It is recorded [111] that "Matsya gundam (fish pool) is a curious
pool in the Macheru (fish river) near the village of Matam, close
under the great Yendrika hill. The pool is crowded with mahseer
(Barbus tor) of all sizes. These are wonderfully tame, the bigger
ones feeding fearlessly from one's hand, and even allowing their
backs to be stroked. They are protected by the Madgole zamindars,
who on several grounds venerate all fish. Once, the story goes, a
Brinjari caught one, and turned it into curry, whereon the king of the
fish solemnly cursed him, and he and all his pack-bullocks were turned
into rocks, which may be seen there to the present day. At Sivaratri,
a festival occurs at the little thatched shrine near by, the priest at
which is a Bagata (Telugu freshwater fisher), and part of the ritual
consists in feeding the sacred fish. The Madgole zamindars claim to
be descended from the rulers of Matsya Desa. They are installed on
a stone throne shaped like a fish, display a fish on their banners,
and use a figure of a fish as a signature. Some of their dependents
wear ear-rings shaped like a fish."
A tank at Coondapoor contained a species of fish locally known as
the flower-fish, which was especially reserved for the table of
Tipu Sultan, being fat and full of blood. [112] The sacred fish at
Tirupparankunram near Madura are said to have been sages in a bygone
age, and it is believed to be very meritorious to look at them. They
are said to appear on the surface of the water only if you call out
"Kasi Visvanatha." But it is said that a handful of peas thrown into
the pool is more effective. The Ambalakkarans (Tamil cultivators)
admit that they are called Valaiyans, but repudiate any connection
with the caste of that name. They explain the appellation by a story
that, when Siva's ring was swallowed by a fish in the Ganges, one of
their ancestors invented the first net (valai) made in the world.
Some Natives will not eat the murrel fish (Ophiocephalus striatus),
owing to its resemblance to a snake. Some Halepaiks (Canarese
toddy-drawers) avoid eating a fish called Srinivasa, because they fancy
that the streaks on the body bear a resemblance to the Vaishnavite
sectarian mark (namam). Members of the Vamma gotra of the Janappans
(Telugu traders) abstain from eating the bombadai fish, because,
when some of their ancestors went to fetch water in a marriage pot,
they found a number of this fish in the water collected in the pot.
When a new net is used for the first time by the Besthas of Mysore,
the first fish which is caught is cut, and the net is smeared with
its blood. One of the meshes of the net is burnt, after incense has
been thrown into the fire.