Page:Gódávari.djvu/250

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The estate was eventually sold for arrears of revenue in 1847. Much of it is now Government property, but parts of it went to make up nine small estates which are still in existence. These are: Kottam, Víravaram, Kirlampúdi, Dontamúru, Jagammapéta, Ráyavaram, Gollaprólu, Palivela and Injaram. The ancient line of zamindars still maintain something of their former position in the Kottam zamindari, which was split off from that of Peddápuram in 1810.

Peddápuram town is an important centre of the jaggery trade and sends large quantities of that commodity to the factory at Samalkot. A little silk-weaving is also carried on there; some 200 households are employed in weaving cotton cloths with lace borders; a few families stamp and dye cotton cloths; a fair amount of metal-work is done; and a little good shoe-making. The town has a bad name for elephantiasis.

The ditch and parts of the walls of the old fort are still to be seen. It was built of stone, was oval in shape and about three-quarters of a mile across. The land inside the walls is now under cultivation.

A hill in the neighbourhood, called the Pándavulametta ('the Pándavas' hill'), contains a cave which is supposed to be the mouth of an underground passage leading to Rajahmundry. It is popularly supposed that the Pándavas used to haunt this hillock and go to Rajahmundry through this passage.

Prattipadu: Eleven miles north-east of Peddápuram, Population 2,100. Contains the offices of a sub-registrar and a deputy tahsildar, a police-station and a native travellers' bungalow. It is the chief village of the Jagapatinagaram union which comprises also Kirlampúdi, Simhádripuram, Jagapatinagaram, Chillangi, Rámakrishnápuram and Vélanka, and the total population of which amounts to 11,329. It enjoys considerable local celebrity owing to its possession of an idol of Rámalingasvámi, which was recently found on a neighbouring hill by a Kamsala who had been told in a dream that it was there. A cobra is said to have been shading the idol with its hood. About two miles from Prattipádu on the road to Jagammapéta are two idols under a cluster of trees which are known in the neighbourhood as Páthalamma (the foot goddess). These are visited by large numbers of pilgrims who in satisfaction of vows sacrifice fowls and animals to the goddess and hang up the victims' heads in front of her. A number of stories are told about the malignant powers of this goddess: a Local Fund Engineer (name not specified) who ventured to cut down one of the trees near by some twenty years ago was thrown from his horse in consequence; another