The Aravidu Dynasty of Vijayanagara, Vol. I v1.c21.170

v1.c21.170

15. Venkata II appears to have been as generous as his predecessors to the temples and Brahmans for the maintenance of the Hindu cult. Being still Viceroy of the Tamil country, on June 24th, 1577, he made a gift of four villages to the temple of Chidambaresvara and Sivakamasundari-Ammai to provide offerings and sacred morning baths for the merit of Kondama Nayaka¹. In 1588 he made a gift of 300 pon to provide 20 rice offerings to the god Chidambaresvara at Chidambaram, to be distributed among the begging devotees ². In 1593, for the merit of the above mentioned Kondama Nayaka, he declared that the four districts and the five villages and all others whose possession had been enjoyed by the temple of Chidambaresvara from early times, were now made tax-free. In 1603 he imposed a tax on the weavers of Tindivanam, the proceeds of which were to go to the local temple ⁴. In 1604 he gave the village of Vengalambapuram to a number of Brahmans coming from several places ⁵. The year 1607 witnessed a grant of Venkatta to the god Narasinga ⁶. Lastly, in 1608 the Emperor regulated the festivals and the daily services in the temple at Alagiyasingar at Narasimhapuram ⁷.