Castes and Tribes of Southern India. Vol. 3 of 7Thurston, Edgar
History
Castes and Tribes of Southern India. Vol. 3 of 7
Thurston, Edgar
Caste -- India, South; Ethnology -- India, South; India, South -- Social life and customs; Tribes -- India, South
The males proceed to a tank, and make
an effigy on the ground, near which three small stones are set up. On
these libations of water are poured, and cooked rice, vegetables, etc.,
are offered. The chief mourner then goes into the water, carrying the
effigy, which is thrown in, and dives as many times as there have been
days between the funeral and the karmandhiram. The ceremony closes
with the making of presents to the Brahmans and agnates. Towards
evening, the widow sits on a small quantity of rice on the ground,
and her marriage bottu is removed. The Kammas perform a first annual
ceremony, but not a regular sradh afterwards. [68]
As regards their religion, some Kammas are Saivites, others
Vaishnavites. Most of the Saivites are disciples of Aradhya Brahmans,
and the Vaishnavites of Vaishnava Brahmans or Satanis. The Gampas
reverence Draupadi, Mannarsami, Gangamma, Ankamma, and Padavetiamma;
the Godas Poleramma, Veikandla Thalli (the thousand-eyed goddess)
and Padavetiamma.
Kamma (ear ornament).--An exogamous sept of Motati Kapu.
Kammalan (Tamil).--The original form of the name Kammalan appears to
have been Kannalan or Kannalar, both of which occur in Tamil poems,
e.g., Thondamandala Satakam and Er Ezhuvathu, attributed to the
celebrated poet Kamban. Kannalan denotes one who rules the eye, or
one who gives the eye. When an image is made, its consecration takes
place at the temple. Towards the close of the ceremonial, the Kammalan
who made it comes forward, and carves out the eyes of the image. The
name is said also to refer to those who make articles, and open the
eyes of the people, i.e., who make articles pleasing to the eyes.
A very interesting account of the netra mangalya, or ceremony of
painting the eyes of images, as performed by craftsmen in Ceylon, has
been published by Mr. A. K. Coomaraswamy. [69] Therein he writes that
"by far the most important ceremony connected with the building and
decoration of a vihara (temple), or with its renovation, was the actual
netra mangalya or eye ceremonial. The ceremony had to be performed
in the case of any image, whether set up in a vihara or not. Even in
the case of flat paintings it was necessary. D. S. Muhandiram, when
making for me a book of drawings of gods according to the Rupavaliya,
left the eyes to be subsequently inserted on a suitable auspicious
occasion, with some simpler form of the ceremony described.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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