Agastyamalai (or Agastya-kutam)

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This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS.

Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts.Many units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.

Agastyamalai (or Agastya-kutam)

A. conical isolated mountain peak in the southern portion of the Western Ghats, situated in 8o°37'N. and 77 degree 15' E., in the Neyyatthekara taluk of Travancore State, Madras. It is locally known as the Sahya Parvatam and is 6,200 feet high. The boundary between Travancore and TinNewselly District runs over it. It was formerly an important astronomical station, where two series of observations were taken by Mr. Broun between 1855 and 1865.

Two rivers rise from this hill, the sacred Tambraparni running east through TinNewselly District, and the Neyyar flowing west through the Neyyatthekara taluk of Travancore.

The orthodox believe that the sage Agastya Maharshi, regarded by modern scholars as the pioneer of Aryan civilization in Southern India and the name-father of the hill, still lives on the peak as a yogi in pious seclusion.