South India and her Muhammadan Invaders c13.s1.110

c13.s1.110

41. Talabilla.—This is described in the Mahāvaṃśa as the port of embarkation of the Ceylon army from the north-west of Ceylon. The army is said to have landed at a place of the same name on the opposite coast of Rāmēśvaram a journey of a night and day. There is, however, no Talabilla traceable on the coast of Rāmēśvaram, but from local enquiry it is found that a port east of Rāmēśvaram at a distance of about four miles was the port of landing in the following period. It is stated that it was there that the Kandyans landed the stone for the re-building of the Rāmēśvaram temple of which some are still left in the harbour at a place on the coast called Puḷiyaḍiśalai. That was probably what the Ceylonese called Talabilla. Other circumstances of this landing make it very probable that that was the place where the landing was effected. It should be noted here that it is about two miles straight from the building called Gandamādana where a pair of foot impressions is pointed out as Rama’s feet. It was stated in the text that in all probability it was a Buddhist structure, possibly raised by Laṅkāpura on the occasion of his invasion.