Castes and Tribes of Southern India. Vol. 7 of 7Thurston, Edgar
General
Castes and Tribes of Southern India. Vol. 7 of 7
Thurston, Edgar
Caste -- India, South; Ethnology -- India, South; India, South -- Social life and customs; Tribes -- India, South
Two forms of Toda dairy have so far been noticed. But there remains
a third kind, called the ti mand, concerning which Dr. Rivers writes
as follows. "The ti is the name of an institution, which comprises
a herd of buffaloes, with a number of dairies and grazing districts,
tended by a dairy-man priest called palol, with an assistant called
kaltmokh. Each dairy, with its accompanying buildings and pasturage,
is called a ti mad, or ti village. The buffaloes belonging to a ti
are of two kinds, distinguished as persiner and punir. The former are
the sacred buffaloes, and the elaborate ceremonial of the ti dairy
is concerned with their milk. The punir correspond in some respects
to the putiir of the ordinary village dairy, and their milk and its
products are largely for the personal use and profit of the palol, and
are not treated with any special ceremony. During the whole time he
holds office, the palol may not visit his home or any other ordinary
village, though he may visit another ti village. Any business with
the outside world is done either through the kaltmokh, or with people
who come to visit him at the ti. If the palol has to cross a river,
he may not pass by a bridge, but must use a ford, and it appears that
he may only use certain fords. The palol must be celibate, and, if
married, he must leave his wife, who is in most cases also the wife
of his brother or brothers." I visited the ti mand near Paikara by
appointment, and, on arrival near the mand, found the two palols,
well-built men aged about thirty and fifty, clad in black cloths,
and two kaltmokhs, youths aged about eight and ten, naked save for a
loin-cloth, seated on the ground, awaiting our arrival. As a mark of
respect to the palols, the three Todas who accompanied me arranged
their putkulis so that the right arm was laid bare, and one of
them, who was wearing a turban, removed it. A long palaver ensued in
consequence of the palols demanding ten rupees to cover the expenses of
the purificatory ceremonies, which, they maintained, would be necessary
if I desecrated the mand by photographing it. Eventually, however,
under promise of a far smaller sum, the dwelling-hut was photographed,
with palols, kaltmokhs, and a domestic cat seated in front of it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account