Anapa (Dolichos Lablab).--A gotra of Komati.
Anasa (ferrule).--A gotra of Kurni.
Anchu (edge or border).--A gotra of Kurni.
Andara (pandal or booth).--A sept of Kuruba.
Ande.--Ande (a pot) as a division of the Kurubas refers to the small
bamboo or wooden vessel used when milking goats. It further denotes a
division of the Koragas, who used to wear a pot suspended from their
necks, into which they were compelled to spit, so as not to defile
the highway.
Anderaut.--Recorded, in the Census Report, 1901, as a sub-division of
Kurumba. Probably a form of Ande Kuruba. Raut is frequently a title
of headmen among Lingayats.
Andi.--In a note on Andis in the Madras Census Report, 1901,
Mr. W. Francis writes that "for a Brahman or an ascetic, mendicancy
was always considered an honourable profession, to which no sort of
shame attached. Manu says 'a Brahman should constantly shun worldly
honour, as he would shun poison, and rather constantly seek disrespect
as he would seek nectar'; and every Brahman youth was required to
spend part of his life as a beggar. The Jains and Buddhists held the
same views. The Hindu Chattrams [61] and Uttupuras, the Jain Pallis,
and the Buddhist Viharas owe their origin to this attitude, they
being originally intended for the support of the mendicant members of
these religions. But persons of other than the priestly and religious
classes were expected to work for their living, and were not entitled
to relief in these institutions. Begging among such people--unless,
as in the case of the Pandarams and Andis, a religious flavour attaches
to it--is still considered disreputable. The percentage of beggars in
the Tamil districts to the total population is .97, or more than twice
what it is in the Telugu country, while in Malabar it is as low as
.09. The Telugus are certainly not richer as a class than the Tamils,
and the explanation of these differences is perhaps to be found in the
fact that the south is more religiously inclined than the north, and
has more temples and their connected charities (religion and charity go
hand in hand in India), and so offers more temptation to follow begging
as a profession. Andis are Tamil beggars. They are really inferior to
Pandarams, but the two terms are in practice often indiscriminately
applied to the same class of people. Pandarams are usually Vellalas
by caste, but Andis are recruited from all classes of Sudras, and
they consequently have various sub-divisions, which are named after
the caste to which the members of each originally belonged, such as
the Jangam Andis, meaning beggars of the Jangam caste, and the Jogi
Andis, that is, Andis of the Jogi caste. They also have occupational
and other divisions, such as the Kovil Andis, meaning those who do
service in temples, and the Mudavandis or the lame beggars. Andi is
in fact almost a generic term. All Andis are not beggars however;
some are bricklayers, others are cultivators, and others are occupied
in the temples. They employed Brahman priests at their ceremonies, but
all of them eat meat and drink alcohol. Widows and divorcées may marry
again. Among the Tinnevelly Andis, the sister of the bridegroom ties
the tali (marriage badge) round the bride's neck, which is not usual."
In the Madras Census Report, 1891, the Andis are summed up as
"beggars who profess the Saiva faith. They may be found in all the
Tamil districts, begging from door to door, beating a small gong with a
stick. The Andis differ from most other castes, in that a person of any
caste may join their community. Some of them officiate as priests in
village temples, especially when large sacrifices of goats, buffaloes,
and pigs are made. They usually bury the dead. They have returned 105
sub-divisions, of which the most important are the following:--Jangam,
Komanandi, Lingadari, Mudavandi, and Uppandi. Komanam is the small loin
cloth, and a Komanandi goes naked, except for this slight concession
to decency. Mudam means lame, and the Mudavandis (q.v.) are allowed
to claim any deformed child belonging to the Konga Vellala caste. The
etymology of Uppandi is difficult, but it is improbable that it has
any connection with uppu, salt.
In the Tanjore Manual, it is noted that "in its ordinary acceptation
the word Andi means houseless beggars, and is applied to those who
profess the Saiva faith. They go out every morning, begging for alms
of uncooked rice, singing ballads or hymns. They play on a small
gong called semakkalam with a stick, and often carry a conch shell,
which they blow. They are given to drinking."
It is recorded [62] that "South Indian beggars are divided into two
classes, Panjathandi and Paramparaiandi. The former are famine-made
beggars, and the latter are beggars from generation to generation. The
former, a common saying goes, would rob from the person of a child
at a convenient opportunity, while the latter would jump into a well,
and pick up a child which had fallen into it by an accident, and make
it over to its parents."
Andi (a god) occurs as an exogamous section of Sirukudi Kallans.
