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Karma cast, being descended from wonian is flogged; but, after she the five sons of that person, who has been purified by some conselives in heaven, and is the chief artist crated food, and water, her busband among the Brahıná Lóka, or angels. receives her back again. If a woAll the Panchalar in southern India man has criminal connection with a wear a thread like the Bráhmans. man' of any other cast, she is exIn the dispute about precedency, communicated. Some of these peotheir hereditary chiefs lead the right ple eat animal food, others do not. hand side. On this account Coim- They are allowed to drink intoxicalbetore has been long divided into ing liquors. They never offer sacriseparate quarters. In its own quar- fices to any of the destructive spirits, ter, each party may perform its either male or female. The deity ceremonies in whatever manner it peculiar to the cast is Camachuma, pleases; but it is not allowed to 20 or Kalima, who is, they say, the into the adversary's quarters with same with Parvaii, the wife of Siva. any procession. This keeps the The priests in her temples are all peace; and, although the killing of Brahmans; but in the southern parts a jackass, is kuown by report to the of India no sacrifices are offered to natives, in this part of the country, this idol, as is done in Bengal. The it never has been practised. A Pan-, innages of this, goddess in the two chala may follow

any

of the five arts countries are very differently shaped. that he pleases; but there are many The Panchalas are frequently indivisions among them, that prevent structed to read and write, and there intermarriage. No man can marry is a book called Vishwa Puranam, a woman of a different nation; a which any of them may read. It is Telinga Panchala, for instance, could written in the vulgar languages. The "not marry a woman of this country. Gurus of the Panchalas are not Again, a man cannot marry any wo- Bráhmans, but persons of the cast. man of the same family with him- They have four Matams, the authoself; and, in order to prevent mis- rity of all which is equal. One Matam, takes, marriages are always made situated beyond the Tunga-bhadra with families who are well known to river, is under the government of a each other. The men are allowed a Sannyási, who appoints his succesplurality of wives, and the women sor from among his relations in the continue to be marriageable after the male line. The persons of this family age of puberty. Widows are not who are not called upon to fill this allowed to marry again; nor are sacred office work at the anvil as they permitted to live with another usual, and are not too proud to ininan in the kind of concubinage termarry with ordinary families. called Jaty-bidda, of whom vone The heads of the other three families belong to this tribe.“ Widows, in- marry, and their office is hereditary deed, ought to burn themselves with in the niale line: one of them nanied the dead bodies of their husbandis; Parsamium, lives at Tinevelly; anbut, for at least a century, the prac- other, named Vepuru Vencata Achátice has gone into disuse. When rya, lives at Andëuru; the name of two persons of the cast commit the third, and his place of residence, adultery, they are carried before the are unknown to the people of CoimGuru. The man is fined, and the betore, To their followers these 1. VOL. XLIX.

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Gurus

a

Gurus read Mantrams and Charitra, or prayers and legends, in the Telinga language. They also bestow Upadesa, and receive the gifts called Dána and Dharma; for which purpose they once a year travel round, and receive from each person a Fanam at least.

The Panchanga of the village acts as Purohita for the Panchalar, and reads to them Mantrams, in an unknown language, at marriages, births, the building of a new house, and at the monthly and annual celebrations of the ceremonies for their deceased parents. He also receives the charity called Dána.

The Toreas, or Torearu, are a tribe of Karnáta, although many of them have been long settled in this country. They are rather a low cast, and their proper duty is the cultivation of the Betel-leaf. Many of them formerly were armed messengers, employed to collect the revenue; but, having been deprived in a great measure of this resource by the reduction made in that body of troops, or rather rabble, they have become small dealers in grain, and cutters of firewood; both of which are considered as low employments. They have hereditary chiefs called Gotugaras, or Ijyamámas, who with the advice of a council reprimand all troublesome persons, and inflict slight punishments on those who transgress the rules of cast. The Toreas may eat animal food, but are not permitted to drink intoxicating liquors. They are not allowed to marry a second wife, without obtaining the consent of the first; and this is never asked for, if she has any children. The girls continue to be marriageable after the age of puberty, and widows may marry again without disgrace.

