113992242-Dravidian-Settlements-in-Ceylon-and-the-Beginnings-of-the-Kingdom-of-Jaffna-By-Karthigesu-Indrapala-Complete-Phd-Thesis-University-of-London-1965

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at Periyak4am. With this possible exception, no Tinil inscription
of the period after the eleventh century is known to have been
discovered at this site. But the shrine continued to be venerated
by Sizthalese pilgrims down to modern times The absence of Tamil
inscriptions after the eleventh century may be due to the
possible conversion of the Tamils of this region to Saivism.
The inscriptions are a].]. donative records and
register the gift of cows , buffaloes and perpetual lamps. Most
of the records are damaged and are only partly decipherable. At
least three of them are dated in regna]. years of Räjndra I
(1012-lO'44) One at least of the donors appears to have been
a C]a official. This person, 4titta-pr-araiya of Pa1avaputu-kui,
gifted thirty-five cows and a perpetual lamp The
element pr-araiya (the great chief) and the gift of a large
number of cows suggest that he was an important personality1
Another person who gifted forty heads of cattle may also have
been an official Most of the other donors appear to have been
humble peasants or traders whose grants were lamps or small
1. A.S.C.A.R. for 1953, p. 27 ; E.Z., II, p. 178 ; Nanrpota, p.6.
2. Unpublished - Nos.I 776 A, 776 B and 775 B of the epigraphical
list in the Archaeological Dept., Ceylon.
3. No. I 776 B of the above list.
k. Pr-araiya is a common element in the names of Ca officials.
5. Unpublished - No. I 775 A.