Andinia.--Recorded by Mr. F. Fawcett as an inferior sub-division of
Dombs, who eat frogs.
Anduran.--A sub-division of Nayar potters, who manufacture earthenware
articles for use in temples. The name is derived from Andur, a place
which was once a fief under the Zamorin of Calicut.
Ane (elephant).--An exogamous sept of Holeya, Kappiliyan, Kuruba,
Kadu Kurumba, Moger, and Gangadikara Vakkaliga. Yenigala or Yenuga
(elephant) is further an exogamous sept of Kapus, who will not touch
ivory. Anai-kombu (elephant tusk) occurs as a sub-division of Idaiyan.
Angarakudu (the planet Mars).--A synonym of Mangala.
Anja.--In the Madras Census Report, 1891, Ajna is returned as a
sub-division of Pallan. This, however, seems to be a mistake for Anja
(father), by which name these Pallans address their fathers.
Anju Nal (five days).--Recorded in the Salem Manual, as a name given
to Pallis who perform the death ceremony on the fifth day after death.
Anjuttan (men of the five hundred).--Recorded at times of census,
as a sub-division of Panan, and a synonym of Velan. In the Gazetteer
of Malabar, it appears as a sub-division of Mannans, who are closely
akin to the Velans. The equivalent Anjuttilkar occurs as a synonym
for Tenkanchi Vellalas in Travancore.
Anna (brother).--The title of numerous classes, e.g., Dasari, Gavara,
Golla, Konda Dora, Koppala Velama, Mangala, Mila, Paidi, and Segidi.
Annam (cooked rice).--An exogamous sept of Gamalla and Togata.
Annavi.--A title of Savalakkarans, who play on the nagasaram (reed
instrument) in temples.
Antalavar.--Recorded in the Travancore Census Report, 1901, as a
sub-division of Nayar.
Antarala.--A synonym of Ambalavasi, denoting those who occupy an
intermediate position between Brahmans and Sudras.
Antarjanam (inside person).--A term applied to Nambutiri Brahman
females, who live in seclusion. [63]
Anuloma.--One of the two classes of Sudras, viz., Anuloma and
Veloma. The term Anuloma is applied to those born of a higher-caste
male and a lower-caste female, e.g., barbers are said to be the
offspring of a Brahman and a Vaisya woman.
Anumala (seeds of Dolichos Lablab).--An exogamous sept of Devanga. The
equivalent Anumolla occurs as an exogamous sept of Kamma.
Anuppan.--The Anuppans are described, in the Madras Census Report,
1891, as "a small caste of Canarese farmers, found chiefly in the
districts of Madura, Tinnevelly, and Coimbatore. Their original home
appears to have been Mysore or South Canara, probably the former. Their
language is a corrupt form of Canarese. The most important sub-division
is Allikulam (lily clan). Some of them are Saivites, and others
Vaishnavites. Brahmans are employed as priests by the Vaishnavites,
but not by the Saivites. Remarriage of widows is practised, but a
woman divorced for adultery cannot remarry during the life-time of
her husband."
In the Gazetteer of the Madura district, it is stated that "the
Anuppans are commonest in the Kambam valley. They have a tradition
regarding their migration thither, which closely resembles that current
among the Kappiliyans and Tottiyans (q.v.). Local tradition at Kambam
says that the Anuppans were in great strength here in olden days,
and that quarrels arose, in the course of which the chief of the
Kappiliyans, Ramachcha Kavandan, was killed. With his dying breath
he cursed the Anuppans, and thenceforth they never prospered, and now
not one of them is left in the town. Their title is Kavandan. They are
divided into six territorial groups called Medus, which are named after
three villages in this district, and three in Tinnevelly. Over each of
these is a headman called the Periyadanakkaran, and the three former
are also subject to a Guru who lives at Sirupalai near Madura. These
three are divided again into eighteen kilais or branches, each of
which intermarries only with certain of the others. Caste panchayats
(councils) are held on a blanket, on which (compare the Tottiyan
custom) is placed a pot of water containing margosa (Melia Azadirachta)
leaves, to symbolise the sacred nature of the meeting. Women who go
astray with men of other castes are expelled, and various ceremonies,
including (it is said) the burying alive of a goat, are enacted to show
that they are dead to the community. The right of a man to his paternal
aunt's daughter is as vigorously maintained as among the Kappiliyans
and Tottiyans, and leads to the same curious state of affairs (i.e., a
woman, whose husband is too young to fulfil the duties of his position,
is allowed to consort with his near relations, and the children so
begotten are treated as his). No tali (marriage badge) is tied at
weddings, and the binding part of the ceremonies is the linking, on
seven separate occasions, of the little fingers of the couple. Like
the Kappiliyans, the Anuppans have many caste and family deities,
a number of whom are women who committed sati." (See Kappiliyan).
