In the Northern Circars, and part of the Ceded Districts, the Vedoktha form of marriage now prevails, and its usage is spreading into the southern districts of Mysore. Further, the Komatis perform most of their ceremonies in the same form. This, it is contended, is a latter day development by some of the more conservative members of the caste, but it is stated by those who follow it that it is allowed to them by the Hindu sastras (law books), as they are Vaisyas. During recent years, the latter view has obtained a great impetus through the writings and influence of several of the more prominent members of the caste, between whom and their opponents a war of pamphlets has taken place. It is not possible here to go into details of the dispute, but the main point seems to be as follows. On the one hand, it is denied that there are any true Vaisyas in the Kaliyuga (iron age). And so, though the Komatis are accorded the status of Vaisyas in recognition of their being traders, yet they cannot follow the Vedic form of ceremonial, which is the exclusive right of Brahmans; and, even if they ever followed it, they forfeited it after the break-up of the caste on the death of Kanyakamma. On the other hand, it is stated that the Komatis are Dwijas (twice born), and that they are consequently entitled to follow the Vedic ritual, and that those who forfeited the Vedic rights are those who did not follow Kanyakamma to the fire-pits, and do not therefore belong to the 102 gotras. The dispute is an old standing one, and nearly a century ago was taken for adjudication as far as the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. The question whether the Komatis are entitled to perform their subah and asubah (auspicious, like marriage, and inauspicious, like death) ceremonies according to the Vedic form, was raised by the Brahmans of Masulipatam in 1817, and adjudicated upon. [147] Disputes had occurred between the Brahmans and Komatis for a long time, and disturbances constantly took place. The Magistrate of Masulipatam prohibited the Komatis from performing one of the ceremonies, until they had established their right to do so in a Civil Court. The appellants thereon sued the defendants in damages for impediments made against their attending to the rites prescribed by the Vedas, and prayed for permission to perform them in conformity with the Vedas. The defendants denied the right of the Komatis to perform, and the fact of their ever having performed the ceremonies appointed by the Vedas. They admitted the intervention of the Magistrate, and stated that "upwards of two thousand years ago, the Komatis adopted the customs of the Soodra caste, and some of them became Byri Komatis, and Bookha caste people, etc. The rest of them, amounting to a hundred and two gotras, fabricated false gotrams for themselves, and called themselves Nagaram Komatis. They fabricated a book called Canniaca Puranam, named the Bashcara Puntulu Varu their priest, conformed to