I gather from a correspondent that the following tradition concerning their origin is current. In days of yore there lived two brothers in the Geddesala hills, by name Karayan and Billaya or Madheswara. The Uralis and Sholagas are descended from Karayan, and the Sivacharis (Lingayats) from Madheswara. The two brothers fell into the hands of a terrible Rakshasha (demon), by name Savanan, who made Karayan a shepherd, but imprisoned Madheswara for not paying him sufficient respect, and extracted all kinds of menial work from him. Last of all he ordered him to make a pair of shoes, whereupon Madheswara asked for his liberty for a few days, to enable him to have the shoes well made. His request being granted, Madheswara betook himself to the god Krishnamurti, and asked him for his help in his troubles. The god was only too happy to assist, and suggested that the shoes should be made of wax. Helped by Krishnamurti, Madheswara made a very beautiful-looking pair of shoes. Krishnamurti then ordered him to pile up and light a huge bonfire on a bare rocky hill east of Geddesala, so as to make it nearly red-hot. The ashes were then cleared away, so as to leave no trace of their plot. Madheswara then took the shoes, and presented them to Savanan, who was much pleased with them, and willingly acceded to Madheswara's request that he would put them on, and walk along the rock. But, as soon as he stepped upon it, the shoes melted, and Savanan fell heavily on the rock, clutching hold of Madheswara as he fell, and trying to strangle him. Krishnamurti had assembled all the gods to witness the carrying out of the plot, and, telling each of them to pile a stone on Savanan's head, himself rescued Madheswara from his clutches, and all jumped upon the Rakshasha till no trace of him was left. While this was going on, Karayan was tending Savanan's herds in the forest, and, when he came to hear about it, was angry with his brother for not consulting him before destroying Savanan. Flying from Karayan, who was armed with a knife, Madheswara implored Krishnamurti's help, by which he was able to leap from Kotriboli to the hill called Urugamalai, a distance of some ten miles. The force of the leap caused the hill to bend--hence its name meaning the bending hill. Finding that the hill was bending, and being still hotly pursued by his brother, knife in hand, Madheswara again appealed to Krishnamurti, and was enabled to make another leap of about five miles to a hill called Eggaraimalai, which immediately began to subside. Hence its name, meaning the subsiding hill. Thence he fled to Munikanal, and concealed himself under a rock, closely followed by Karayan, who slashed the rock with his knife, and left marks which are visible to this day. From Munikanal he fled to the hill now known as Madheswaranamalai, and hid in a rat hole. Karayan, not being able to unearth him, sent for a lot of shepherds, and made them pen their sheep and cattle over the hole.