170 Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead

Madhvacarya, Visnusvami, and Nimbarka, advented themselves in these
Dravida Provinces. Lord Caitanya appeared in Bengal, which is part of the
five Gauradeégas.

The most important place of pilgrimage in southern India, or Dravida, is
Venkatacala, commonly known as Balaji. After visiting this place Lord
Balarama proceeded toward Visnukajfici, and from there He proceeded on
the bank of the Kavert. He took His bath in the River Kaveri; then He
gradually reached Rangaksetra. The biggest temple in the world is in
Rangaksetra, and the Visnu deity there is celebrated as Ranganatha. A
similar temple of Ranganatha is in Vrndavana, although it is not as big as
the temple in Rangaksetra.

While going to Visnukafici, Lord Balarama also visited Sivakafici. After
visiting Rangaksetra, He gradually proceeded toward Mathura, commonly
known as the Mathura of southern India. After visiting this place, He
gradually proceeded toward Setubandha. Setubandha is the place where
Lord Ramacandra constructed the stone bridge from India to Lanka
(Ceylon). In this particularly holy place, Lord Balarama distributed ten
thousand cows to the local brahmana priests. It is the Vedic custom that
when a rich visitor goes to any place of pilgrimage he gives in charity to
the local priests gifts of horses, cows, ornaments and garments. This system
of visiting places of pilgrimage and providing the local brahmana priests
with all necessities of life has greatly deteriorated in this age of Kali. The
richer section of the population, because of its degradation in Vedic
culture, is no longer attracted by these places of pilgrimage, and the
brahmana priests who depended on such visitors have also deteriorated in
their professional duty of helping the visitors. These brahmana priests in
the places of pilgrimage are called panda or pandit. This means that they
formerly were very learned brahmanas and used to guide the visitors in all
details of the purpose of coming there, and thus both the visitors and the
priests were benefitted by mutual cooperation.

It is clear from the description of Srimad-Bhdgavatam that when Lord
Balarama was visiting the different places of pilgrimage, He properly
followed the Vedic system. After distributing cows at Setubandha, Lord
Balarama proceeded toward the Krtamala and Tamraparni Rivers. These
two rivers are celebrated as sacred, and Lord Balarama bathed in both. He
then proceeded toward Malaya Hill. This Malaya Hill is very great, and it is
said that it is one of seven peaks called the Malaya Hills. The great sage
Agastya used to live there, and Lord Balarama visited him and offered His
respects by bowing down before him. After taking the sage’s blessings,
Lord Balarama, with the sage’s permission, proceeded toward the Indian
Ocean.