Apoto.--Apoto, or Oppoto, is a sub-division of Gaudos, the occupation
of which is palanquin-bearing.
Appa (father).--A title of members of various Telugu and Canarese
castes, e.g., Idiga, Kannadiyan, Linga Balija, and Tambala.
Arab.--A Muhammadan territorial name, returned at times of census. In
the Mysore Census Report, 1901, the Arabs are described as itinerant
tradesmen, whose chief business is horse-dealing, though some deal
in cloths.
Aradhya.--For the following note I am indebted to Mr. C. Hayavadana
Rao. The Aradhyas are a sect of Brahmans found mainly in the four
northern districts of the Madras Presidency, and to a smaller extent
in the Cuddapah and Kurnool districts. A few are also found in the
Mysore State. They differ in almost every important respect from other
Brahmans. Basava, the founder of the Lingayat religion, was born in a
family of Brahmans, who, with others round about them, were apparently
the first converts to his religion. According to Mr. C. P. Brown, [64]
they were "in all probability his personal friends; he persuaded them
to lay aside their name, and call themselves Aradhya or Reverend.' They
revere the four Aradhyas, visionary personages of the Lingayat creed,
of whom very little is known. At all social and religious functions,
birth, marriage, initiation and funerals, four vases of water are
solemnly placed in their name, and then invoked to preside over
them. Their names are Revanaradhya, Marularadhya, Ekoramaradhya,
and Panditaradhya. In four ages, it is said, these four successively
appeared as precursors of the divine Basava, and were, like Basava,
Brahmans. A Purana, known as the Panditaradhya Charitra, is named
after the last of these. Versions thereof are found both in Canarese
and Telugu. A Sanskrit poem, called Siddhanta Sikhamani, represents
Revanaradhya as a human manifestation of one of the ministers of Siva.
As might be expected, the members of this sect are staunch
Saivites. They wear both the Brahminical sacred thread, and the linga
suspended from another thread. They revere in particular Ganapathi. The
lingam which they wear they usually call the prana lingam, or life
lingam. The moment a child, male or female, is born, it is invested
with the lingam; otherwise it is not considered to have pranam or
life. The popular belief is that, if by some accident the lingam is
lost, a man must either fast until he recovers it, or not survive
so dire a calamity. This is a fixed dogma with them. A man who loses
his prana linga stands up to his neck in water, and repeats mantrams
(sacred formulæ) for days together; and, on the last day, the lost
lingam comes back to him miraculously, if he has been really orthodox
in his life. If he does not succeed in recovering it, he must starve
and die. The theory is that the lingam is the life of the man who
wears it, and, when it is lost beyond recovery, he loses his own
life. Incredible stories of miraculous recoveries of the lingam are
told. In one case, it is said to have returned to its owner, making
a loud noise in water; and in another it was found in a box under
lock and key. In this connection, the following story is narrated
by Colonel Wilks. [65] "Poornia, the present minister of Mysore,
relates an incident of a Lingayat friend of his, who had unhappily
lost his portable God, and came to take a last farewell. The Indians,
like more enlightened nations, readily laugh at the absurdities of
every sect but their own, and Poornia gave him better counsel. It is a
part of the ceremonial preceding the sacrifice of the individual that
the principal persons of the sect should assemble on the bank of some
holy stream, and, placing in a basket the lingam images of the whole
assembly, purify them in the sacred waters. The destined victim in
conformity to the advice of his friend, suddenly seized the basket,
and overturned its contents into the rapid Caveri. Now, my friends,
said he, we are on equal terms; let us prepare to die together. The
discussion terminated according to expectation. The whole party took
an oath of inviolable secrecy, and each privately provided himself
with a new image of the lingam."
Aradhyas, as has been indicated, differ from other Brahmans in general
in some of their customs. Before they partake of food, they make an
offering of it to the lingam which they are wearing. As they cannot
eat without making this offering, they have the entire meal served
up at the commencement thereof. They offer the whole to the lingam,
and then begin to eat. They do not accept offerings distributed in
temples as other Brahmans do, because they have already been offered to
the God, and cannot therefore be offered again to the lingam. Unlike
other Lingayats, Aradhyas believe in the Vedas, to which they give
allegorical interpretations. They are fond of reading Sanskrit, and
a few have been well-known Telugu poets. Thus, Palapuri Somanatha,
who lived in the fourteenth century A.D., composed the Basava Purana
and the Panditaradhya Charitra, and the brothers Piduparthi Somanatha
and the Basavakavi, who lived in the sixteenth century, composed
other religious works.
