“The temples in the land have fallen into neglect, as worship in them has been stopped. Within their walls the frightful howls of the jackals have ta… - Gangadevi

Ganga Devi wife of Kumar Kampana (died 1374 CE) of Vijayanagar writes as follows in her Madhuravijayam regarding the state of things in the Madura region when it was under Muslim rule: "The temples in the land have fallen into neglect, as worship in them has been stopped... The sweet odour of the sacrificial smoke and chant of the Vedas have deserted the villages which are now filled with the foul smell of roasted flesh and the fierce noise of the ruffianly Turushkas... The wicked mlechchas pollute the religion of the Hindus every day."

In the temples which once resounded with the joyous music of the mridana, there is heard at present only the howl of the jackals that have made them their abode... The river Tamraparni which used to be rendered white by the sandal paste, rubbed away from the breasts of youthful maidens at their bath, is now flowing red wit the blood of the slaughtered cows.

One day, a strange woman appeared before king Kampana and complained in the following strain about the occupation of the south by Turushkas, and its evil effects. “O King! The place known as Vyaghrapuri (Chidambaram, Perumparrapuliyar) has become truly so, for tigers inhabit it now where man dowlt once; the vimana (dome of the central shrine) of Srirangam is so dilapidated that now it is the hood of Adisesha alone that is protecting the image of Ranganatha from the falling debris. The Lord of Gajaranya (Tiruvanaikka, Jambu-kesvaram near Srirangam), who once killed an elephant to obtain its skin for his garment, has now again been reduced to the same condition, because he has been stripped bare of all clothing; while the garbhagriha (central shrine) of many another temple is crumbling, its mandapas overgrown with vegetation and its ponderous wooden doors eaten up by white ants. In the temples which once resounded with the joyous mridanga (a kind of drum), there is heard at present only the jackals that have made them their abode. The river Kaveri, that was curbed by proper dams and flowed in regular channels, has begun to breach in all directions. In the agraharas where the smoke was seen to curl up from the fire-offerings (yagadhuma), we have now the offensive-smelling smoke issuing from the roasting of flesh by the Muhammadans, and the sonorous chant of the Vedas has been replaced by the harsh voice of these ruffians. The beautiful coconut trees which once graced the gardens surrounding the city of Madura, have been cut down by these intruders, and in place of these, we have gruesome substitutes in the form of iron sula, which are adorned with garlands of decapitated human heads strung together. The water of the river Tamraparni, which used to be rendered white by the sandal paste rubbed away from the breasts of youthful maidens at their bath, is now flowing ted with the blood of cows slaughtered by these great sinners”. Thus did the strange lady describe to Kampana, the fate that had overtaken the fair south, and drawing from her girdle a resplendent sword, addressed the king once again as follows: “O Sovereign! Once upon a time the divine Visvakarma, gathering the splinters from the weapons of all the Devas and smelting them together, shaped this strange sword and presented it to Paramesvara for gaining victory over the daityas. By performing a severe penance, one of the early Pandya kings obtained it from Lord Paramesvara. With the help of this divine weapon the descendants of this race continued to rule the kingdom prosperously for a very long period; but by a misfortune the princes of the Pandya dynasty lost the virility of their sires. Agastya, having secured this remarkable sword, presents this now to you. Just as Krishna slew Kamsa in Mathura in olden times, O King! do you also proceed now to the southern Madhura and slaughter the Mussalman king, the enemy of the world, and set up several pillars of victory on the bridge of Rama (between the mainland and the island of Ramesvaram). During your administration of the south, you should also build a strong dam across the Kaveri, and make her flow in a manner useful to the agricultural population”

I very much lament for what has happened to the groves in Madhura. The coconut trees have all been cut and in their place are to be seen rows of iron spikes with human skulls dangling at the points.