They have a caste headman, called Kulampedda, who settles disputes with the assistance of a council. Like other Telugu castes, they have intiperulu or house names, which are strictly exogamous. Girls are married either before or after puberty. The custom of menarikam is practiced, in accordance with which a man marries his maternal aunt's daughter. A Brahman officiates at marriages, except the remarriage of widows. When a widow is remarried, the caste-men assemble, and the Kulampedda ties the sathamanam (marriage badge) on the bride's neck. The dead are usually cremated, and the washerman of the village assists the chief mourner in igniting the pyre. A Satani conducts the funeral ceremonies. The Segidis worship various village deities, and perantalammas, or women who killed themselves during their husbands' lives or on their death. The more well-to-do members of the caste take the title Anna. Sekkan (oil-man).--A synonym of Vaniyan. Sembadavan.--The Sembadavans are the fishermen of the Tamil country, who carry on their calling in freshwater tanks (ponds), lakes and rivers, and never in the sea. Some of them are ferrymen, and the name has been derived from sem (good), padavan (boatmen). A legend runs to the effect that the goddess Ankalamman, whom they worship with offerings of sheep, pigs, fowls, rice, etc., was a Sembadava girl, of whom Siva became enamoured, and Sembadavan is accordingly derived from Sambu (Siva) or a corruption of Sivan padavan (Siva's boatmen). Some members of the caste in the Telugu country returned themselves, at the census, 1901, as Sambuni Reddi or Kapu. According to another legend, the name is derived from sembu padavor or copper boatmen. Parvatha Raja, disguised as a boatman, when sailing in a copper boat, threw out his net to catch fish. Four Vedas were transformed into nets, with which to catch the rakshasas, who assumed the form of fishes. Within the nets a rishi was also caught, and, getting angry, asked the boatman concerning his pedigree. On learning it, he cursed him, and ordained that his descendants should earn their living by fishing. Hence the Sembadavans call themselves Parvatha Rajavamsam. Yet another legend states that the founder of the caste, while worshipping God, was tried thus. God caused a large fish to appear in the water near the spot at which he was worshipping. Forgetting all about his prayers, he stopped to catch the fish, and was cursed with the occupation of catching fish for ever. According to yet another account of the origin of the Sembadavans, Siva was much pleased with their ancestors' devotion to him when they lived upon the sea-shore by catching a few fish with difficulty, and in recognition of their piety furnished them with a net, and directed various other castes to become fish-eaters, so that the Sembadavar might live comfortably.