Potalaka

[Ramalingam Shanmugalingam]

In a message dated 97-11-29 00:40:55 EST, you write:

<< It was referred to as 'vEngadam' or 'vEnkatam' by the AzhwArs
 (Vaishnavaite saints from Tamil Nadu) as early as the 7th-8th
 centuries. A detailed description of the temple, the idol and
 related aspects including the controversies surrounding its
 identification have been discussed in the book
 'Venkateswara - Lord of Seven Hills' by P. Sitapati, published
 by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.
  >>
''vada vEngkadam' is also mentioned in Tholkappiyam in the following preface
in verse:

'vadavEngkadam tenkumari
Ajidyt
tamizh kURum Nallulakam.'

Silappathikaram also refers to 'vEngkadam' in the following verse:

'NedijOn kunRamum
todijOL pwvamum
tamizh varampaRutta
tanhpunal NAdu."*

* The Yarzhan Thamizh Romanized keyboard using only the 26 keys of the qwerty
keyboard is the basis for adopting only the 26 letters of English to create a
chart for the 247 Tamil letters. The upper cases represent long vowels , and
y asin 'ily' for LEAF, w as in 'awvy' for AVVAI, R as in 'aRi' for KNOW, L as
in 'vaLi' for WIND or AIR, N as in 'Nari' for FOX, ng as in 'cangku' for
CONCH (shell), nh as in 'kanh' for EYE, gn as in 'gnamali' for DOG, zh as in
'vAzhy' for PLANTAIN, etc..