Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v2.c25.s1.91

v2.c25.s1.91

The nobles sometimes reinstituted the car festival which for some unknown reasons had been discontinued for a long time. According to a record dated Śaka 1430 (A. D. 1518-9) of the times of Kṛishṇa Dēva Rāya, Eramāñchi Tuḷukaṇṇa Nāyaka built a car for the Kāmēśvara temple at Arragal, (mod. Āragaḷūr), Salem district, which had not been in existence subsequent to the rule of the Pāṇḍya kings. He also instituted a festival called Śivali Nāyaka and appointed a private individual with maintenance for carrying the god in procession (śri-pādam-taṅgi).³ We are also informed that a temple car, evidently the one in question, was called Naralōkagaṇḍaṉ after one of his own titles.⁴