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AUGUST, 1918.]
ON SOME NEW DATES OF PANDYA KINGS
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battresses in several places. At the entrance on the top there is an exquisite carved image of a Jaina Tirthankara. Thus there are really 5 old temples, which may claim to have been built during medieval Brahmanic period, or prior to the 13th century A. D.
Most of the images placed in this group of temples are made of black or white marble, but there are others made of ordinary red stone. Most of the marble stones are dated, and go as far back as 1488 A. D. They are much finer in sculpture than the red ones, which are locally believed to be older than the marble ones. It is very possible that the red ones are older and were made by local sculptors, wbo apparently were rade workers.
Besides the temples, there are spacious dharmasálds, or rest-houses for the pilgrims, and there are also underground temples, where everything is pitch dark without a lamp. Some of these underground places are said to have been covered up as being dangerous. Formerly the temples were not carefully looked after and they had decayed, but now the Jains community is taking active interest in their conservation, and duly repairs and whitewashes them. This work was first commenced in the year 1890 by Bapu Shih of Ellichpur, who spent about Rs. 22,000 in doing jir moddhdra or repairs, and enshrining new images where they were missing. Now each temple contains three or four or even a larger number of images. On one temple there is a stone inscription dated Samvat 1691 and Saka 1556, or 1634 A. D., recording the names of the builder with his family. Another stone has now been inserted giving the repairer's name as Sitâbât of Amraoti. A regular staff of temple servants is now engaged to look after the temples, whose picturesqueness is well described by a party of visitors, in the Visitors' Book kept by the manager. This may well be quoted here. "This charming place, due to the charity and munificence of the Jaina community, so full of beauty and interest, perehed in such commanding surroundings, wrought upon us all & sort of spell. One would well believe that the green moss-grown water-fall was fashioned, as we were told by our guide, by the fairies. The images of the gods, their expressive countenancos, mysterious and brooding, with foreheads that seem to hide within themselves great thoughts, withdrawn and unspeakable, the courtyards, the temples and all their beauty, brought great onjoyment to our party'."
The Jainas believe that there is occasionally a shower of kenar (saffron ) rain on the temples, which leaves yellow marks on them. Whether this has any connection with any kind of droppings from the numberless bhanwar bees, which make numerous combs on the rocks is a matter for leisurely determination.
ON SOME NEW DATES OF PANDYA KINGS IN THE 13TH CENTURY.A. D. BY DEWAN BAHADUR L.D. SWAMIKANNU PILLAI, M.A., B.L. (MADRAS);
LL.B. (LOND.). (Continued from p. 172.)
*Jafavarman Sundara Pandya. [Reign began between 29th December 1270 (See No. 584 of 1902 below) and 5th January 1271.]
1909 (680). From the west wall of the Chandikêsvara shrine in the temple of Nedunga! Båthasyamin, at Tirunedungalam (Trichinopoly District). Gift of land for a lamp by Aryan Bivandakalalagiyan of Padavûr in Årvalakūrram, a sub-division of Rajendra-chô]a-valanadu.
Date.--3rd year of Jatávarman Sandara Pandya; Rishabha; eu. 11; Monday: "Pushya" (s. 11 error for su. 5). On Monday, 22 May 1278, Rishabha su. 5 and "Pushya" ended respectively at 73 and 01 of the day.
Note. A date wrong by 6 tithis is not a satisfactory date. It is possible, however, that Putan, the Tamil equivalent in the inscription for Pushya, is a wrong reading for “Puram" ="Parra Phalgani," but though the combination of "Parva Phalgani" with Rishabha sa. 11 is possible, such a combination did not actually occur even once on Monday between A.D. 1200 and A.D. 1350. It occurred on days of the week, other than Monday, in A.D. 1200, 1216, 1227, 1235, 1238, 1254, 1265, &c; and on Monday, but in Mesha (not Rishabha) in 1258 and 1275. Possibly
• H. Campbell and others.
