XX. ACCOUNT OF THE PAGODA AT PERWUTTUM. EXTRACT OF A JOURNAL BY CAPTAIN COLIN MACKENZIE, COMMUNICATED BY MAJOR KIRKPATRICK. THE HE Pagoda of Perwuttum, hitherto unknown to Europeans, is fituated near the fouth bank of the Kiftna, in a wild tract of country, almoft uninhabited, except by the Chinfuars, about 65 miles W. of Inawada in Guntoor. Horizontal 63 miles E. N. E. of Canoul. distance And fuppofed to be 103 miles S. and E. of Hydrabad. March 14th, 1794.-Having fent notice to the manager of the revenues (the principal officers of the circar) that I was defirous of feeing the Pagoda, provided there was no objection, I was informed at noon, that I might go in. The manager did not appear very defirous of paying any of the common civilities, but the Bráhmens crowded round to conduct me into the place. On entering the fouth gate, we defcended by fteps, and through a finall door, to the inner court, where the temples are: in the centre was the Pagoda of Mallecarjee, the principal deity worshipped here. It is fquare, and the roof is terminated by a pyramid of steps;: the whole walls and roof on the outfide, are covered with brass plates, which have been gilt, but the gilding is now worn off. These plates are joined together by fmall bars and fockets, fo that the whole may be taken off without damage the fpire or pyramid is not above thirty feet from the ground; the plates are T4 plain, plain excepting a few embofled figures of women, fome fmall ornaments, and on the friezes of the doors, the pannels of which are alfo plated. A statue with three legs is placed over each of the three entries; to fupport this uncommon figure, a poft is carried up, which, at first fight, gives it the appearance of being empaled. On the weft fide of the pagoda infcriptions are engraved very neatly on three theets of brass plates. Oppofite to the fouth fide, on a neat basement and pedeftal ornamented with brazen figures of cows, is a flender pillar about twenty-four or thirty feet high, entirely compofed of brafs plates; it is bent; and from the joints, which plainly appear in the plating, it feems to be laid on a bamboo enclofed within. The four fides of the pedestal are covered with infcriptions, two in Gentoo or Tellinga, one in Grindam, and one in Naggerim: the first feven lines of the latter in large well defined characters, I copied; five finaller lines followed, which Į could not copy fo exactly, the character being small, and the pedestal highly elevated. Some characters are alfo engraved on the fillet and ornamental parts of the moulding. From hence I was conducted to the smaller and more ancient temple of MALLECARJEE, where he is adored in the figure of a rude ftone, which I could juft diftinguish through the dark vifta of the front building on pillars. Behind this building an immenfe fig tree covers with its shade the devotees and attendants, who repofe on feats placed round its trunk and carpeted. Among these was one Byraggy who had devoted himself to a perpetual refidence here; his fole fubfiftence was the milk of a cow, which I faw him driving before him : an orange coloured rag was tied round his loins and his naked body was beimeared with afhes. Some of the Bráhmens came in the evening, with a copy of the infcriptions on two of the brafs plates: they profefled not to know exactly, the meaning meaning of them, being, they faid, Sanferittum Jigum. The fame ignorance of the language of their religious books, feems to prevail through all thefe countries. The Bráhmens in attendance here, are relieved at ftated times, from Autcowr and other places, as this place is unwholesome and the water bad. One of the faid, he had books at Autcowr, explanatory of the hiftory of the Pagoda, and of the figures carved on the walls. Though they had never heard that any European had been here before, they did not expreis any surprise at this vifit. Some of them applied for medical aid, but no fever prevailed among them at that time. During the troubles of Sevi-row, the Chinfuars occupied the Pagoda, who ftripped it of fome ornaments and damaged it. Since Sevi-row had fubmitted the revenues derived from the refort of pilgrims, are collected for the canoul circar by a manager or aumildar, who refides within the enclosure, as do the febundies and peons, ftationed here to protect the pilgrims, who come from all parts at certain ftated festivals, The red colour, that predominates in the rock of this country, (which is a granite,) is very remarkable. The fuperftratum, which, in