122 



The Antiquities of the 



[No. 



the marks of the chisel were apparent ; their surfaces being smooth- 

 ed and pierced by holes, which I apprehend served as sockets for 

 pillars. Fragments of ornamented pottery were dispersed around^ 

 I observed several excavations in this part of the fortress, from which 

 I suspect some curious person has been at work before me, and it is 

 likely the fragments of pottery were thrown up in the course of his 

 operations. 



The native account of this place proclaims it was the work of a 

 Rajah called Adi-Raer, who lived many centuries ago and built 

 another fort, the ruins of which yet stand below, in the direction of 

 Srimoga. Referring to a Rajah Paditti or Hindu list of the Pandya, 

 Chola, and Chera kings, with corrected dates, I find that Adi-Raer 

 flourished about the year 990 of our era, and I am inclined to think 

 he was a Jain, from his name Adi, which is one of the appellatives 

 of Jaina. 



I think we may safely consider this king or one of his chiefs to 

 have been the person who defeated the Thautawars at Achenny and 

 established the dominion of the Pandyans over the Neilgherries, 

 leaving a monument of his victory and of his religion wrought upon 

 their altars — the Cromlechs at that place; and strengthening his 

 conquest by the construction of the fort which bears his name. 



If this be admitted, we have attained a very important desideratum 

 in the history of the Thautawars, namely, the period at which they 

 were subjugated, by the Pandyan invaders, apparently the latter end 

 of the tenth century. 



Six generations ago the forefathers of the Burghers and Linga- 

 yets, flying to these hills as an asylum, found protection from the 

 Governor of this Fort who according to their account was himself a 

 worshipper of Siva. 



There are two other ancient Forts on the Hills : Gunganachiki 

 Cottay, subsequently called Syudabad in the time of Tippoo, is near 

 Coonoor. The other, Mulla Cottay near Sholoor, called Hooseina- 

 bad by Tippoo, I imagine was erected by the Pandyan conquerors of 

 the Hills after their return to the worship of Siva, as a ruined tem- 

 ple at this fort contains images of Buswa, Ganesa, and Anumanta. 



The discovery of the Cromlechs at Achenny excited in me the 

 hope of finding some of those Druidical relics called by Antiquaries 

 in Europe Kisivaen or " closed Cromlechs," frequently occurring in 

 such parts of England and Wales as the Druids most favored. I 



