Some Dasaris are servants under Vaishnava Brahmans, who act as gurus to various castes. It is their duty to act as messengers to the guru, and carry the news of his arrival to his disciples. At the time of worship, and when the guru approaches a village, the Dasari has to blow a long brass trumpet (tarai). As the Brahman may not approach or touch his Paraiyan disciples, it is the Dasari who gives them the holy water (thirtham). When a Paraiyan is to be branded, the Brahman heats the instruments bearing the devices of the chank and chakaram, and hands them to the Dasari, who performs the operation of branding. For councils, settlement of marriage, and the decision of other social matters, the Dasaris meet, at times of festivals, at well-known places such as Tirutani, Tirupati or Tiruvallur. At the annual festival at the temple at Karamadi in the Coimbatore district, which is visited by very large numbers, belonging for the most part to the lower orders, various vows are fulfilled. These include the giving of kavalam to Dasaris. Kavalam consists of plantain fruits cut up into small slices, and mixed with sugar, jaggery (crude sugar), fried grain, or beaten rice. The Dasaris are attached to the temple, and wear short drawers, with strings of small brass bells tied to their wrists and ankles. They appear to be possessed, and move wildly about to the beating of drums. As they go about, the devotee puts some of the kavalam into their mouths. The Dasaris eat a little, and spit out the remainder into the hands of the devotees, who eat it. This is believed to cure all diseases, and to give children to those who partake of it. In addition to kavalam, some put betel leaves into the mouths of the Dasaris, who, after chewing them, spit them into the mouths of the devotees. At night the Dasaris carry large torches made of rags, on which the devotees pour ghi (clarified butter). Some say that, many years ago, barren women used to take a vow to visit the temple at the festival time, and, after offering kavalam, have sexual intercourse with the Dasaris. The temple authorities, however, profess ignorance of this practice. When proceeding on a pilgrimage to the temple of Subramanya Swami at Palni, some devotees pierce their cheeks with a long silver skewer, which traverses the mouth cavity; pierce the tongue with a silver arrow, which is protruded vertically through the protruded organ; and place a silver shield (mouth-lock) in front of the mouth. Some Dasaris have permanent holes in their cheeks, into which they insert skewers when they go about the country in pursuit of their profession.