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326
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
DECEMBER, 1883.
pours the remaining water on the balipitha and lands before it enters. At the south entrance throws the rest of the bilva leaves upon it, and of the Amman temple, the bhattar takes out the palanquin proceeds by the south side of the image and places it in the bed besiuu the Nandî to the Mahamandapa, ascending to Amman. There a camphor light is waved; the the east door by the south steps. The bhattar sthanikâr brings milk, and the bhattar offers it now locks the door of the Ardha-mandapa, as naivedya. and the third or Udayakalapújá is closed, the He now comes out, and the dancing girl at time being now about noon.
the door repeats a Tévára úñjal or verse in The fourth service or Uchhikdlap újá begins honour of Siva :soon after the close of the last, and is exactly Mandiramám Saduragiri kalka!áka like the first after the svâmi or image has been Mahameru Ponmalaiyum vitamáka removed from the Amman temple, that it need. Vindaiyanda Séshan iru kayiradáka not be gone over again. It lasts about an hour Vilangukinra Meyjnúnam palakayáka and a half, after which the doors are locked and Tandiramamalayanum vadantotátta all go to their houses for meals.
Chaturmarayõr arukirun du sadangukátta Again about half-past five the drummers and Sundaramé tiruméninádar pankil some of the musicians sit in the entrance porch Tunai Malai nayakiyár á dirúnjal and play with might and main in the shrillest "Mandara and Sadaragiri mountains are of keys. At sunset the sankh is blown in the turned as it were into two pillars for the susporch and the lamps are lit, servants being pension of the swing ; Mahâmèru and Ponmalai appointed for that purpose. The sthånikars are converted into beams; the powerful Sêsha then open the doors and light the temple,*and has made himself into two cords; the true the bhattar, having bathed and having put on wisdom itself which shines supreme is turned * clean cloth and ashes, comes and makes the into a plank; Vishņu and Brahma hold the Sayaraksháp újá, which is a repetition of the third cord and sway the swing to and fro; the learned or Udayakála described above. This is attend- Vedic Brahmans stand near and perform the ed by many pilgrims, and lasts till 9 or 10 necessary rites; the beautiful goddess Malainao'clock P.M.
yaki (Sans. Parvatavardhini) sits by your The sixth and last pujá-Ardhajama, is also side. Let us rock the swing." a repetition of the first, including the abhisheka. And a Paņdaram (Oduvár) also repeats another After this, the bhattar puts the golden image tévára. into a small palanquin and waves a camphor Manana nôleki vaitéki tannaiyöru máyaiyal light before it; then the sthånikárs, preceded Kánadil vavviya kárarakkan uyir Serravan by musicians and the attendant dancing girl, Yenamilappugalannal seyitavi raméchhura (dási) carry it out by the north steps from the Nanamum nanporu!ági ninratoru nanmaiye. east door, the bhattar presenting dhúpa and "That the daughter of Vidéha (Sita) seeing dipa and offers betel nut and leaf (kálánji) in the deer mistook it, without knowing that it front of the Nandi, they bring it round the was a Rakshasa come in disguise to entrap north side of the Nandi, in front of the treasury, her, has after all taken a beautiful turn by (karuvalam) where again dhipa and dipa aro establishing for ever the name of Râmêsvaram." presented, and again on the north-east opposite The sthånikar meanwhile swings the cot to the store-room. It then proceeds east and and fro and fans the images, and people attendsonth along the second Prakara to the southing for worship are supplied with sacred ashes. entrance into the Amman shrine. By the sides | Other sthånikårs now lock and seal the doors of the door out of the Prakara are statues of of all the shrines; all go out, and the sthanikir Tirumalai Sêtapati (on the east) and his son counts the jewels on the images, closes and Raghunatha Tirumalai Setupati," where it seals the door, locking the prdkdra doors stops, and the statues are honoured with gar- and departs about midnight.
· The shrine being perfectly dark, lights are kept in S. 1570 Raghunatha gave Muluttakam, Nambitalai and barning behind the linga all day.
Attur, with reparate copper-plate deeds for the first, * In S. 1562 Tirumalai is said to have given to the and the other two. None of these copper-platos are now temple the villages of Pnliyankudi, Kumrakurichi and to be found in the temple. Karuma! with its hamlets, and a copper-plate dood; and