Aradhyas marry among themselves, and occasionally take girls in
marriage from certain of the Niyogi sub-divisions of the Northern
Circars. This would seem to show that they were themselves Niyogis,
prior to their conversion. They do not intermarry with Aruvelu
Niyogis. Unlike other Brahmans, they bury their dead in a sitting
posture. They observe death pollution for ten days, and perform the
ekodishta and other Brahminical ceremonies for their progenitors. They
perform annually, not the Brahminical sradha, but the aradhana. In
the latter, there is no apasavyam (wearing the sacred thread from
right to left), and no use of gingelly seeds and dharba grass. Nor
is there homam (raising the sacrificial fire), parvanam (offering
of rice-balls), or oblation of water. Widows do not have their
heads shaved.
The title of the Aradhyas is always Aradhya.
Arakala.--A small class of cultivators, recorded mainly from the
Kurnool district. The name is possibly derived from araka, meaning
a plough with bullocks, or from arakadu, a cultivator.
Arampukatti.--The name, denoting those who tie flower-buds or prepare
garlands, of a sub-division of Vellalas.
Aranadan, See Ernadan.
Arane (lizard).--An exogamous sub-sept of Kappiliyan.
Arashina (turmeric).--A gotra or exogamous sept of Agasa, Kurni,
Kuruba, and Odde. The equivalent Pasupula occurs as an exogamous sept
of Devanga. In Southern India, turmeric (Curcuma) is commonly called
saffron (Crocus). Turmeric enters largely into Hindu ceremonial. For
example, the practice of smearing the face with it is very widespread
among females, and, thinking that it will give their husbands increase
of years, women freely bathe themselves with turmeric water. The
use of water, in which turmeric has been infused, and by which they
give the whole body a bright yellow colour, is prescribed to wives
as a mark of the conjugal state, and forbidden to widows. [66] To
ward off the evil eye, a vessel containing turmeric water and other
things is waved in front of the bridal couple at weddings. Or they
are bathed in turmeric water, which they pour over each other. The
tali or bottu (gold marriage badge) is attached to a cotton thread
dyed with turmeric, and, among some castes, the tying together of the
hands of the bride and bridegroom with such a thread is the binding
portion of the ceremony.
Arasu or Rajpinde.--"This caste," Mr. Lewis Rice writes (1877):-- [67]
"are relatives of or connected with the Rajahs of Mysore. During
the life-time of the late Maharaja, they were divided into two
factions in consequence of the refusal of thirteen families headed
by the Dalavayi (the chief of the female branch) to pay respect to
an illegitimate son of His Highness. The other eighteen families
consented to the Rajah's wishes, and treat the illegitimate branch,
called Komarapatta, as equals. The two divisions intermarry and eat
together, and the family quarrel, though serious at the time, is not
likely to be permanent. They are employed chiefly under Government
and in agriculture, most of the former being engaged in the palace at
Mysore. Rajpindes are both Vishnavites and Sivites, and their priests
are both Brahmans and Lingayat Waders."
In the Madras Census Report, 1891, Arasu (= Raja or king) is given
as a sub-division of the Tamil Pallis and Paraiyans. Urs appears as
a contracted form of Arasu in the names of the Mysore royal family,
e.g., Kantaraj Urs.
Arathi.--The name, indicating a wave offering to avert the evil eye,
of an exogamous sept of Kuruba.
Arati (plantain tree).--An exogamous sept of Chenchu.
Arava.--Arava, signifying Tamil, has been recorded as a sub-division
of some Telugu classes, e.g., Golla and Velama. The name, however,
refers to Tamil Idaiyans and Vellalas, who have settled in the
Telugu country, and are known respectively as Arava Golla and Arava
Velama. In some places in the Telugu country, Tamil Paraiyans,
employed as servants under Europeans, horse-keepers, etc., are known
as Arava Malalu (Malas). The Irulas of the North Arcot district are,
in like manner, sometimes called Arava Yanadis. Arava also occurs
as a division of Tigalas, said to be a section of the Tamil Pallis,
who have settled in Mysore. An ingenious suggestion has been made
that Arava is derived from ara, half, vayi, mouthed, in reference
to the defective Tamil alphabet, or to the termination of the words
being mostly in consonants.
