72 THE ANTIQUITIES 0^ MTJEHALINGAM. 
eight or nine small temples, enclosed by aprdkdra with two 
gateways, the principal one, called Simhadvdra, in the east 
opening into the street in a line with the gateways of the 
central structure, and the other in the south. Between the 
Simhadvdra and the entrance into the mandapa is a 
small vestibule, the gateway of which is surmounted by a 
frieze representing a scene in the K slietraradhatmya how 
the god Siva revealed himself to some Savaras who had 
before been Gandharvus, but cursed to be born as Savaras 
— a wild aboriginal tribe, by which that part of the country 
was probably inhabited. There are some Savaras living 
fit present on hills near Mukhalingam. It is to be noted 
that like the Oi-issan god Jaganndtha, Mukhalingesvara has 
his origin connected with the Savaras. 
From the information that I have received regarding the 
religious customs of the Savaras, I may say that they do 
not generally indulge in the worship of blocks of stone or 
wood, as their neighbours, the KJwnds, are said in the 
reports of Macpherson and Campbell to do. But it must 
be stated that once or twice in a year the Savaras cele- 
brate a festival during which the inhabitants of each village 
go in a procession to a neighbouring hill, bring from it 
a big cylinder-like stone to their fields, and fix it in the 
ground there. To this block of stone they present some 
offerings of fruit and even sacrifice fowls and goats. 
The feast being over, it is left alone and is no more wor- 
shipped ; a fresh block is brought the next time. Can this 
Savara fetich be the origin of that Hindu idol of Siva ? 
6. The idol in the main temple is not as attractive as 
many that could be seen in other places- Emblems of Siva 
are almost everywhere mere cylindrical blocks of stone ; 
but this Mukhalingesvara is a piece of unpolished, rough, 
broken stone. The Kshtfravidhdtmya is full of miracles 
said to have been worked here, attesting the sanctity of the 
