The Colas c10.2

c10.2

According to tradition, the Cōḷa country comprised the land between two streams having the same name, Veḷḷāṟu,¹ in the north and the south, the sea on the, east and Kōṭṭaikarai in the west. This area includes the modern districts of Trichinopoly and Tanjore and part of the former Pudukkottah state. The Kāvēri and its branches including the Coleroon (Koḷḷiḍam) dominate the landscape of this generally flat country which slopes gently towards the sea. The low tableland of Vallam broken by small ridges of grit and sandstone to the south and south-west of Tanjore, and a number of protruding masses of crystalline rock, of which the Trichinopoly rock in the centre of the fort is the best known, are the only relief to the monotony of the level surface. To find any hills of importance, we must turn to the northern taluks of the Trichinopoly district lying on the border, if not altogether outside, of the Cōḷa country proper. The delta of the Kāvēri is a large alluvial plain 'devoid of all natural eminences, save the ridges and hillocks of blown sand, which fringe the narrow strip of beach along the sea-coast. "The sea rolls upon a shelving sandy shore unbroken by rocks of any kind"; hence the coast is remarkably monotonous in aspect. The whole surface of the delta is one even level of paddy fields interspersed only with tops or clumps of cocoanut, mango and other fruit trees. There are no forests or tall tree jungles.'² The soil is very favourable also to the bamboo and the plantain.