Aravan.--Recorded, in the Travancore Census Report, 1901, as a
sub-division of Nayar.
Arayan.--See Valan.
Archaka.--Archaka, or Umai Archaka, is a title of Occhans, who are
priests at temples of Grama Devatas (village deities).
Are.--A synonym for Marathi. The name occurs as a sub-division
of Kunchigar and Kudubi. In South Canara Arya Kshatri occurs as
the equivalent of Are, and, in the Telugu country, Are Kapu refers
to Marathi cultivators. Arya Kuttadi is a Tamil synonym of Marathi
Dommaras. Concerning the Ares, Mr. H. G. Stuart writes as follows. [68]
"Of the total number of 6,809 Ares, 4,373 are found in South Canara,
Bellary and Anantapur, and these are true Ares. Of the rest I am not
able to speak with certainty, as the term Arya, which is a synonym
of Are, is also used as an equivalent of Marathi, and sometimes
in a still wider sense. The true Ares are husbandmen of Maratha
origin. They wear the sacred thread, have Brahmans as their priests,
and give allegiance to the head of the Sringeri Mutt. Marriage of
girls takes place either before or after puberty, and the remarriage
of widows is not allowed. A husband may divorce his wife for adultery,
but a wife cannot divorce her husband. When the guilt of a woman is
proved, and the sanction of the Guru obtained, the husband performs
the act of divorce by cutting a pumpkin in two at a place where three
ways meet. The use of animal food is allowed, but intoxicating liquors
are forbidden." The Ares of South Canara, Mr. Stuart writes further,
[69] "usually speak Marathi or Konkani, but in the Kasaragod taluk,
and possibly in other parts too, they speak Canarese. Their exogamous
septs are called manathanas. They use the dhare form of marriage
(see Bant), but the pot contains a mixture of water, milk, ghee
(clarified butter), honey and curds instead of the usual plain water."
The Marathi-speaking Areyavaru or Aryavaru of the South Canara
district follow the makkala santana law of inheritance (from father
to son). For ceremonial purposes, they engage Shivalli Brahmans. An
interesting feature of the marriage rites is that the bridegroom makes
a pretence of going to a battle-field to fight, presumably to show that
he is of Kshatriya descent. The ceremony is called dandal jatai. The
bridegroom ties a bead on the neck of the bride if of the Powar sept,
and a disc if of the Edar sept. The Areyavaru eat fowls and fish. The
former are killed after certain mantrams (prayers) have been uttered,
and, if a priest is available, it is his duty to despatch the bird. The
caste deity is Ammanoru (Durga), in the worship of whom the Areyavaru,
like other Maratha castes, employ Gondala mendicants.
Are (Bauhinia racemosa).--A gotra of Kurni.
Ari.--The Aris or Dutans are described, in the Travancore Census
Report, 1901, as a "small but interesting community confined to a
village in the Tovala taluk. By traditional occupation they are the
Ambalavasis of the Saivaite temple of Darsanamkoppa. They are strict
vegetarians, wear the Brahminical thread, perform all the Brahminical
ceremonies under the guidance of Brahman priests, and claim a position
equal to that of the Aryappattars. But they are not allowed to dine
with the Brahmans, or to enter the mandapa in front of the garbhagriha,
the inner sanctuary of a Hindu shrine. Their dress and ornaments are
like those of the Tamil Brahmans, and their language is Tamil. Their
period of pollution, however, is as long as fifteen days."
Ari (ebony).--An exogamous sept of Kuruba.
Arigala.--Arigala, denoting a dish carried in procession, occurs
as an exogamous sept of Mutracha. Arigala and Arika, both meaning
the millet Paspalum scrobiculatum, are septs of Jatapu and Panta
Reddi. The latter may not use the grain as food.
Arikuravan.--Recorded, in the Travancore Census Report, 1901, as a
sub-division of Nayar.
Arisi.--A sub-division of Savara.
Ariyar.--Ariyar or Ariyanattu Chetti is given as a caste title by
Pattanavans.
Ariyur.--Ariyur or Ariviyur is the name of a sub-division of
Nattukottai Chettis.
Arli (Ficus religiosa).--An exogamous sept of Stanika.
Arudra (lady-bird).--An exogamous sept of Kalingi.
Arupathukatchi (sixty house section).--A sub-division of Valluvan.
Arupattanalu Taleikattu (sixty-four, who covered their heads).--A
sub-division of Chetti.
