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JULY, 1881.]
NOTES ON THE SWASTIKA.
199
dred feet in height, and cooks with his own hands It is also said the sick get cured of their the meal for the birds, which consists of rice, diseases. Lepers, lunatics, persons attacked with sugar and ghi; he takes this to the place called paralysis and other diseases may be seen by the Eagle's Rock, and with some slokas scores in the town every day. invokes the holy birds; the two come at the They are enjoined to bathe twice every day, usual hour to the hill, go round the temple as if morning and evening, in the waters of the to do homage to Siva, and alighting on the Chank-shell tank, go round the hills after bathing, rock walk straight to the Pandaram to be fed take moderate meals and always meditate upon by him like domesticated animals. The Panda- Siva. By this process continued for twenty or ram with due reverence gives the food to be thirty days, marvellous cures are effected, which eaten and the ghi to be drunk. When the birds the people attribute to Vedigiriśvarar. are satisfied they go away. The Pandáram then A healthy climate, bathing twice in cold water turns round to the people who have witnessed the daily, a morning and evening walk of three scene, and makes a speech which is delivered miles, pure air from the hills, moderate meals, with much fluency in three languages, Tamil, Te. absence from all fretting desires, and the prelugu and Hindustani (for Hindus from all parts sence of the one fixed idea that by believing in of India go to the place daily), "Righteous men," Vedigiriśvarar all sins will be purged, operate he says, "the holy birds have come sooner to-day, no doubt a good deal on the sick, and work upon and have partaken very heartily of the meal set them remarkable cures. before them. Yesterday they came late as there Sach is a brief account of Tirukaluk unwere some sinners here. But as you are righte- ram. Every tank, every rock, every spot has its ous men-(no doubt these will become sinners own legend. There is the IndraThirtham, the next day)--they have come to-day sooner, and Rudrangoil; the tree under which and have taken very freely the meal given them. Nandi offered his devotions to Vedigiri varar Hasten therefore, and take each of you a handful and the place on the hill where Siva took alive. of the holy food which will purge away all your a Chetti girl by name Chokammal while she was sing." All the people go to him, and after going round the hills with her parents, and paying him get the much-coveted holy food from granted her a place by his side. Such is a brief his hands. In this way, the Pandaram makes account of this curious place, which attracted a very good income, and gets on an average even Dutch foreigners from Sadras. On the Rs. 500 a year. I have seen the above with my walls of a porch cut in a rock on the hill are own eyes. It is on account of this that the town inscribed the names of the Dutch visitors and is called Tiruka!ukunram, or 'the hill the dates of their visits; the earliest date being of the Sacred Kites.'
the year 1663.
NOTES ON THE SWASTIKA.
BY R. SEWELL, M.R.A.S., MADRAS CIVIL SERVICE. The attention of readers of the Indian learned, I think no harm can be caused by Antiquary bas lately been drawn to the gathering together a few notes on the many question of the origin of that mysterious Aryan heterogeneous theories that have been put symbol, the Swastika, in a paper last year by forward to account for the symbol and explain the celebrated Orientalist, Mr. Edward Thomas; its meaning. I only pretend to have collected in another article on the subject written by the a very few of these extremely diverse elucidaRev. S. Beal;' and by Mr. Thomas's enlarged tions. Others may be able to furnish us with essay on the subject in the Numismatic Chronicle further examples of the ingenuity displayed by (N.S. Vol. XX. pp. 18-48).
writers in presence of the Swastika; and the Whether Mr. Thomas's sun-theory be really exhibition may be amusing if it does not prove the right one or not, I leave to each student instructive. of such matters to decide for himself. But | In 1854 General Cunningham, writing in his while any doubt whatever remains among the Bhilsa Topes, goes into the question of this symbol Ind. Ant., vol. IX, p. 65ff.
Id., p. 674. Soo also continuation of the paper, p. 1864.
