Two thousand years ago—one thousand years before the time in which this story takes place—there lived a Sinhalese king named Valahambahu. Even during his reign, the Tamil army marched upon Lanka. At that time, Valahambahu fled from his capital and hid himself in a mountain cave at a place called Thambalai. Later, he gathered his forces once more and recaptured Anuradhapura. In gratitude to the mountain cave that had given him refuge, he further excavated it and transformed it into a temple. To express his thanks to Lord Buddha, he had numerous Buddha statues, both large and small, fashioned within that cave.

The sculptors who created those hundreds of Buddha images were not satisfied that they had fully displayed their artistic prowess. Therefore, amidst the Buddha statues, they also carved a few images of Hindu deities. Even today, those marvelous wonders of sculpture can be seen in the cave temple in the village of Thambalai.

When Vandiyathevan entered that sacred place, it seemed to him as though he had stepped into a new world. The fragrance of fresh flowers intoxicated his senses. At the street corners, heaps of lotus buds and champaka blossoms were piled high. Devotees bought these flowers and carried them in beautiful palm-leaf baskets as they made their way toward the temple. The throngs of worshippers, both women and men, filled the streets as they proceeded. Here and there, Buddhist monks clad in ochre robes could be seen. The great cry of “Sadhu, Sadhu!” rose from the crowd of devotees.

All these sights filled Vandiyathevan with wonder. Turning to Azhwarkkadiyan, he said, “We thought we were coming to the center of war. But isn’t this a Buddhist holy place?”

“Yes, my friend! For a thousand years now, this has been a renowned Buddhist shrine,” replied Azhwarkkadiyan.

“But you said it was under the control of the Chola army?”

“Yes; and I still say so.”

“But I don’t see any Chola soldiers here.”

“They are stationed outside the town, in the barracks. Such is the prince’s command.” “Which prince?”

“Why do you ask? The very prince we have come seeking!”

“I meant to ask you about that. Parthibendran, having searched for the prince here and found nothing, is now heading back. What is the use in us searching here again?”

“Just because that Pallavan says ‘he is not here,’ should I believe it? I will search and see for myself. Did Prahlada believe Hiranyakashipu when he said there is no god called Hari?”

“Oh! Brave Vaishnavite! In our land, you are always quarreling with the Shaivites, aren’t you? Here, so many Buddhist monks are passing by, yet you remain silent. What is the reason? Are you frightened by the crowd of enemies and have you lost your nerve?”

“Brother! What is fear? What does it look like?”

“It is black, monstrous, as big as an elephant. Haven’t you seen it?”

“No,” said Azhwarkadiyan, and then he approached two men who were watching the street from the roadside. They