Aruththukattatha.--The name, meaning those who do not tie the tali a
second time, of a section of Paraiyans who do not allow the remarriage
of widows.
Aruva.--The Aruvas are an interesting caste of cultivators along the
sea-coast in the Berhampur taluk of Ganjam. They say that they are
descended from the offspring of alliances between Patanis (Muhammadans)
and Oriya women. Like other Oriya castes, they have a number of titles,
e.g., Nayako, Patro, Podhano, Ponda, Mondolo, and Mollana, some of
which seem to be exogamous, and there are also numerous exogamous
septs or bamsams. The headman is styled Nayako, and he is assisted
by a Bhollobhaya. Both these offices are hereditary. The Aruvas
say that they belong to two Vedas, viz., the males to Atharva Veda,
and the females to Yajur Veda. Muhammadans are believed by them to
be Atharvavedis.
A member of the caste, called Mollana, officiates on ceremonial
occasions. A pure Oriya casteman will not allow his son to marry
his sister's daughter, but this is permitted in most places by the
Aruvas. The marriage ceremonial, except in a few points of detail,
conforms to the general Oriya type. On the day before the wedding,
a milk-post of bamboo is erected, and in front of it a new cloth,
and various articles for worship are placed. When the fingers of the
contracting couple are linked together, and at other stages of the
marriage rites, the Mollana recites certain formulæ, in which the
words Bismillahi and Allah occur.
The dead are always buried. In former days, stone slabs, with Arabic or
Hindustani legends in Oriya characters inscribed on them, used to be
set up over the grave. For these, two sticks are now substituted. The
corpse of a dead person is sewn up in a kind of sack. As it is
being lowered into the grave, the Mollana recites formulæ, and those
present throw earth over it before the grave is filled in. They then
take their departure, and the Mollana, standing on one leg, recites
further formulæ. On the following day, bitter food, consisting of rice
and margosa (Melia Azadirachta) leaves, is prepared, and given to the
agnates. On the third day after death, the burial-ground is visited,
and, after water has been poured over the grave, a cloth is spread
thereon. On this relations of the deceased throw earth and food. A
purificatory ceremony, in which ghi (clarified butter) is touched,
is performed on the fifteenth day. On the fortieth day, the Mollana
officiates at a ceremony in which food is offered to the dead person.
The Aruvas do not take part in any Muhammadan ceremonial, and do not
worship in mosques. Most of them are Paramarthos, and all worship
various Hindu deities and Takuranis (village gods). At their houses,
the god is represented by a mass of mud of conical shape, with
an areca nut on the top of it. In recent times, a number of Aruva
families, owing to a dispute with the Mollana, do not employ him for
their ceremonials, in which they follow the standard Oriya type. They
neither interdine nor intermarry with other sections of the community,
and have become an independent section thereof.
Arya.--Arya or Ariya (noble) occurs as a class of Pattar Brahmans,
a division of Samagaras, and an exogamous sept of Kurubas. Some
Pattanavans call themselves Ariya Nattu Chetti (Chettis of the country
of chiefs), Ariyar, or Ayyayirath Thalaivar (the five thousand chiefs).
Asadi.--The Asadis of the Bellary district are summed up, in the
Madras Census Report, 1901, as "a sub-caste of Mala or Holeya, which,
in Bellary, are almost interchangeable terms. They are prostitutes and
dancers." Among the Madigas, men called Asadi, who have undergone an
initiation ceremony, go about, in company with the Matangis (dedicated
prostitutes), playing on an instrument called the chaudike, and
singing the praises and reciting the story of Ellamma. (See Madiga.)
Asan (teacher).--The title of Variyans, who have held the hereditary
position of tutors in noblemen's families. Also a title of Pisharati
and Kanisan.
Asari.--In most parts of the Madras Presidency, Mr. H. A. Sturat
writes, "Asari (or Achari) is synonymous with Kammalan, and may denote
any of the five artizan castes, but in Malabar it is practically
confined to the carpenter caste. The Asari of Malabar is the Brahman
of the Kammala castes. The Kammala castes generally pollute Nayars
by approaching within twelve feet, and Brahmans by coming within
thirty-six feet; but an Asari with his measuring rod in his hand
has the privilege of approaching very near, and even entering the
houses of higher castes without polluting them. This exception may
have arisen out of necessity." At the census, 1901, some Sayakkarans
(Tamil dyers) returned Asari as a title.
