Castes and Tribes of Southern India. Vol. 2 of 7Thurston, Edgar
History
Castes and Tribes of Southern India. Vol. 2 of 7
Thurston, Edgar
Caste -- India, South; Ethnology -- India, South; India, South -- Social life and customs; Tribes -- India, South
In some places in the North Arcot district the festival lasts over
ten days, and varies in some points from the above. On the first day,
the people go in procession to a jammi (Prosopis spicigera) tree,
and worship a decorated pot (kalasam), to which sheep and goats are
sacrificed. From the second to the sixth day, the goddess and pot are
worshipped daily. On the seventh day, the jammi tree is again visited,
and a man carries on his back cooked rice, which may not be placed on
the ground, except near the tree, or at the temple. If the rice is not
set down en route thereto, it is accepted as a sign that the festival
may be proceeded with. Otherwise they would be afraid to light the
joti on the ninth day. This is a busy day, and the ceremonies of
sandhulu kattadam (binding the corners), alagu erecting, lighting
the flour mass, and pot worship are performed. Early in the morning,
goats and sheep are killed, outside the village boundary, in the
north, east, south, and west corners, and the blood is sprinkled
on all sides to keep off all foreign ganams or saktis. The sword
business, as already described, is gone through, and certain tests
applied to see whether the joti may be lighted. A lime fruit is
placed in the region of the navel of the idol, who should throw it
down spontaneously. A bundle of betel leaves is cut across with a
knife, and the cut ends should unite. If the omens are favourable,
the joti is lighted, sheep and goats are killed, and pongal (rice)
is offered to the joti. The day closes with worship of the pot. On the
last day the rice mass is distributed. All Devanga guests from other
villages have to be received and treated with respect according to
the local rules, which are in force. For this purpose, the community
divide their settlements into Sthalams, Payakattulu, Galugramatulu,
Petalu, and Kurugramalu, which have a definite order of precedence.
Among the Devangas the following endogamous sections occur:--(1)
Telugu; (2) Canarese; (3) Hathinentu Manayavaru (eighteen house
people); (4) Sivachara; (5) Ariya; (6) Kodekal Hatakararu (weavers).
They are practically divided into two linguistic sections, Canarese and
Telugu, of which the former have adopted the Brahmanical ceremonials
to a greater extent than the latter, who are more conservative. Those
who wear the sacred thread seem to preponderate over the non-thread
weavers in the Canarese section. To the thread is sometimes attached
metal charm-cylinder to ward off evil spirits.
The following are examples of exogamous septs in the Telugu section:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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