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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(JUNE, 1873.
against each other for the amusement of the court. | all are about half a mile lower down the river. This is the account given by tradition, and, judg. One dedicated to Vithal, a form of Vişhậu, is said ing from the character of the sculptures surround- to be equal in its architectural detail to anything ing the place, it is probably the true one. The at Elors. The roof is formed of immense slabs animals fought on the ground, and the king and of granite gupported by monolithic columns of the his suite watched them from elevated platforms of same material richly carved, and twenty feet high. stone. The buildings in which these beasts were Close by are similar buildings dedicated to Viraconfined cannot now be distinguished, but the bhadra and Ganesa. In the centre of the Vithala stone trough at which they were watered still temple is the stone-car of the god, supported by remains. The trough is a monolith, which has stone elephants, and about 30 feet high.* unfortunately been slightly cracked in turning Talpatri (population 7,869) is built on the right it over to look for treasure. Its dimensions are bank of the Penner river, which flows close under414 x 3 x 2 fæet.
neath its walls. According to tradition, it was Leaving these, the road passes through a few founded by Ramalingam Nayudu, a subordinate paddy-fields towards the river. There are fine of the Vijayanagar kings, about 400 years ago. stone buildings all round and the debris of count- The village was first called "Tålepalli," having less houses of stone and brick. On the left is a been built in a grove of palmyra trees, and this mutilated monolith representing Siva with a cobra was afterwards corrupted into Tadpatri, He also with outstretched hood over his head. Siva is built the fine temple dedicated to Rama Iswara. represented se led, and the statue is about 35 feet The other temple, on the river-bank, called that of high.. It has been much damaged by Tipt's Chintardya, was built by his grandson Timma troops, who have broken off the nose and one of the Nayudu, who also founded several other villages arms. Close by are two fine temples between in the neighbourhood. These two temples are which the road passes, but which are remarkable "elaborately decorated with sculptures representfor nothing but the enormous size of the stones ing the adventures of Krişhna, Råma, and other which have been used in their construction. Mass- mythological events. Among the bas-reliefs is a es of cut granito, many of them 30 feet in length figure holding & Grecian bow, rarely seen among by 4 in depth, are seen high up in the wall, and no Hindu sculpture." The temple on the river-bank explanation can be given of the mode in which is by far the finest, but was never finished. The they were placed in their present position.
Gopuram of the other temple was struck by lightAbout 100 yards beyond this place, the crest of ing about 30 years ago and split in half. After the the hill is reached, and from it a magnificent pano- battle of Talikota, the country round Tadpatri Wus ramic view is obtained. Immediately below, the subdued by the forces of the Katb Shahi dynasty, river Tangabadra flows through a gorge between and & Muhammadan Governor was appointed. the rocks, and on the opposite bank are high rugged Afterwards the town was captured by Morari granite hills. Parallel with the river is the main Rao, and still later by Haidar Ali. The situation of street, lined with temples and palaces and some Tadpatri is low, and in the rains and when the modern houses. Small patches of paddy and river is in fresh the worst parts of the town are sugar-cane cultivation serve to give colour to the under water. The main street, though narrow, is Boene. At one end of this street, which is about straight, and the houses on each side of it well half a mile long and fifty yards in broadth, is a and substantially built. Another good street large pagoda in good repair, which is the only might be made along the bank of the river, and one in which service is still kept up. A channel
ca service 18 still kept up. A channel the embankment necessary would have the effect from the river runs through the centre of it, and of preventing the river from undermining the is led through the room used for cooking, so Rama Iswara temple, as it now does. The streets that at all times there is a supply of fresh running in the rest of the town are small and crooked, water. At the other end of the street is a large and lined with squalid mud houses, built without figure of Hanuman, the monkey-god, while the
any attempt at regularity. The road from Kadwhole is commanded by a high hill composed of dapah to Beldri passes at the rear of the town, irregular granite boulders, on the summit of which as does also the railway, though the station is at a large temple has been erected. The view from Nandelpad, about 2 miles off. Tadpatri has althe top well repays the trouble of the ascent. ways been a great trading centre, and on this Parallel with this main street, but a little further account, and also on account of its peculiar sancfrom the river, is another, equal in size, but with tity (one authority reckoning it next to Benares), fewer fine buildings in it. The finest temples of it has always been a thriving and populous town.t
pp. 290-292.
Ibid. pp. 48, 49.
