The Pallis, Mr. Francis writes further, [16] "as far back as 1833 tried to procure a decree in Pondicherry, declaring that they were not a low caste, and of late years they have, in this (South Arcot) district, been closely bound together by an organisation managed by one of their caste, who was a prominent person in these parts. In South Arcot they take a somewhat higher social rank than in other places--Tanjore, for example--and their esprit de corps is now surprisingly strong. They are tending gradually to approach the Brahmanical standard of social conduct, discouraging adult marriage, meat-eating, and widow re-marriage, and they also actively repress open immorality or other social sins, which might serve to give the community a bad name. In 1904 a document came before one of the courts, which showed that, in the year previous, the representatives of the caste in thirty-four villages in this district had bound themselves in writing, under penalty of excommunication, to refrain (except with the consent of all parties) from the practices formerly in existence of marrying two wives, and of allowing a woman to marry again during the lifetime of her first husband. Some of the caste have taken to calling themselves Vannikula Kshatriyas or Agnikula Kshatriyas, and others even declare that they are Brahmans. These last always wear the sacred thread, tie their cloths in the Brahman fashion (though their women do not follow the Brahman ladies in this matter), forbid widow remarriage, and are vegetarians." Some Palli Poligars have very high-sounding names, such as Agni Kudirai Eriya Raya Ravutha Minda Nainar, i.e., Nainar who conquered Raya Ravutha and mounted a fire horse. This name is said to commemorate a contest between a Palli and a Ravutha, at which the former sat on a red-hot metal horse. Further names are Samidurai Surappa Sozhaganar and Anjada Singam (fearless lion). Some Pallis have adopted Gupta as a title. A few Palli families now maintain a temple of their own, dedicated to Srinivasa, at the village of Kumalam in the South Arcot district, live round the temple, and are largely dependent on it for their livelihood. Most of them dress exactly like the temple Battars, and a stranger would certainly take them for Battar Brahmans. Some of them are well versed in the temple ritual, and their youths are being taught the Sandyavandhana (morning prayer) and Vedas by a Brahman priest. Ordinary Palli girls are taken by them in marriage, but their own girls are not allowed to marry ordinary Pallis; and, as a result of this practice of hypergamy, the Kumalam men sometimes have to take to themselves more than one wife, in order that their young women may be provided with husbands. These Kumalam Pallis are regarded as priests of the Pallis, and style themselves Kovilar, or temple people. But, by other castes, they are nicknamed Kumalam Brahmans. They claim to be Kshatriyas, and have adopted the title Rayar.