many places, forms the naked fuperfices of the foil, is of a black colour, and from the smooth shining furface it frequently exhibits, appears to have been formerly in a state of fufion, but goes to no great depth; the next firatum is compofed of grains of a reddifh colour, mixed with others of a white fhining quartz, in greater proportion and of a larger fize, fo as to give the ftone, when quarried, a greyish colour, which is more obfervable after it has been cut or chiffeled. Iron is found in feveral parts of this mountainous tract, and fo are diamonds, but the labour is fo great, and the chance of meeting with the veins fo very uncertain, that that the digging for them has been long difcontinued; the following places were mentioned as producing them, viz. 1. Saringamutta, near Jatta Reow, on the other fide the Kifina, where the ferry and road to Amirabad croffes. N. B. A Pagoda here. 2. Routa Pungala, two parous diftant, near Pateloh Gunga. 3. Goffah Reow, twelve parous down the river. N. B. a ferry or ford there. After the heavy rains, when the rivers fall, they are found fometimes in the beds. This place is near the ruins of Chundra-goompty-putnam, formerly a great town on its north bank, and now belonging to Amraritty. The weather being warm, I was defirous of getting over as much of this bad road as I could before noon: my tents and baggage had been sent off at four, A. M. and I only remained at the Pagoda, with the intention of making fome remarks on the sculptures of its wall as foon as day light appeared. But the Bráhmens with the Rajpoot amuldar (who had hitherto fhewn a fhiness that I had not experienced in any other parts of the journey,) came to requeft, that, as I was the firft European, who had ever came fo far, to vifit Mallecarjee and had been prevented from feeing the object of their worship, by yesterday not being a lucky day, I would remain with them that day, affuring me, that the doors would be opened at ten o'clock. I agreed to wait till that hour, being particularly, defirous of feeing, by what means, the light was reflected into the temple, which the unfkilfulnefs of my interpreter could not explain intelligibly to my comprehenfion. Notice being at last given, at about half paft eight, that the fun was high enough, the doors on the caft fide the gilt Pagoda were thrown open, and a mirror, or reflecting fpeculum, fpeculum, was brought from the Rajpoot amuldar's houfe. It was round, about two feet in diameter, and fixed to a brass handle, ornamented with figures of cows; the polished fide was convex, but fo foul that it could not reflect the fun beams; another was therefore brought, rather fmaller and concave, furrounded by a narrow rim and without a handle. Directly oppofite to the gate of the Pagoda is a ftone building, raised on pillars, enclosing a well, and ending in a point; and, being at the distance of twelve or fourteen feet, darkens the gateway by its fhadow, until the fun rifes above it: this, no doubt, has been contrived on purpose to raise the expectation of the people, and by rendering the fight of the idol more rare, to favour the impofition of the Bráhmens. The moment being come, I was permitted to stand on the steps in front of the threshold without, (having put off my fhoes, to please the directors of the ceremony, though it would not have been infifted on,) while a crowd furrounded me, impatient to obtain a glimpse of the aweful figure within. A boy, being placed near the door-way, waved and played the concave mirror, in fuch a manner, as to throw gleams of light into the Pagoda, in the deepeft recefs whereof was difcovered, by means of these corufcations, a small, oblong, roundish white ftone, with dark rings, fixed in a filver cafe. I was permitted to go no farther, but my curiofity was now fufficiently fatisfied. It It appears, that this god Mallicarjee is no other than the Lingam, to which fuch reverence is paid by certain cafts of the Gentoos; and the reafon why he is here reprefented by ftones unwrought, may be understood from the Bráhmens' account of the origin of this place of worship. My interpreter had been admitted the day before into the fanctum fanctorum, and allowed to touch the ftone, which he fays is fmooth, and shining, and that the dark rings or ftreaks are painted on it; probably it is an agate, or fome other ftone of a filicious kind, found near fome parts of the Kishna, and of an uncommon fize. The fpeculums were of a whitish metal, probably a mixture of tin and brass. Thefe |