The Aravidu Dynasty of Vijayanagara, Vol. I v1.c28.18

v1.c28.18

one of our Saviour and one of our Lady. Very many heathens go continuously to this church, and they make bows, and prostrate themselves before the images, and ask for some temporal rewards; many have already come to thank (God) for those they have received. We preach to them about the mysteries of our faith, and convince them of their error; since the things they believe in are nothing else but evident lies and sins; nobody knows what to answer and all remain in great confusion, though reverencing the tenets of our faith. We have often declared the tenets of our faith to the King himself, showing him several pictures he liked very much to see; and he, though possessing such a clear intellect, does the same", viz. does not know what to answer¹. Another letter of Ricio's states that they were allowed by the King "to build a Church, erect Crosses, and convert men; insomuch that fifty families were to give place and depart from the ground thereto assigned us"². Fr. Coutinho, who arrived at Chandragiri some months after, describes their house and compound as follows: "Our little house has large premises exposed to a healthy breeze; they are good enough for building up a church and residence, and far from the crowded streets of the town. In the meantime, we have constructed a small church on the spot, large enough for the present, until we shall have money enough for building a larger one"³.