In a Government office, a short time ago, the head clerk, a Brahman
named Rangachari, altered the spelling of the name of a Kammalan from
Velayudachari to Velayudasari in the office books, on the ground that
the former looked Brahmanical.
Ashtakshari (eight syllables).--A sub-division of Satanis, who believe
in the efficacy of the eight syllables om-na-mo-na-ra-ya-na-ya in
ensuring eternal bliss. The name ashtabhukkulu, or those who eat the
eight greedily, also occurs as a sub-division of the same people.
Ashtalohi.--The name, meaning workers in eight metals, of a small class
of Oriya artizans. According to one version the eight metals are gold,
silver, bell-metal, copper, lead, tin, iron, and brass; according to
another, gold, silver, copper, tin, lead, load-stone, iron, and steel.
Ashtikurissi.--Ashtikurissi (ashti, a bone) or Attikurissi is an
occupational sub-division of Nayars and Marans, who officiate at the
funerals of Nambutiri Brahmans and Nayars, and help in collecting
the remains of the bones after cremation.
Asili.--The name for Telugu toddy-drawers in the Cuddapah
district. (See Idiga.)
Asupani.--An occupational name for Marans who play on the temple
musical instruments asu and pani.
Asvo (horse).--An exogamous sept of Ghasi.
Atagara or Hatagara.--A sub-division of Devanga.
Aththi (Ficus glomerata).--An exogamous sept of Stanika.
Atikunnan.--Recorded, in the Travancore Census Report, 1901, as a
sub-division of Nayar.
Atreya.--A Brahmanical gotra of Bhatrazus. Atreyas are descendants
of Atri, a rishi who is regarded by some as one of the ten Prajapatis
of Manu.
Atta (mother).--A sub-division of Pallan.
Attangarai (river-bank).--A sub-division of Konga Vellala.
Attikankana (cotton marriage thread).--A sub-division of Kurubas,
who tie a cotton thread round the wrist at weddings.
Atumpatram.--A name, meaning an object which dances, for Deva-dasis
in Travancore.
Aunvallur (possessors of cattle).--A fanciful name for Idaiyans.
Avaru.--A synonym of Agaru.
Aviri (Indigofera tinctoria).--An exogamous sept of Padma Sales,
who use indigo in the manufacture of coloured cloth fabrics.
Avisa (Sesbania grandiflora).--A gotra of Medara.
Avu (snake).--An exogamous sept of Kuruba.
Avula (cow).--An exogamous sept of Balija, Boya, Golla, Kapu, Korava,
Mutracha, and Yerukala.
Ayar (cow-herd).--A synonym or sub-division of Idaiyan and Kolayan.
Ayodhya (Oudh).--A sub-division of Kapus, who say that they originally
lived in Oudh.
Azhati.--Recorded, in the Travancore Census Report, 1901, as a synonym
of Pisharati.
Badaga.--As the Todas are the pastoral, and the Kotas the artisan
tribe of the Nilgiris, so the agricultural element on these hills
is represented by the Badagas (or, as they are sometimes called,
Burghers). Their number was returned, at the census, 1901, as 34,178
against 1,267 Kotas, and 807 Todas. Though the primary occupation
of the Badagas is agriculture, there are among their community
schoolmasters, clerks, public works contractors, bricklayers, painters,
carpenters, sawyers, tailors, gardeners, forest guards, barbers,
washermen, and scavengers. Many work on tea and coffee estates, and
gangs of Badagas can always be seen breaking stones on, and repairing
the hill roads. Others are, at the present day, earning good wages
in the Cordite Factory near Wellington. Some of the more prosperous
possess tea and coffee estates of their own. The rising generation
are, to some extent, learning Tamil and English, in addition to their
own language, which is said to resemble old Canarese. And I have
heard a youthful Badaga, tending a flock of sheep, address an errant
member thereof in very fluent Billingsgate. There were, in 1904-1905,
thirty-nine Badaga schools, which were attended by 1,222 pupils. In
1907, one Badaga had passed the Matriculation of the Madras University,
and was a clerk in the Sub-judge's Court at Ootacamund.
