THE SEVEN PAGODAS. 



147 



on the district is evidenced by the carving on the raths, and 

 probably elsewhere, at the Seven Pagodas." 



Mr. Crole appears to build upon an inscription of Pulikesi I 

 of 489 A.D. (p. 136), which seems to have been a forgery of 

 later date (Burnell, S.I.P., p. 18), but adds: " There is how- 

 ever no doubt of the monoliths and some, at all events, of the 

 carvings at the Seven Pagodas having been executed under his 

 auspices." (Ct. But. Man. p. 136.) 



SIR WALTER ELLIOT. 



The following extracts are from Sir Walter Elliot's paper as 

 given by Carr at pp. 119-142. 



" The era of the oldest Tamil inscription is clearly fixed at the 

 latter part of the eleventh century," p. 140. 



This refers to the rock-cut inscription at the Varahasvami 

 (Vishnu) Temple (No. 35) in the Grantha Tamil character. 



At page 126, from the identification of the king's name, in the 

 37th year of whose reign it is dated, the rock inscription (No. 

 60) at Saluvankuppam is put at 1116 A. D., and this date (or 

 rather 1115 A.D.) is confirmed (p. 140) by the identification of 

 the king mentioned in the previous (No. 35) inscription. 



At pages 124, 125, the latest Tamil inscription, that at the 

 neighbouring hamlet of Pavalakkaran Cavadi, is given, contain- 

 ing its own date, the Salivahana year 1157 (= 1235 A.D.) All 

 these Tamil inscriptions are in the same character (Grantha 

 Tamil). Further, at page 141, referring to the earliest of these 

 (No. 35 of 1073), "it is evident from the facts of the grant 

 to Alvar in the temple of Paramesvara Mahavaraha Vishnu, 

 and the subsequent mention of the temple of Mamallai Perumal, 

 that the more modern creed of the Vaishnava sect had been 

 established and that of the Saiva subverted." In this inscription 

 the place is called " Jananathapura which is Mamallapura." 



The invocation of Adisandesvar as the tutelary deity of the 

 locality in the Tamil rock inscription (No. 60) at Saluvankup- 

 pam, situate only 100 yards from the Atiranacanda Pallava 

 Mandapa (excavation No. 58), proves that it was posterior to 

 the latter (p. 126). 



