76 SONl'P~ ~Â ~A.h'SÎL
of the Ichchâpuram tahsil and east of Parlākīnredī, with an area of
283 square miles. It is separated from Parlākimedi by MAHENDI2AGIRI,
and is bounded on the east by the Bay of Bengal. The tract of
country along the coast prodûces coco-nuts extensively, which are
exported to Cuttack and other places. The population in rgor was
noz,69o, compared with 95,932 in r8gr. It contains one town, SoM-
PETA (population, 6,455), the head-quarters; and 347 villages. The
demand for land revenue and cesses in r 903-4 was Rs. 47, r oo. Lacquer-
work on wood is done at Mandasā, the chief village of the zamin
ddri of the same name. BARUVA, the chief village of another estate, is
one of the three seaports of the District. The other important estates
in the tahsil are Jalantra, which was sold to satisfy its late proprietor's
debts and has been purchased by the Mahārâjā of Vizianagram, and
Budārasingi, which is heavily involved in debt. The Sompeta Agency
consists of the Jarada, Mandasā, and Budārasingi Māliahs, which are
held by the zanaindczrs of the estates of those names under separate
sanads ; and the Jalantra Māliahs, which have been attached owing
to the interference of their former proprietor in the internal affairs of
the Māliahs, and are now under Government management.
Sompeta Town.`Head-quarters of the Sompeta zaminddri tahsil
in Ganjām District, Madras, and of a District Munsif, situated in
z 8° 56' N. and 84° 36' E., near the trunk road from Madras to Cal-
cutta, with which it is connected by a road z miles in length. Popula-
tion (rgor), 6,455
Somvârpet (also called Nagarûr).-Head-quarters of the Nanjarāj-
patna tdluk of Coorg, Southern India, situated in r z° 36' N. and
q.°į° 5z' E., z6 miles north of Mercāra. Population (rgor), r,745. The
name means ` Monday market,' a fair being held on that day. The
water-supply and dispensary were provided from private contributions:
The municipal income in rgo3-4 was Rs. r,3oo and the expenditure
Ks. z,ioo.
Son River (Sanskrit, Suvarna or `gold ' ; likewise called Hiranya-
Irâha or Hiranya- hdhu ; the .Sonos of Arrian ; also identified with the
Erannoboas of Arrian).--A large river of Northern India, which, flow-
ing from the Amarkantak highlands (zz° 4z' N., 8i 4' E.), first north
and then east, joins the Ganges ro miles above Dinapore, after a
course of about 48q miles.
The Son rises near the Narbadâ at Amarkantak in the Maikala
range, the hill on which its nominal source is located being called
Sonhhadra or more commonly Sonmundā. It possesses great sanctity,
t}ie performance of sandhyâ on its banks ensuring absolution and the
attainment of heaven even to the slayer of a Brāhman. Legends about
tlié stréam a.ré numérous, one of the most picturesque assigning the
origin of the Son and Narbadâ to two tears dropped by Brahmâ, one
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