Page:The Tamils Eighteen Hundred Years Ago.djvu/44

Rh Yavana and the cleverest workmen in the Tamil land” had combined to make the building so grand and lovely that later generations believed it to be the work of no other than Mayan, the architect of the gods. The throne ball was of dazzling splendour, the walls being covered with plates of burnished gold. Its roof was supported by pillars, the shafts of which were made of coral and the capitals set with gems of brilliant colors. It was elaborately carved and painted, and from the edges of the roof hung strings of lustrous pearls. Besides the throne hall, there were various objects of interest in the palace, among which may be mentioned, a beautiful canopy of pearls sent by the king of Vajra, a hail of state furnished by the king of Magadha and an ornamental gateway presented by the king of Avanti. In the park surrounding the palace were ,“ wells worked by machinery, artificial hills and waterfalls, flowery arbours, broad lakes and deep tanks, labyrinths and shady alcoves with beds all built of crystal.” The park was also well stocked with small game such as “short-legged quails and long eared hares, leaping deer and mountain goats.” There were splendid temples in the city dedicated to the worship of the celestial tree Kalpaka, the celestial elephant Airâvata, Vijrâyuta (the thunderbolt of Indra the king of the Gods), Baladeva, Surya, Chandra, Siva, Subramanya, Sâthavâhana, Nigrantha, Kâma (god of love) and Yama (god of death). There were seven Viharas reputed to have been built by Indra, the king of the Gods, in which dwelt no less than 300 Buddhist monks. The temple of Yama was outside the walls of the town, in the burial ground. Outside the town were also two lakes called Surya Kundam and Chandra Kundam or “the lakes of the Sun and Moon” which were held very sacred. In the broad moat surrounding the fort “the waters of which were covered with beautiful flowers, the chirping of birds never ceased.” On the fort gates were painted the figure of the tiger, which as stated already was the ensign of the Cholas.

All the articles prepared in Egypt for the markets of Tamilakam, as well as all the produce of Tamilakam itself finally