________________
198
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(JULY, 1875.
has bathed, she performs pujá to the Gaviri the man must build him one. The next morning Devi in the manner related below. The friends the man told his dream to the chief men of the first bring in the stone on which the articles of village, and resolved to obey the command. Acfood are usually bruised, and the stone roller, cordingly he procured a large number of stones, colour them with saffron, place & mark upon laid the foundation two fathoms deep in the them in the way they daily mark their own Gostanadi, and built the shrine. Immeforeheads, burn incense and place an oblation diately afterwards a linga about two feet high, (the naivedyam) before them. This done, they composed of snail-shells, appeared in the temple. bring in a bitch, colour it, mark it, burn incense He then built a wall all round, about twelve before it, and also place the naivedyam before it. teet high, and cut upon it elephants, horses, and The woman then makes obeisance to it, and it is camels. Having completed the whole, he regiven a good meal of curry and rice. Cakes are turned to his master, and in answer to the also placed upon the curry and rice, and if there inquiries respecting his purchases replied that happens to be in the room a woman who has not he had done as he had been ordered, but was hitherto been blessed with children she eagerly unable to convey them home and had left them seizes some of the cakes, in the hope that by all in Ramešvara. The king immediately sent so doing she may ere long have a child. off other servants to inquire into the truth of The Dog-idol.
the statements, and when they returned and Two hundred years ago a Brahman in the confirmed the whole, resolved to go and see for village of Natta Râmesvara, in the Go- himself. He did so, and on discovering what davari delta, had the misfortune to kill a dog. had really occurred was so pleased with the Grieving on account of his sin, he took counsel piety of his servant that he gave him a village. with the chief Brahmans of the village as to the A linga is still worshipped in the village, best way of making expiation, and received the and elephants, horses, and camels are engraved following advice :-"Build a temple in R âme upon the wall of the court. ś vara which is in the Gostanadi, place an
Gostanadi. image of a dog therein, and after your daily ablu
This is a small but very winding channel tions perform pujá to the dog, and then your sinnear Natta Râmeśvara, only filled with will be pardoned." He complied with their advice water during the rains or a rise in the Godavari. in every respect. The attention of the pilgrims In former times there were some saints to the neighbouring temple at RÂmesvara (munis) performing their tapasu in the village was soon attracted by this new building, and on of Kovvuru, near RajAmandri. They learning the cause of its erection they worshipped obtained their meat and drink in a remarkable there as well as in the larger edifice, and thus way. Every morning they went to the palmyra. the custom has continued to the present day. trees of the village, bent them down very low, Natta Rameswara.
and attached their pots to the crowns of the Natta is the Telugu for a snail, shell-fish, trees, and forth with they were filled with toddy cockle, &c.
sufficient to satisfy their thirst during the whole A large number of pilgrims from the neigh- of the coming day. They then took a namber bouring districts resort to this village on the of millet seeds, scattered them in the neighbouroccasion of the yearly festival. The following ing fields, and immediately a ripe crop appeared, legend is told as the reason of the building of which they cut, and threshed, and ate the same the temple :-In years gone by, a certain king who day. One day a cow brought forth a calf in lived in a country to the east of the Godavari the place where they were performing their called one of his leading men and commissioned devotions, but, lo! before the calf fell to the him to go and buy a number of horses, ele- ground, Garutmantu du flew down and bore phants, and camels. As the man was journey. it away to the skies. The cow, in great distress ing in search of these, he slept one night in at being unable to follow her calf, carefully purthe village of Ramešvara, and dreamed that sued its shadow, and as she went winding here a snail appeared to him and told him that he and there her milk fell to the ground and formed was going to dwell in the village under the a stream, to the channel of which the name Gos. form of a linge, and as he wanted a temple tanad i was given. Gostunamu = cow's teat.
