The Bhikṣuṇī Maṇimēkhalai

55 - How Far Historical in Character?
There is an elaborate description of the town of Kāñcī where
Maṇimēkhalai ultimately attained to the enlightenment required as a
preliminary to her final renunciation. It is said that, at the time of her
arrival, Kāñcī had been suffering from a very severe famine, and she
was actually directed to go there for the purpose of relieving [21] the
distress. It is in that connection that Kāñcī is said to have been under
the rule of Iḷaṁ Kiḷḷi who built for Maṇimēkhalai a new vihāra with a
Caitya and appurtenances necessary for it. So during the period to
which the story of Maṇimēkhalai may be said to refer, Kāñcī was still
a Cōḻa viceroyalty, and the viceroy at the time was a younger brother
of the reigning Cōḻa. There are other matters which may be regarded
as of a historical character, though they are not exactly of the form of
definite details of geography or history.
Communication from place to place seems to have been
comparatively free and easy. When Puhār suffered destruction by the
sea, people could move out, some to Vañji, some to Kāñcī.
Pilgrimages between distant places such as the extreme north and the
extreme south, seem to have been fair and frequent. Commercial
activity seems to have been great and protection to people offered by
the authorities for the time being efficient. Trade was carried on over
land and over sea, regular caravans seem to have gone the one way,
and fleets of ships over the sea periodically. Navigation was not
altogether free from danger due to wind and weather, as well as other
circumstances such as being stranded on the shores of islands
inhabited by savages. Notwithstanding the danger, there seems to
have been regular communication between lands across the seas.
The island of Śāvaham finds mention, and it is described as a
kingdom of considerable importance, although the ruler, a Buddhist