TRACTS ON THE KlSTNA. 



private prayer is provided with a ticket at the Cut cherry and has an arm, 

 stamped, for which he pays one Rupee eight Annas. Very poor people 

 who cannot afford the personal interview pay eight Annas for the privi- 

 ledge of looking at the outside walls, a sight, 'well worth the money, fur the 

 walls of the Temple enclosure, 300 paces by 250, and about 20 feet in 

 height are built of stones, every one of which is carved with a tableau in 

 Alto Relievo representing the combat of men and animals- The two temples 

 within the enclosure are entirely covered with copper gilt, 



SIDDAPOOR. 

 Note 4, Page 137, 



Riding along the bund of the Siddapoor tank, I observed that it does 

 Hot now occupy more than a fifth of the space it once did. A gigantic 

 bund stretches away to the south-east, which I am told was breached by 

 the overflowing water of the tank about 50 years ago. My informant, who 

 holds the office of Curnum at the villages of Siddapoor and Peddacherroo, 

 and whose family appear to have held the same post for many generations 

 past, states that it is on record that the bund cost 40,000 Rupees, and that 

 the revenue derived from the tank alone was enormous. He gave me 

 some interesting details of the history of Siddapoor or Tonsnager. This 

 was the place from which were derived the revenues, that supported in 

 wealth the 350 dancing girls, who once formed the yearly procession that 

 marches round the walls of the Holy Temple of Purwuttum, and this place 

 supported also the same number of carpenters and silversmiths who were 

 attached to the Temple. In 1848, Billakalla Gooroo Kistapah, my in- 

 formant's uncle and Curnum of Siddapoor, conceived the idea of res- 

 toring the place to its former importance. He communicated with 

 the Commissioner of Kurnool, who gave him every encouragement, and 

 told him that he should have what land he liked at the nominal rent 

 of 8 Annas a cawny, if he could establish a village and cultivation at Sidda- 

 poor. Accordingly, GoorooKistapah raised a sum of 700 Rupees and travelled 

 from village to village in the districts of Kurnool and Relkry in search 

 of volunteers, who would join him in his attempt to reclaim these lands. 

 A party of 80 persons were collected, and in March 1848 they squatted on 

 the site of the old Town of Siddapoor • some jungle w 7 as eut down, and in 

 July, 20 acres of paddy were planted. A fine old stone bowree was 

 cleared of rubbish, cleaned out, and the water declared excellent. This 

 bowree was resorted to because the squatters thought that the tank water 

 coming from the surrounding hiJls was so saturated with decomposing 

 vegetation that it would probably induce the deadly fever of which they 

 had all heard so much. The health of the squatters was excellent for about 

 10 months from the date of their arrival, when fever broke out, and thirty 

 persons were burned or buried in a very short space of time. The rest were 

 panic-struck, and everyone who had strength fled. 



Poor Gooroo Kistapah was among the first victims, and his son on his 

 death became Curnum of Siddapoor and Peddacherroo, which post he filled 

 until about three months ago, when he also died of fever, and the present 

 Curnum, his cousin, was appointed. There can be no doubt that this un- 

 healthy jungle is, and has been, for many years past slowly extending. 

 Trees grow when men sleep, and although the intense heat of March, April 

 and May arrest vegetation, the heavy rains in June, July and August pro- 

 duce a yearly increase of jungle which man makes no attempt to restrict. 

 In short, the people of this district are and have been for years retiring 

 before the jungle and its concomitant fever ; and the jungle and fever will 

 continue to advance, until a vigorous stand is made against Them, the 

 jungle cut down and the land cultivated, 



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