SARVASIDDHI TALUK.
This lies along the Bay in the southernmost corner of the district. In general aspect its interior resembles the other coastal areas, but along the shore are several saltish swamps and the coast line itself is diversified with picturesque headlands. It is one of the three Government taluks and comprises a large extent of rich wet land under the Varáha and Sárada rivers. Its rainfall, however, is the lowest in the district. Statistics regarding Sarvasiddhi will be found in the separate Appendix. The following are the more interesting places in it:- —
Dimila : A village of 2,944 inhabitants 2½ miles south by east of Yellamanchili. It was once of much more importance than now, and seems, from a copper plate grant found at Chipurupalle in 1867 (see J.A.S.B., xxxix, 153-8) to have been the chief town of a district. The village temple, an unpretentious building, is dedicated to Siva in the uncommon form Nagnésvara, or 'the naked.' The story goes that the rishi Agastya was unable, to his great grief, to be present at the marriage of Siva with Párvati, and that the former accordingly promised to appear before him with his bride whenever he wished it. Agastya expressed the wash at a moment when neither of them had any clothes on, but they appeared none the less just as they were, and the temple was erected to commemorate the event.
Gópálapatnam : A village of 781 souls in the south of the taluk, two miles from the coast and close under the block of hills known as Sudikonda. On the top of these hills is a spring called the Kási bugga, in which the devout bathe at Sivarátri and the water of which is believed to be very efficacious in curing blighted crops. Near another pool close by is a little shrine in which are two slabs bearing Telugu inscriptions and scattered round about which are a number of fragments of sculptures, among them a spirited representation of Káli slaying the buffalo-demon Mahishásura. Not far off is a tiny circular shrine cut out of the rock. The place thus seems once to have been of religious importance, and several legends still cluster about it.
Nakkapalli : Fourteen miles south-west of Yellamanchili, on the trunk road; population, 2,459. In pre-railway days it was an important halting-place, as its neglected encamping-ground for troops and its large chattram show. The old travellers' bungalow has been turned into a dispensary. The industries of
