Bellari garrison in the fort heard that Basavapa's forces had retired, they were alarmed and considered thus : "Probably [Basavapa's troops] have gone to meet the Cudapa troops, to bring them also and to-morrow night they will assault our town : in the fight yesterday many were slain : and there was no opportunity to carry off the dead. In this state of things, if the other army should come, we have no resource." Accordingly the men who were in Anantapuram and in Buccaraya Samudram, taking along with them these four captains, fled by night to Topudurru : which they reached at dawn of day. So they returned to Bellari.
As these two villages [Anantapuram and Buccasamudram] were burnt down and desolate, three men named, Timmaiia of the almanacks, Sarabha the Tambali who was priest to Saint Virabhadra, with Beau-Racer* the herb seller, came into the village to look after and carry off their goods [among the ruins] : then Sarabha returned with all speed to Rapfad( ft j and said to Basava : "There is not a soul in Bucca Raya Sarnudram : it is desolate and burnt down : all the people have quitted the village and fled. You should come speedily with your troops [and possess the place."]
11. At this time four Jangams, disciples of Siva Linga Devnra,f at the Gavi monastery (matham) which was on the black hillock under the bank of the Anantapur tank, came to the Ambassador's sluice for oleander flowers, [which they required] for the purpose of celebrating the worship of Siva. They saw all the populace flying out of Anantapuram bearing their bundles, along the bank of the tank : they heard it said that the Bellari people had fled by midnight out
- " Gidda Paru vu-gadu ;" perhaps a cant name : "but some men bear
ludicrous names from infancy.
( ft ) Page 43.
f This name denotes, " the Llcsscd image of Baal-Pcor:" but here, is a man's name. The Lingam is adored as the Destroyer, not, as some European writers fancy, the Reproducer. The rites are always gloomy and austere : and have nothing indecent or obscene. The Hindus have no belief in the existence of the Devil : but Siva, or the Lingam seems to be a deity exactly analogous to Satan. This however is quite distinct from the Pci-puja, or Devil worship which prevails in Tinncvelly. When the Brain ins introduced the worship of Vishnu in Southern India, about A. D. 1100, they abolished the demon-worship (with human bucriliccs) ass fd ab their power extended.
