The pilgrims who resort to the temple at Rameswara to pay their 

 adorations, must, after performing their ablutions in the sea, first come 

 here to worship. 



Adisetu-tirtha is not a village, but a famed place on the coast, lying 

 nine miles south of the capital ; it is esteemed holy by the Hindus on 

 account of its bath, which was. found by Rama, who bathed here, on his 

 expedition to the Isle of Lanka. The men generally bring their wives 

 and families with them ; but, in the event of the wife not being present, 

 the priest gives the husband a piece of straw to roll round the little 

 finger of his right hand, as an emblem of the wife. The act of washing 

 here in the sea is a form of penance that they perform, from a general 

 notion that, by doing so, they wash away all their sins. Devotees, and 

 especially those of the Brahman caste, who go on pilgrimage to the 

 Isle of Rameswara, must return hither to perform the enjoined rites of 

 devotion, and the priests who attend here make a small collection from 

 them, giving in return holy ashes to rub on their foreheads. The 

 neighbouring villagers assemble here to bathe on certain days of the 

 year ; also on the days of the new moon, and particularly at the time of 

 an eclipse either of the sun or moon. 



Kilakarai, a populous sea-port and commercial town, situated nine 

 miles south by west of the capital. It is inhabited by Muhammadans, 

 many of whom are opulent, and carry on a considerable trade both by 

 sea and land. The houses and granaries are finely built on the margin 

 of the sea, from which it has a beautiful appearance. The circumfer- 

 ence of the town is about two and a half miles ; the streets are numer- 

 ous, but narrow and ill-formed ; the houses are low and have thatched 

 roofs. A small Roman Catholic church is situated near the eastern 

 skirts of the town, contiguous to which are the ruins of a Dutch factory. 

 There are about eleven mosques, or rather tombs of some respectable 

 Musalmans who have died here, a few of which are very elegant in 

 structure, especially one which stands about the centre of them, the 

 cupola of which is covered with gold. The place abounds with very 

 thick groves of Palmyra trees. It carries on a good sale in Padanir,* 

 which the Musalmans much esteem, and drink to excess. The inha- 

 bitants of this town follow almost every trade, and carry on an exten- 

 sive manufacture of long cloths, both fine and coarse : upwards of a 

 hundred, boats belong to this port. The coast abounds with low rugged 

 rocks, which are only seen above water at low tide ; it is, therefore, 

 dangerous for the passage of vessels, unless conducted by a pilot who 

 is well experienced in these roads. Vessels pay for their anchorage 

 here as well as in other parts. A sea custom-house is established here. 



* A sweet beverage extracted from the Palmyra tree, similar to toddy, but with which 

 is mixed a little chunam : when boiled, it becomes jaggry, a coarse kind of sugar. 



