Concerning the origin of the Kapus, the following legend is current. During the reign of Pratapa Rudra, the wife of one Belthi Reddi secured by severe penance a brilliant ear ornament (kamma) from the sun. This was stolen by the King's minister, as the King was very anxious to secure it for his wife. Belthi Reddi's wife told her sons to recover it, but her eldest son refused to have anything to do with the matter, as the King was involved in it. The second son likewise refused, and used foul language. The third son promised to secure it, and, hearing this, one of his brothers ran away. Finally the ornament was recovered by the youngest son. The Panta Kapus are said to be descended from the eldest son, the Pakanatis from the second, the Velamas from the son who ran away, and the Kammas from the son who secured the jewel. The Kapus are said to have originally dwelt in Ayodhya. During the reign of Bharata, one Pillala Mari Belthi Reddi and his sons deceived the King by appropriating all the grain to themselves, and giving him the straw. The fraud was detected by Rama when he assumed charge of the kingdom, and, as a punishment, he ordered the Kapus to bring Cucurbita (pumpkin) fruits for the sradh (death ceremony) of Dasaratha. They accordingly cultivated the plant, but, before the ceremony took place, all the plants were uprooted by Hanuman, and no fruits were forthcoming. In lieu thereof, they promised to offer gold equal in weight to that of the pumpkin, and brought all of which they were possessed. This they placed in the scales, but it was not sufficient to counterbalance a pumpkin against which it was weighed. To make up the deficiency in weight, the Kapu women removed their bottus (marriage badges), and placed them in the scales. Since that time women of the Motati and Pedakanti sections have substituted a cotton string dyed with turmeric for the bottu. It is worthy of notice that a similar legend is current among the Vakkaligas (cultivators) of Mysore, who, instead of giving up the bottu, seem to have abandoned the cultivation of the Cucurbita plant. The exposure of the fraud led Belthi Reddi to leave Ayodhya with one of his wives and seventy-seven children, leaving behind thirteen wives. In the course of their journey, they had to cross the Silanadi (petrifying river), and, if they passed through the water, they would have become petrified. So they went to a place called Dhonakonda, and, after worshipping Ganga, the head of the idol was cut off, and brought to the river bank. The waters, like those of the Red Sea in the time of Pharaoh, were divided, and the Kapus crossed on dry ground. In commemoration of this event, the Kapus still worship Ganga during their marriage ceremonies. After crossing the river, the travellers came to the temple of Mallikarjuna, and helped the Jangams in the duties of looking after it. Some time afterwards the Jangams left the place for a time, and placed the temple in charge of the Kapus.