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GAZETTEER 2,988. Is known for its great tank, the embankment of which is two miles long. This, says local tradition, was made by two sisters, dancing-girls named Chinna Kanchamma and Pedda Kanchamma, to expiate an offence against religious precepts; and after breaching several times, was at last rendered safe by the sisters burying themselves alive in the embankment. On this latter are still standing some stone images of the two girls, and numerous legends cluster about their names. Formerly, it is declared, poor people who could not afford the jewels and so on indispensable for their weddings used, to pray to the sisters and next day find these requisites lying on the embankment. Custom required them to be eventually returned, but one day an avaricious potter kept them. He and his wheel and all that was his were turned into stone in consequence; since when no potter has dared sleep in Siripuram.

The village is the chief place in the proprietary estate of the same name, which is one of those carved out of the havíli land and sold by auction in 1802. It was bought then, says Mr.Carmichael, by the Rája of Vizianagram, who in 1811 sold it to Rája Rao Venkataráyudu, who transferred it shortly afterwards to Bobbili Venkatakrishnama. In the same year 1811 it was sold for arrears and passed to Yellumahanti Parasuráma Pátro, who sold it to the Inuganti family, relations of the Rájas of Bobbili. In 1868 it belonged to Inuganti Sítarámasvámi, díwán of Bobbili, and it is now the property of Inuganti Rájagópál Rao. This same gentleman is also the proprietor of the three estates of Mantena and Ungaráda in this taluk and Kintali in Chípurupalle. At the sale of estates in 1802 Kintali was bought by Kálabariga Chinna Lakshanna. It was subsequently divided into the two properties of Kintali and Mantena under orders of the Northern Provincial Court conveyed by a precept of the Zilla Court at Chicacole dated 16th July 1832, and these were held respectively by the above Lakshanna and one Yenkanna. These two sold the estates in August 1837 to the Rája of Bobbili, who resold them to Inuganti Ráma Rao, husband of his half sister Inuganti Sítáyamma, in 1841. This Ráma Rao had already, in April 1825, purchased from Bobbili the estate of Ungaráda in the Pálkonda taluk. On Ráma Rao's death the three estates — Kintali, Mantena and Ungaráda — fell to his son Ráyadappa, who died childless and unmarried in 1861. His mother Sítáyamma succeeded, and on her death in 1886 left the estates to her daughter, Ravu Lakshmi Kantayammi. The present holder 291