A newspaper discussion was carried on a few years ago as to the
condition of the Badagas, and whether they are a down-trodden tribe,
bankrupt and impoverished to such a degree that it is only a short
time before something must be done to ameliorate their condition,
and save them from extermination by inducing them to emigrate to the
Wynad and Vizagapatam. A few have, in recent years, migrated to the
Anaimalai hills, to work on the planters' estates, which have been
opened up there. One writer stated that "the tiled houses, costing
from Rs. 250 to Rs. 500, certainly point to their prosperity. They
may frequently borrow from the Labbai to enable them to build, but,
as I do not know of a single case in which the Labbai has ever seized
the house and sold it, I believe this debt is soon discharged. The
walled-in, terraced fields immediately around their villages,
on which they grow their barley and other grains requiring rich
cultivation, are well worked, and regularly manured. The coats,
good thick blankets, and gold ear-rings, which most Badagas now
possess, can only, I think, point to their prosperity, while their
constant feasts, and disinclination to work on Sundays, show that
the loss of a few days' pay does not affect them. On the other hand,
a former Native official on the Nilgiris writes to me that "though the
average Badaga is thrifty and hard-working, there is a tendency for
him to be lazy when he is sure of his meal. When a person is sick in
another village, his relatives make it an excuse to go and see him,
and they have to be fed. When the first crop is raised, the idler
pretends that 'worms' have crept into the crop, and the gods have to be
propitiated, and there is a feast. Marriage or death, of course, draws
a crowd to be fed or feasted. All this means extra expenditure, and
a considerable drain on the slender income of the family. The Rowthan
(Muhammadan merchant) from the Tamil country is near at hand to lend
money, as he has carried his bazar to the very heart of the Badaga
villages. First it is a bag of ragi (food grain), a piece of cloth to
throw on the coffin, or a few rupees worth of rice and curry-stuff
doled out by the all-accommodating Rowthan at a price out of all
proportion to the market rate, and at a rate ranging from six pies
to two annas for the rupee. The ever impecunious Badaga has no means
of extricating himself, with a slender income, which leaves no margin
for redeeming debts. The bond is renewed every quarter or half year,
and the debt grows by leaps and bounds, and consumes all his earthly
goods, including lands. The advent of lawyers on the hills has made
the Badagas a most litigious people, and they resort to the courts,
which means expenditure of money, and neglect of agriculture." In the
funeral song of the Badagas, which has been translated by Mr. Gover,
[70] one of the crimes enumerated, for which atonement must be made,
is that of preferring a complaint to the Sirkar (Government), and one
of their numerous proverbs embodies the same idea. "If you prefer a
complaint to a Magistrate, it is as if you had put poison into your
adversary's food." But Mr. Grigg writes, [71] "either the terrors of
the Sirkar are not what they were, or this precept is much disregarded,
for the Court-house at Ootacamund is constantly thronged with Badagas,
and they are now very much given to litigation."
I gather from the notes, which Bishop Whitehead has kindly placed at
my disposal, that "when the Badagas wish to take a very solemn oath,
they go to the temple of Mariamma at Sigur, and, after bathing in
the stream and putting on only one cloth, offer fruits, cocoanuts,
etc., and kill a sheep or fowl. They put the head of the animal on
the step of the shrine, and make a line on the ground just in front of
it. The person who is taking the oath then walks from seven feet off
in seven steps, putting one foot immediately in front of the other,
up to the line, crosses it, goes inside the shrine, and puts out
a lamp that is burning in front of the image. If the oath is true,
the man will walk without any difficulty straight to the shrine. But,
if the oath is not true, his eyes will be blinded, and he will not be
able to walk straight to the shrine, or see the lamp. It is a common
saying among Badagas, when a man tells lies, 'Will you go to Sigur,
and take an oath?' Oaths are taken in much the same way at the temple
of Mariamma at Ootacamund. When a Hindu gives evidence in the Court
at Ootacamund, he is often asked by the Judge whether he will take
an oath at the Mariamma temple. If he agrees, he is sent off to the
temple with a Court official. The party for whom he gives evidence
supplies a goat or sheep, which is killed at the temple, the head
and carcase being placed in front of the image. The witness steps
over the carcase, and this forms the oath. If the evidence is false,
it is believed that some evil will happen to him."
The name Badaga or Vadugan means northerner, and the Badagas are
believed to be descended from Canarese colonists from the Mysore
country, who migrated to the Nilgiris three centuries ago owing to
famine, political turmoil, or local oppression in their own country. It
is worthy of notice, in this connection, that the head of the Badagas,
like that of the Todas and Kotas, is dolichocephalic, and not of the
mesaticephalic or sub-brachycephalic type, which prevails throughout
Mysore, as in other Canarese areas.
Average.
Cephalic Cephalic Cephalic
length. breadth. index.
cm. cm.
Badaga 18.9 13.6 71.7
Toda 19.4 14.2 73.3
Kota 19.2 14.2 74.1