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130 THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY. [Mat, 1873. y a, the carpenter of the giants, at Havana’s re¬ quest, was the sculptor. In the name Sravana Belligola is crystallized' a story of bygone days. “Cha- mundaraya, after having established the worship of this image, became proud and elated at placing this god, by his own authority, at so vast an expense of money and labour. Soon after this, when he performed, in honoar of the god, the ceremony of Panchamrita S n a n a (or washing the image with five li¬ quids—milk, curds, butter, honey, and sugar), vast quantities of these things were expended in many hundred pots, but, through the wonder¬ ful power of the god, the liquor descended no lower than the navel, to check the pride and vanity of the worshipper. Chamundaraya, not knowing the cause, was filled with grief that his intention was frustrated of washing the image completely with this ablution. While he was in this situation, the celestial nymph Padmavati, by order of the god, having transformed herself in¬ to the likeness of an aged poor woman, appeared, holding in her hand the five amritas in a Belliya- goa (or small silver pot) for washing the statue, and signified her intention to Chamunda¬ raya, who laughed at the absurdity of this proposal for accomplishing what it had not been in his power to effect. Out of curiosity, however, he permitted her to attempt it: when, to the great surprise of the beholders, she wash¬ ed the image with the liquor brought in the little silver vase. Chamundaraya, repent¬ ing of his sinful arrogance, performed a second time, with profound respect, his ablution, on which they had formerly wasted so much valu¬ able liquids, and washed completely the body of the image. “ From that time this place is named after the silver vase (or Belliyagola) which was held in Padmdvaix>8 hand. Srdvana (sramana) is the title of a Jain Sannyasi, and as this place is the principal residence of these Sannyasi a the peo¬ ple call it Srdvana Belligola It is difficult to fix the date of the statue. If the inscription exists which is referred to in the following extract from H. H. Wilson’s Works (Vol. I. p. 832), then would the date be B.C. 50 at least, for that is the year when the king granted the land:— “ The conclusions founded on traditionary or •historical records are fully supported by the tes¬ timony of monuments and inscriptions, the latter of which are exceedingly numerous in the South and West of India. Most of these are very modern —none are earlier than the ninth century. An exception is said to exist in an inscription on a rock at Belligola, recording a grant of land by Ch&murtda R&ya to the shrine of GomatiSvara, in the year 600 of the Kali age, meaning the Kali of the Jains, which began three years after the death of Varddham&na. This inscription, therefore, if it exists, was written about fifty or sixty years before the Christian era. But it is not clear that any such record is in existence, the fact resting on the oral testimony of the head Pontiff at Bel¬ ligola : even if it be legible on the face of the rock it is of questionable authenticity, as it is perfectly solitary, and no other document of like antiquity has been met with.” The following account of the history of this place is taken trom the local “ Sthala Purana” :— “ Chamunda Raja, king of Dakshina Madura, and the descendant of Jaina Kshettri Pandu, set out with his family, escorted by an army of infantry, cavalry, elephants, and chariots, with a view of visiting the god Gomatesvara (500 5tZw.high) at Padana-pura, and the 1254 other gods in the smaller temples scattered through¬ out the surrounding country. En route he camo to Sravana Belligola Kshettra, having heard a good deal about the god Gomatesvara (18 bilu high). He repaired the ruined tem¬ ples, and among other ceremonies had that of sprinkling the god performed. He appointed Sid- dhantacharya as Guru of the math, to conduct the daily, monthly, annual, and other proces¬ sions. He established in the math a chattram where food, medicine, and education were pro¬ vided for pilgrims. He appointed men of his caste to receive with due respect the devotees and pilgrims of all three castes who should resort to the place from Dehli, Kanakadri Svi- tapura Sudhapura, Papapuri, Champapuri Sam- midagiri Ujjayantagiri, Jayanagara, &c. For this purpose certain villages, giving an annual revenue of 196,000 pagodas, were made over to the temple. He fixed sila sasanas in the four directions in the Chaitra month of the year Vibhava—605 of Kaliyuga, or the 1215th year after the death of Vardhamanasvami. This endowment was maintained by his descendants for 109 years. • At. Res., rol. IX. p. 266; and conf. Buchanan, Mysore, Sfc. vol. Ill- P- 410.—Ed.