378 



Account of the Province of Rdmndd. 



[April 



settled here as farmers about four hundred years ago : their manners and 

 customs, distinguishing them from the other classes of Velalars, are very 

 singular. The men marry among their own tribe, and never seek a 

 bride elsewhere. They will on no account engage to hold a situation 

 under any authority whatever, but employ themselves solely as cultiva- 

 tors of the land : they will not make obeisance to the raja of the coun- 

 try, nor will they pay any kind of formal respect or compliment to any 

 description of persons, but express their humility by rubbing their bellies 

 with their right hand. 



Tonde, a sea-port town situated on the road towards Tanjore, is a 

 dependency of Sivaganga. It carries on a good trade with Columbo, 

 and other sea-ports. A few opulent merchants reside here. The houses 

 are low built ; the streets narrow and irregular ; the inhabitants are 

 principally Musalmans, but there are also a few Karaiyars ; the former 

 are engaged in manufacturing long cloths, and the latter are fishermen. 

 Inland commodities, consisting of grain, tamarinds, cloths, &c. &c. are 

 exported from this place, as also chanks, which are fished in great 

 abundance. It lies eleven miles north-east of Armukamkotta. 



Tiruvadanari, a village of some note from having within it a grand 

 Hindu temple, is situated on the high road which leads from Sivaganga 

 to Tonde, and intersects the road tha". leads from Sivaganga toTrichi- 

 nopoly ; the temple stands near the west end of the village, encompass- 

 ed by a high wall and a street : the houses are tolerably well built. An 

 annual festival is celebrated here in the montrLof April ; and a weekly 

 market is held on every Monday. It lies seven miles and m half west- 

 north-west of Tonde. 



Kunnangudi, a pretty populous village, has a temple on the west, en- 

 compassed by a wall, in which is a well of excellent water. It lies five 

 miles and a half on the north-east of Hanumantagudi. This temple is 

 of great antiquity, and is said to have been built by Karikala Chola 

 Raja, while on his religious excursion to Rameswara. A grand festi- 

 val is celebrated here annually in the month of June. The productions 

 are chiefly cotton, paddy, and dry grain. 



Kottapatnam is a small sea-port town, situated in the Tanjore coun- 

 try, ten miles north of the Pambanar, which forms part of the general 

 boundary between Tanjore and this country. Several small detached 

 pieces of land appertaining to the latter are irregularly situated in the 

 Tanjore country. A Brahman village lies east of the road, and within 

 the town are two mosques. Fine cloths, &c. are manufactured here by 

 the Musalmans, who carry on a pretty good trade. Chanks are fished 

 in abundance, and a good deal of salted fish is carried from this port to 

 distant markets. 



Devakotta is a populous village, but the streets are narrow, crooked, 