The bridegroom generally gives his father-in-law forty Fanams (11. 5s.); but this is only to assist in defraying the expence of the ceremony, which is performed at the father's house, and which costs more money. In cases of adultery, the husband does not always turn his wife away, but contents himself with flogging her. A woman loses cast if she cohabits with a strange man. This cast has two deities peculiar to itself; the one a male, the other a female. The male is called Sidday Dévaru, and is usually represented by a stone placed in the Betel-leaf-garden. The eldest man of every house acts as priest for his own family, and offers up bloody sacrifices to this stone, in order to appease the wrath of the god which it represents. Once in three or four years a feast is celebrated in honour of Sidday Dévaru, in order to induce him to bestow prosperity on the cast. This is done by a contribution, and costs fifteen Pagodas (41. 13s. 7d.) On this occasion Sidday Dévaru is represented by a pot, which is placed in a house, and has worship (Puja) performed in its honour; that is to say, flowers, and water dyed yellow with turmeric, are poured over it, and incense is burned before its throne. The female deity is named Urucate, aud is represented by a stone placed in a wood. To this, sacrifices and Puja are offered eight days after the great feast of Sidday Dévaru, and the goddess is solicited to bestow prosperity on her votaries. Although these are the peculiar deities of the Toreas, these poor people pray to any image that comes in their way, and use the mark of Siva. They have no Guru. The Panchanga acts as Puróbita, and reads Mantrams at marriages, and when they build a new house.

His fee is a Fanam and a half (11 d.) In cases of sickness, the Toreas frequently vow Dáséri one day in the week; that is to say, to live upon what they can procure by begging.

The Palli are a very numerous cast in all the countries where the Tamul language, their native tongue, is prevalent. They pretend to be Súdras, but are looked upon as rather a low tribe. They have many subdivisions, none of which intermarry with each other; but all can eat in common. Those from whom I have my information are called Arisha Pallí, and act as cultivators of fields, and of gardens watered by machinery, both as farmers and servants, and also as porters. They have hereditary chiefs, called here Ijyamána. On all public ceremonies these receive Betel first; and, with the assistance of an assembly of the people, settle disputes, when the members of their tribes are willing to refer the matter to their decision; but a reference to the officers of government is in general preferred. Some of this tribe are able to read and write accompts. They can lawfully eat animal food, and drink spirituous liquors. They are permitted to marry several women, and pay to the father of each from nine to eleven Pagodas. The father pays one-third of the marriage-expences, and the bridegroom the remainder. Girls continue to be marriageable after the age of puberty; but after that period sell lower than while children. A widow may marry again without disgrace. In cases of adultery within the cast, the husband in general flogs the woman, and takes her back, giving a small fine to his relations; but sometimes be turns her away; in which case

the man who seduced her keeps the woman as his wife, and pacifies his relations by a small fine. All this produces no disgrace, either to the woman or to her children. A woman loses cast by criminal communication with any man except a Palli; a mau may without disgrace indulge himself with any woman, except those belonging to the Panchama, or impure casts.

The gods peculiar to the Pallis are a male named Manar Swámi, and Pachumma his mother. In the temples of these deities the priests are Pallis. They are represented by stone images, and, as usual in the province of Coimbelore, have placed in the yard belonging to their temple a great many figures in potter's work, which represent horses, elephants, and Munis, or devils, who are supposed to be the attendants of these gods. When a person is sick, he frequently vows to place some of these images of potter's work at the temple of the spirit who is supposed to be the cause of his disease. None of these are ever presented to the great gods of the Brahmans, but only to the deities peculiar to the casts of the lower tribes. No sacrifices are offered to Maunar, or Pachum ma; but they are frequently presented to the attendant Munis, of whom a great many have appropriate names and characters; such as Val, Shem, Car, Vayda, Muttu, &c. They are all males. The Pallis frequently offer sacrifices to Marima, Putalima,and the other Saktis, and pray to Siva, Vishnu, or any thing which they meet, that is called a god.

The Panchanga, or astrologer of the village, acts as Purohita for the Pallís, and reads Mantrams at their births and marriages, at the annual commemorations of their deceased 3 P 2

parents,

parents, and at the building of a new house.

Some of the Pallís are of Siva's side, and others of Vishnu's. The former have a Guru peculiar to themselves, who is called Palli Swámi, and lives at Andeuru. His office is hereditary, and he wears the Linga. He receives the charity of his followers, and gives them consecrated food, and holy water. On such as choose to wear the Linga, he bestows an Upadésa; but very few apply for this, as ever afterwards they must abstain from animal food. The Pallís who wear the mark of Vishnu have for Gurus the Sri Vaishnavam Bráhmans.

Account of the Goalas, or Cow

keepers, of Madhu-giri.

[From the same.]

