ccxlis 6th.— I left Pondkherry and v*tx& fo the Village*: at 2 Gows distance West, waited on Lieut. Sim, who supplU ed roe with some money on my Masters account and sent a Peon to accompany me to Teruvakaira* and to enquire any curiosities there, and to get particular ac- counts of them. 7th.— I left Sorapet and arrived at Teruvakaira. The Tradition of this place relates that a Rakshasa named Vyaghra Asur son of Chakra Asur formerly performed Tapas to Chandra Sekhara Swami in order to obtain the gracious visitation of that Deity ; God pleased with his Devotion graciously appeared,*!* and desired him to ask what he wanted; he requested that he should be exempt- ed from the trouble of Death to which mortals are subject; the God accordingly bestowed, the Divine Varam, upon which the Rakshasa became arro- gant, and became to persecute all the Deoatas who then complaiued against him before God, who thereupon sent for Badhra Kali and ordered her to slay the Rakshasa / which she did ; at thfit time the two sisters Vairi and Mahishi prepared J JLaddu, and offered them to the JDevatas to release their brother from death. In proof whereof several round stones resembling cakes together with a great Tree of stone the vestiges of the Rakshasa are still found upon the Hill. I went there and saw all the Curiosities, the Caverns &c. procured accounts of them and of the Devatams by means of some aged people and Pujaris, besides I col- lected several pieces of the Stony Tree and Cakes.
- Teruvakaira where the remarkable Petrified Wood is found
See Asiatic Researches, vol. XL C. M. + The Hindu idea is that the Deity propitiated by a severe - Tapas of the Asetic condescended in person to manifest hi* appearance and to confer the Beatific Vision on his much favored Devotee. This apparition or appearance of the God in dreams chiefly is considered as the most distinguished favor and is the cause of the peculiar attachment of certain Families to particular D4tie% .CM. J " . " " J Laddu, round BalU of Paste of Wheat; Jfcice, &c C. M.
