Viral-Vel or Chiefs of the Vanavas. One of the Chera Kings called Chenkudduvan, who was contemporary with Gajabahu of Ceylon (113 to 105 A. D.) is said to have been on intimate terms of friendship with the Karnas, Emperors of Magadha, and with their assistance he attacked the Aryas near the Himalayas.[1] The Karnas, who belonged to the great Andhra tribe ruled Magadha during the first and second centuries of the Christian era. They were lords of the Three Kalingas, and their dominion extended from the modern Telugu country on the one side, to Arakan on the other side of the Bay of Bengal.[2]
Mr. Fergusson, the great writer on Architecture, having observed the striking similarity of the style of Architecture prevailing in South Canara and Malabar to that of Nepal, wrote as follows :— “The feature, however, which presents the greatest resemblance to the Northern styles is the reverse slope of the eaves above the verandah. I am not aware of its existence anywhere else South of Nepal, and it is so peculiar that it is much more likely to have been copied than reinvented. I cannot offer even a plausible, conjecture, how or at what time, a connection existed between Nepal and Thibet and Canara, but I cannot doubt that such was the case.” “In fact there are no two tribes in India, except the Nayars (of Malabar) and Newars (of Nepal) who have the same strange notions as to female chastity, and that
- ↑ Chilapp-athikaram XXVI. II. 148-149 and II. 176—178.
- ↑ “Soodruka is known in the native annals as Karna Dêva or Maha Karna. A plate has recently been dug up at Benares, on which is inscribed a grant of land made by their monarch who is styled the Lord of the three Kalingas. If this be not an oriental exaggeration, it would go to show that the great Karna of Magadha had extended his dominions as far as the coast of Telinga on the one side and of Arracan on the other side of the Bay, and to the sea coast of Bengal: for this is the locality of the three Kalingas as explained by historians. After a reign of eighteen years he was succeeded by his brother. Six monarchs in succession filled the throne after the founder, who all assumed the same patronymic, and were remembered as the seven Karnas but we have nothing but this naked fact for our guidance, except the great veneration in which the name of Karna is traditionally held, not only in India, but throughout the Eastern Archipelago. This would almost justify the supposition that the Karnas, possessing the three divisions of the sea coast, had created a navy, and made their power felt in the islands of the East. In common speech, the natives are accustomed, when anxious to pay the highest compliment to a liberal man to compare him to Karna and we incline to the belief that on such occasions they allude to the more modern Karna of Magadha, rather than to the antiquated hero of that name mentioned in the Mahabharat.”