10th August. In the morning I went three cosses to Madhu-giri. The road led through pretty vallies, surrounded by detached rocky hills. These vallies showed marks of having once been in a great measure cultivated, and contained the ruinous villages of their former inhabitants. Ever since the devastation committed by Purserai Bhow, and the subsequent famine, they have been nearly waste; and many of the fields are overgrown with young trees. A few wretched inhabitants remain, and a few fields are cultivated; and it is said, that this year greater progress would have been made toward the recovery of the country, had not the season been remarkably dry and unfavourable.

On my arrival at Madhu-giri, and questioning Trimula Náyaka on the subject, I found, that every town and village in this hilly country had herds of breeding cattle, One of

the herds I had met on the road; but they were so fierce, that, without protection from the keepers, it would have been unsafe to approach them. I determined, therefore, to remain a day at Madhu-giri and examine the particulars.

11th August.—I went with Trimula Náyaka, and examined three herds of breeding cows, one of them chiefly his own property. From him, and from some of the most sensible Goalas, I afterwards took the following account.

In this country the Cadu Goalas, or Goalaru, are those who breed cattle. Their families live in small villages near the skirts of the woods, where they cultivate a little ground, and keep some of their cattle, selling in the towns the produce of the dairy. Their families are very numerous, seven or eight young men in each being common. Two or three of these attend the flocks in the woods, while the remainder cultivate their fields, and supply the towns with fire-wood, and with straw for thatch. Some of them also hire themselves to the farmers as servan's. They are a very dirty people, much worse than even the generality of the people of Karnáta; for they wear no cloathing but a blanket, and generally sleep among the cattle; which, joined to a warm climate, and rare ablutions, with vermin, itch, ring-worms, and other cutaneous disorders, render them very offensive.

In criminal matters relating to cast, the Goalas are under the jurisdiction of a renter, who in the language of Karnáta is called Beny Chavadi, or in the mussulman dialect Musca Chavadi, which signifies the head of the butter-office. He resides at the capital, and pays to government an annual revenue.

He

goes

are well

goes to every village where any re- tilence, the sufferers go and solicit a gular families of Goalas are esta- new stock from the other

persons

of blished, and from each levies the tax the cast, each of whom will give a which they pay to government for beast or two for that purpose. Should liberly to pasture their focks on its , they be so unreasonable as to refuse property. In this neighbourhood, this bounty, the Beny Chavadi will every family, whether it consists of compel them to assist their distressed many persons or of few, or whether neighbours. it be rich or poor, pays the same There are a great many different tax; which is indeed a mere trifle, races of Goalas, with whom the being only six Fanams, or about 4s. Cadu Goalas neither eat nor intera year.

For this small sum they are marry. These last are a tribe of exempted from any tax or rent for Karnata; and persons, who consider grass, and may feed their cattle in themselves as of any rank, marry whatever woods they please. In into such families only, with the some villages there is often only one purity of whose origin family of privileged Goalas, in others acquainted; for in this tribe there is there are two. If a family change a very numerous race of Cutigás, or its place of abode, it must always bastards. Widows who prefer dispay its tax, and also certain dues grace to celibacy, and women who owing to the temples, at its original commit adultery, connect themselves village. The same happens to the with the bastard race, who also keep individuals of a family, which some- Hadras, or concubines; a practice times may occupy ten houses; the that is not permitted to Goalas of a whole of them, wherever settled, pure descent. These, however, may must send their share of the tax to keep as many wives as they please. the head of the family. The head A woman who is incontinent with a man of the family is generally the man of any other cast, is inevitably eldest son of the last man who held excommunicated.

If the adultery the office; but in case of his being has been committed with a Goala, incapable, from stupidity, of trans- she will be received as a Cutiga; and acting business, the Beny Chavadi both the man who seduced her, and appoints an acting chief, or ljyamána. her busband, are fined in twelve There are some Goalas, who are not Fanams, or about 6s. The Goalas privileged, nor under the authority of are not permitted to drink spirituous the Beny Chavadi, who in proportion liquors, nor to eat fish, or hogs; but to the extent of their flocks pay a they may eat sheep, goats, deer, and rent for the grass to the Gydda Ca- fowls. They bury the dead, and vila, or keeper of the forest. This have no knowledge of a future life,

, also is very moderate; 100 cows pay- except believing tbat those who die ing annually five Fanams, or 3s. 4d. unmarried will become Virigas, whom

The Ijyamánas, or hereditary chiefs they worship in the usual manner. of Goala families, setile all disputes; The gods peculiar to their cast are, but the Beny Chavadi punishes all Jinjuppa and Ramuppa. The Bráhtransgressions against the rules of mans say, that the former is the cast. When the flocks of any family same with Lechmana, the younger have perished, either by war or pes- brother of Ráma ; but of this the

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Goalas,

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