The Tigalas are kitchen and market gardeners, and cultivate the betel vine. They apparently have three divisions, called Ulli (garlic or onions), Ele (leaf), and Arava (Tamil). Among the Ulli Tigalas, several sub-divisions, and septs or budas named after deities or prominent members of the caste, exist, e.g.:-- I. Lakkamma-- Tota devaru (garden god). Dodda devaru (big or chief god). Dodda Narasayya. Dodda Nanjappa. II. Ellamma-- Narasayya. Muddanna. III. Sidde devaru. The Tigalas have a headman, whose office is hereditary, and who is assisted by a caste servant called Mudre. Council meetings are usually held at a fixed spot, called goni mara katte or mudre goni mara katte, because those summoned by the Mudre assemble beneath a goni (Ficus mysorensis) tree, round which a stone platform is erected. The tree and platform being sacred, no one may go there on wearing shoes or sandals. The members of council sit on a woollen blanket spread before the tree. Like the Pallis or Vanniyans, the Tigalas call themselves Agni Vanni, and claim to be descended from the fire-born hero Agni Banniraya. In connection with the Tigalas who have settled in the Bombay Presidency, it is noted [14] that "they are a branch of the Mysore Tigalas, who are Tamil Palli emigrants from the Madras Presidency, and, like the Palli, claim a Kshatriya origin." The Tigalas possess a manuscript, said to be a copy of a sasana at Conjeeveram (Kanchi), from which the following extracts are taken. "This is a Kanchi sasana published by Aswaththa Narayanswami, who was induced to do so by the god Varadaraja of Conjeeveram. This sasana is written to acquaint the descendants of the Mahapurusha Agni Banniraya with the origin, doings, and gotra of their ancestor Banniraya. This Banniraya sprang from fire, and so is much beloved by Vishnu the many-armed, the many-eyed, and the bearer of the chank and chakram, and who is no other than Narayana, the lord of all the worlds great and small, and the originator of the Vedas and Vedanta.... All those who see or worship this sasana relating to Agni Banniraya, who obtained boons from the Trimurthis, Devatas, and Rishis, and who is the ancestor of the Tigalas, will be prosperous, and have plenty of grain and children. Those who speak lightly of this caste will become subject to the curses of Banniraya, Trimurthis, Rishis, and Devas. The glory of this sasana is great, and is as follows:--The keeping and worshipping of this purana will enable the Tigalas of the Karnataka country to obtain the merit of surapadavi (the state of Devas), merit of doing puja to a thousand lingams, a lakh of cow gifts, and a hundred kannikadanams (gifts of virgins for marriage)." The sasana is said to have been brought to the Canarese country because of a quarrel between the Pallis and the Tigalas at the time of a Tigala marriage. The Tigalas were prevented