IS CHIEF PILGRIM CENTER
Scene of Recent Encounter Between
Indian Police and Mob of 1Q 000
Natives Is Described by
Geographic Society.
Washington.One recent encounter
between British Indian police and a
mob of 10,000 natives was not "played
up" in American newspaper headlines.
The name of the town where the dis
turbances occurred was
Tiruvaunamallai. "This town is one of the chief pil
grim centers of South India but is lit
tle visited by Europeans," explains a
bulletin from the Washington head
quarters of the National Geographic
society. "This ostracism is not be
cause the occidental cannot pronounce
the name to ask his way, as one wag
suggests. Tiruvannamallai has 40
large chuttrams, or rest houses, while
the only provision for the foreigner is
a small bungalow of two rooms.
"Two great festivals every year and
a fair every Tuesday assure the gath
ering numbers of natives," the bul
letin continues. "During the Kartigai
festival in November or December,
100,000 pilgrims visit the finely carved
temple or climb the 'Holy Fire Hill'
which gives the town its name. At
8A!CRrtimej3
cholera frequently takes a
heavy tolj^and for many years attempts
vbave beeri!
made to improve the water
supply.
A Gross Roads of Religion and Trade.
"Four roads meet at Tiru-vannamal
lai, three of them crossing the alluvial
plain toward the north, south and east.
[The fourth road carries a heavy traffic
over the Chengam Pass into the Salem
district. Thus the town is not only a
famous religious center but an impor
tant entrepot of trade as well.
