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
Akasam, sky.
Anumala, seeds of Dolichos lablab.
Boggula, charcoal.
Bandla, rock or cart.
Chintakai, tamarind fruit.
Challa, buttermilk.
Chapparam, pandal or booth.
Dhoddi, cattle-pen, or courtyard.
Dhuggani, money.
Yerra, red.
Konda, mountain.
Kaththi, knife.
Bandari (treasurer).
Busam, grain.
Dhondapu (Cephalandra indica).
Elugoti, assembly.
Gattu, bank or mound.
Paidam, money.
Gonapala, old plough.
Gosu, pride.
Jigala, pith.
Katta, a dam.
Kompala, houses.
Konangi, buffoon.
Katikala, collyrium.
Kaththiri, scissors.
Moksham, heaven.
Pasupala, turmeric.
Pidakala, dried cow-dung cakes.
Pothula, male.
Pachi powaku, green tobacco.
Padavala, boat.
Pouzala, a bird.
Pammi, clay lamp.
Thalakoka, female cloth.
Thutla, hole.
Utla, ropes for hanging pots.
Vasthrala, cloths.
Matam, monastery.
Madira, liquor or heap of earth.
Medam, fight.
Masila, dirt.
Olikala, funeral pyre and ashes.
Prithvi, earth.
Peraka, tile.
Punjala, cock or male.
Pinjala, cotton-cleaning.
Pichchiga, sparrow.
Sika (kudumi: tuft of hair).
Sandala, lanes.
Santha, a fair.
Sajje (Setaria italica).
The majority of Devangas are Saivites, and wear the lingam. They do
not, however, wash the stone lingam with water, in which the feet
of Jangams have been washed. They are not particular as to always
keeping the lingam on the body, and give as an explanation that,
when they are at work, they have to touch all kinds of people. Some
said that merchants, when engaged in their business, should not wear
the lingam, especially if made of spatikam (quartz), as they have to
tell untruths as regards the value and quality of their goods, and
ruin would follow if these were told while the lingam was on the body.
In some parts of Ganjam, the country folk keep a large number of
Brahmini bulls. When one of these animals dies, very elaborate funeral
ceremonies take place, and the dead beast is carried in procession
by Devangas, and buried by them. As the Devangas are Lingayats,
they have a special reverence for Basavanna, the sacred bull, and
the burying of the Brahmini bull is regarded by them as a sacred and
meritorious act. Other castes do not regard it as such, though they
often set free sacred cows or calves.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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