The L'Anse sentinel., 1922-04-07
"TiruvannamaIIai" Is Name OF
Place Where News "Broke"
and That's Reason. Y.
IS CHIEF PILGRIM CENTER
Scene Of Recent Encounter Between
Indian Police and Mob Of 10000
Natives ls Described by
Geographic Society.

Washington.-One recent encounter
between British Indian police and
mob Of 10000 natives was not played
up" In American newspaper headlines.
The name of the town where the dis
turbances occurred was
Tiruvannamallai.
"This town is one Of the chief pill
grim centers of South India but Is lit
tie visited by Europeans" explains a
bulletin from the Washington head
quarters Of the National Geographic
society. "This ostracism Is not be-
cause the occidental cannot pronounce
the name to ask his way, as one wag
suggests. Tiruvannamallai has 4O
large chuttrams, or rest houses, while
the only provision for the foreigner Is
a small bungalow of two rooms.
~Two great festivals every year and
a fair every Tuesday assure the gath
ering numbers OF natives" the bull
lefin continues. During the Kartigai
festival in November or December,
100000 pilgrims visit the finely carved
temple or climb the Holy Fire Hiif
which gives the town Its name. AL
such times cholera frequently takes
heavy toll and for many years attempts
have been made to improve the water
supply. t,sttt
A Cross Roads Of Religion and Trade.
"Four roads meet at Tiruvannamal-
la.. three of them crossing the alluyial
plnin toward the north, south and east.
The fourth road carries a heavy traffic
over the Chengam Pass into the Salem
district. Thus the town is not only a
famous religious center but an impor-
tant entrepot of trade as well.
"South Arcot. the district in which
Tirumvannamallai 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 Mad
ras Presidency into two widely dis
similar regions. Great expanses of re-
served forests clothe these hills and
the sandalwood and teak found there
form some of the most Important as
sets Of the region. Leopards, small
bears, deer and wild hogs abound and
there are several favorite shooting
grounds near at hand.
ll when the Sun Went Out.
"But the main interest in Tiruvan-
namallai is the fire festival, whose In
ception recalls one Of the famous leg.
ends connected with Hindu mythol'
ogy. Many ages ago. the legend runs
silva, the destroyer, and his wife Par.
vati were wandering through Kailasa
the Hindu paradise. 1t was the twi.
light hour and the flower garden In
which they strolled was filled with the
seductive perfumes Of the East. In
flirtatious moment Parvati playfully
covered the eyes Of her lord with her
shapely hands and drew the godly
head to her bosom. m
"The time quickly passed for these
two wanderers In ,Elysium. But what
seemed but moment to them was O
period of many years for the hapless
inhabitants of the world whose sun
and moon had thus been darkened
| When silva realized the hardship which
his wife's coquetry had caused, he
sent her forth TO do penance at the
various holy places with which the
4 southern portion Of India is dotted
\ when she at last reached Tiruvan.
nariaIlai the famous Holy Fire, Hill
of South Arcot district. silva appeared
at the top Of the Isolated peak. as a
sign that, his wife's thoughtlessness
was forgiven. m "a
eat the foot Of the hilI. just outside
the chief town Of the region, lies the
nne temple of Tiruvannamallai. II Il
| to this place that the pilgrims flock on
the occssion OF ths festival which com