Evening star., 1922-02-28

of the town where the disturbances
| occurred was Tiruvannamallai.
This town Ii one of the chief pill
grim centers OF South India. but Is
little visited by Europeans" explains
bulletin from the National Geo
graphic Society. ''This ostracism' 10
not because the occidental cannot
pronounce the name to ask hts way.
as one wag suggests. Tiruvannamal-
lai has forty large chuttrams. or fest-
houses. while the only provision for
the foreigner Is small bungalow OF
wo rooms.
"Two great festivals every year and
fair every Tuesday assure the gath
ering Of large numbers >of natives"
the bulletin continues During the
Kart;gai festival in November or De-
cember. 100000 pilgrims visit the fine
~ carved temple or climb the Holy
Fire hill.' which gives the town its
name. At such times cholera fire.
quently takes heavy toll, and for
many years attempts have been made
to improve the water supply.
Crossroads Of Religion and Trade.
-Four roads meet at Tiruvanna-
mallai. three of them crossing the
alluvial plain toward the north.
south and east. The fourth road
carries a heavy traffic over the
Chengam pass into the Salem dis
trict. Thus the town is not only a
famous religious center, but an inn
portant entrepot of trade as we'll.
South Arcot. the districe in which 4
Tiruvannamallai is found. sweeps up
from the harborless Coromandel coast
fronting on the Bay of Bengal to the
Eastern Chats, the hills which mark
the fall line between the plain and
the plateau which drives south like
a wedge from the Deccan and splits
Madras Presidency into two widely
dissimilar regions: Great expenses
and the sandalwood and teak found
| there form some Of the most impor-
tant assets of the region. Leopards.
| small bears. deer and wild hogs
| abound and there are several favorita
shooting grounds near at hand.
Although the district is usually
| comparatively dry, it is subject to
destructive hoods and the severe
! storms which sweep the coast have
hapless natives. but to shipping as
| well. In 1860 a blockading feet.
operating against the French. whose
aref ssy G aon oo
siderable loss of life.
when the Sum Went Out.
But the main interest in Tiruvan-
rs recafs shs ns one Of the
| legends connected with Hindu myth;
| ology. Many ages ago. the legend
| runs. silva. the destroyer, and his
Kaiiasa. the Hindu paradise. It was
| the twilight hour and the flower
garden in which they strolled was
nlled with the sednetivs psrfmm9s nment Tl
Parvati playfully covered the eyes
| of her lord with her shapely hands
and drew the godly head to her
sThe time quickly passed for these
two wanderers in Elysium. But what
| seemed but a moment to them was q
| period Of many years for the hapless
inhabitants of the world whose soaa sun
when silva realized the hardship which
his wlfe's coquetry had caused. he sent
her forth to do pennance at the various
holy places with which the soutnern
portion of india ts dotted. When sne
at last reached Tiruvannamallai; the
| famous Holy Fire Hill Of South Arcot
district. silva appeared at the top OF
| the isolated peak. as sign that his
| wife's thoughtlessness was forgiven.
"At the foot Of the hill. just outside
| the chief town of the region. lies the
fine temple Of Tfruvannamallai. It Is
to this place that the pilgrims mock
on the occasion Of the festival which
| icommemorates the reconciliation. OF
| their CHIEF god ana ROOOcSs. Ing Sui-
minating feature Of the celebration Is
the lighting by the priests Of q beacon
Are on the summit OF the hill. which
can be seen for many miles throughout
fthe district. ..sx
Canpher and Butter Feed Beacon.
$50 heavy is the rush Of pilgrims to
see the. blaze on the summit that strict
police control is needed throughout the
| fsrty-eight hours that the fre usually
burns Camphor and clarified butter Or
ghee, brought as offerings by the pill
| grims. make up a large part Of the fuel.
The festival, which lasts for ten days.
| ends with this sacrificial fire. which
! commentaries the forgiveness OF Par
vati by silva and the return Of Light to
| q darkened world.
"The large silva temple is among the
most interesting in south India, Tor
! from the slopes OF the sacred mountain.
| which bushes red with the coming OF
l the morning sun, one can look down
upon this typical Dravidian- temple and
see how, with the increasing wealth of
the shrine, successive courts were added
around the central mandapam. Tae
outer wall. embellished by four large
gopurams or entrance gateways. Is most
Impressive Of all. These gopurams. or
aopura, which somewhat correspond to
the pylons Of the Egyptian temples. are