166 



ON DRUIDICAL AND 



felspar well pronounced, some being two inche3 long. This 

 edifice was built by a Rayalu of Pennakonda. The sculp- 

 tures on the pillars are curious : amongst them I observed 

 a sphinx with the bust of a female. In this part of the 

 country, one occasionally meets with shrines to Saktis, or 

 goddesses of the Evil principle, whose worship was exten- 

 sively diffused prior to the introduction of Brahminism. 



Pennakonda. — The hill rising over this town has some 

 fortified lines connecting the fort with the works on the 

 summit. Musjids, minarets, choultries, tombs, towers, stone 

 pillars and other architectural remains on every side mani- 

 fest its former consequence. It was one of the seats of the 

 Anagundi sovereigns, after they were dispossessed, by the 

 Mahomedans of Bijanuggurft which being depopulated by 

 the latter, the descendant of a race of powerful Hindu 

 monarchs of Southern India, deserting the seat of his ances- 

 tors, maintained his government for some time longer at 

 Pennakonda, whence being also driven by the Mahome- 

 dans, he sought refuge in some place nearer Madras. I have 

 no doubt that Bijanuggur was the rich Indian city men- 

 tioned in the Arabian Nights. 



At present ceremonies are performed in ten pagodas. 

 There are two to Jaina. On the exterior of the one, now 

 only used, is a figure of J aina canopied by a seven-headed 

 snake, and like Buddha seated cross-legged. In the court of 

 this temple are two sculptured stones with defaced inscrip- 

 tions. The sculptures on the two large pagodas inside the 

 fort are most beautifully wrought and would not disgrace 

 any collection. In beauty as well as finish they are equal in 

 my humble opinion to some of the antiques in the museum 

 of France and Italy. I was greatly surprised to find such 



ft Ferislita's account of the fall of the Bijanuggur (Anagundi) empire is 

 full of romantic interest. 



