South India and her Muhammadan Invaders c13.s1.2.1

c13.s1.2.1

While the annual festival in which the god is taken overnight to the banks of the Coleroon river, a little to the south-east of Śrīrangam—a festival lasting a few hours—was being celebrated, tidings came that an army of the Muhammadans had come in and occupied parts of the Toṇḍamaṇḍalam (the two Arcots and Chingleput) and a small body of troops was marching rapidly towards Samayavaram about five miles from the north bank of the Coleroon. The principal Brahman citizens of the town, who had assembled at the celebration of the festival and who were in charge of the temple, not having got through the festival cast lots in the presence of the idol whether to stay or to go. They got an answer directing them to stay. They stayed over therefore to complete the festival, and in the meanwhile information was brought to them that the flying column of the Muhammadans was dashing past Samayavaram. They therefore made haste to wind up proceedings, and, sending away the god and the goddess, in a small palanquin under the escort of Lokāchārya (Piḷḷai Lokāchārya) and a few stout-hearted followers and carriers, the assembled multitude got themselves ready for the attack. They had not to wait long before they were actually attacked, and destroyed in large numbers.