When a girl reaches puberty, she has to sit in a room on five fresh palmyra palm leaves, bathes in turmeric water, and may not eat salt. If there is "leg's presentation" at childbirth, the infant's maternal uncle should not hear the infant cry until the shanti ceremony has been performed. A Brahman recites some mantrams, and the reflection of the infant's face is first seen by the uncle from the surface of oil in a plate. Widow remarriage is permitted. A widow can be recognised by her not wearing the tali, gazulu (glass bangles), and mettu (silver ring on the second toe). The lowest castes with which the Medaras will eat are, they say, Komatis and Velamas. Some say that they will eat with Satanis, In the Coorg country, the Medaras are said to subsist by umbrella-making. They are the drummers at Coorg festivals, and it is their privilege to receive annually at harvest-time from each Coorg house of their district as much reaped paddy as they can bind up with a rope twelve cubits in length. They dress like the Coorgs, but in poorer style. [36] It is recorded by Bishop Whitehead [37] that, "in Mercara taluk, in Ippanivolavade, and in Kadikeri in Halerinad, the villagers sacrifice a kona or male buffalo. Tied to a tree in a gloomy grove near the temple, the beast is killed by a Meda, who cuts off its head with a large knife, but no Coorgs are present at the time. The blood is spilled on a stone under a tree, and the flesh eaten by Medas." At the Census, 1901, Gauriga was returned as a sub-caste by some Medaras, The better classes are taking to call themselves Balijas, and affix the title Chetti to their names. The Godagula workers in split bamboo sometimes call themselves Odde (Oriya) Medara. [38] Meda (raised mound).--An exogamous sept of Padma Sale. Medam (fight).--An exogamous sept of Devanga. Mehtar.--A few Mehtars are returned, in the Madras Census Report, 1901, as a Central Provinces caste of scavengers. "This name," Yule and Burnell write, [39] "is usual in Bengal, especially for the domestic servant of this class. The word is Pers., comp. mihtar (Lat. major), a great personage, a prince, and has been applied to the class in question in irony, or rather in consolation. But the name has so completely adhered in this application, that all sense of either irony or consolation has perished. Mehtar is a sweeper, and nought else. His wife is the Matranee. It is not unusual to hear two Mehtars hailing each other as Maharaj!" Meikaval (body-guard of the god).--A name for Pandarams. Mekala (goats).--Recorded as an exogamous sept of Boya, Chenchu, Golla, Kamma, Kapu, Togata, and Yanadi. Nerigi Mekala (a kind of goat) is a further sept of Yanadi. Mekhri.--A sub-division of Navayat Muhammadans. Melachcheri.--A class of Muhammadans in the Laccadive islands (see Mappilla). Meladava.--Dancing-girls in South Canara.