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JUXE, 1912.]
KARIKALA AND HIS TIMES
149
There were big adms houses where large quantities of rice were cooked and served to people resorting to them. Also places where sinall tanks were made and grass served for cattle. Jainn and Buddhist temples were found in one quarter of the town while in another the Brahmans with plaited hair performed sacrifices and raised volumes of smoke. The Paradavar living near the sea-coast ate iral fish and boiled flesh of tortoises, wore the flowers of adumbu and ambul and indulged in setting goats to fight in the open and spacious court yards. In the puruchchéri, i,« the quarter outsido the town low-class people reared pigs ..nd fowls.
On holidays the Paradavar of Pagar abstained from going over the sea to catch fish, allowed their nets to dry on the white sand in front of their low-roofed honses which were built on the fea-shore. They wore the tai flowers and garlands, drauk toddy drawn from tho palmyra and paddy and amused themselves in dancing around a post in which they invokoil the presence of cod. Accompanied by their wives they bathed in the high waves of the sea to espinte their sins, then in the fresh water of the river to remove the salt, made images and had other enjoyments throughout the day. And in the night they abstained from drinking, stayed in their high places, heard music and witneased dramatic performances, spent some time in the moonlight and retired with their wives to rest, removing the silk cloths which they wore and putting on thin white roles. Just before the dawn of day they slept on the sands of the shore.
Near the wide streets of the Paradavar and on the sea-shore where the dai flowers abounded there were warehouses with good guards. Things poured in here from all quarters for being
tored eventually to be shipped. These, whou removed from the warehouse, were stamped with tiger-marks and issued out on payment of a duty. Things landing from ships were similarly
tamped with tiger-marks and duty charged. The officers who raised taxes on exports and imports were ever busy in their work.
In the upper stories of their houses, ladies of great beauty gathered near the windows with olded hands and joined palms to witness the festivities made for gods like muruga, etc., which assed in the streets of the bazaars, to the accompaniment of music sounded by the kulal, vai wulan, murusu, etc. Their houses were storeyed, had raised pials and large court-yaris where cattle played freely. At the gates and on the tops of buildings flags were put up. Men of learning and reputation also put up flags inviting combatants to challenge their skill. Attached to the masts of ships, in the port of Pugâr, there were other banners. In the toddy shops in front of which fish and Alesha were spread out to dry, there were flags scen hoisting.
To the city wero imported horses of good gait, in ships which were propelled by the wind; diamond and gold from Mount Meru; sandalwood and ugil from Coorg : pearls from the southern ocean, coral from the eastern sea ; tho wealth of the Gangotio region; food-stuffs
rom Ceylon : catables from Burma and incense from other places. Thus, the streets of lucir literally bore the burden of rich merchandise which were imported from several quarters Here were also streets inhabited by people of various creeds and tongues who had alandoned their towns and settled in this city where they formed new acquaintances and relations. The
dlar who cultivated the land and who were the source of prosperity to all classes of people, lived in great numbers.
Not satisfied with the wealth of his own country and what was paid to him as tribute by the feudatory chiefs, the great Chola i, e. Karikála whose ka!al touching the crowns of other kings made them bright, and in whose chest the sandal paste was rabbed out by the cmbrace of his wife and children, started on a tour of conquest with his elephants, horses, ete., destroyed his enemies' regions and killed their army in great numbers. He made the aruvdlar obey his commands and the northern kings wither, caused trouble to the kudarar, cut away the proseny of podurar and destroyed the Irungove!. lle destroyed the forests in the Chöln country, nhabited them, converting them into habitable lands, increased the wealth, abandoned Urandai with its brilliant palaces, bailt temples, set up families, opered small and large gates in the I age walls of the city, stored bows ad arrows and showed his anger against the Pandya vyho -as porrerfal in aims.
