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MYSORE , CANAR.A, AND MALABAR.

6 7S

be Vaifyas. For each thread, which ever after marriage they continue to wear, they payone fanam. Under the name of dharma (duty), they alfo give contributions to thisBrahman whenever he comes to the place. On fuch occafions he punifhes by whipand fine all thofe who have tranfgrefied againft the rules of caft. They are alfofubjeft to Munifwara Swami, a perfon of their call:, who lives at Bafwana-pura, nearCangundy, in the Bara Mahal. He beftows on them the linga, and an upadefa ;but his power in punifhing for delinquencies extends only to fines. The firft Munif-wara Swami is believed to have fprung from the earth at Calyana Patana; and his luc-ceffors acknowledge no fuperiors, but are confidered as Ifwara in a human form. Theoffice is hereditary, and of courfe the Swami marries. The eldeft fon, on the death ofhis father, becomes an incarnation of Siva ; while the younger brothers are confideredmerely as holy men, but follow begging as their profeffion ; for in this country thatis efteemed the mod honourable employment. They refide in the matam, or college,with their brother, and accompany him in his travels among the difciples. The daugh-ters of this facred family never marry perfons of lower birth ; but when there is afcarcity of women for the ufe of the men, they condefcend to take the daughters ofthe Emulnaru, who among this feet are a kind of nobility. Thefe do not intermarrywith the populace ; but they follow lay profeffions, and are not in exclufive poffeflionof the office of hereditary chief. In the two other fefts of this call:, there are noEmulnaru. The Brahman Guru, and Munifwara Swami, are confidered as of equalrank. The Lingabanta Jangamas are not by this caft confidered as their Gurus; butthey receive charity, by which a kind of authority is implied. They give nothing tothe Devanga Jangamas. They do not knew that Munifwara Swami is poffeffed of anybooks : when he beftows the linga, he prays extemporarily in the vulgar tongue. Atmarriages, and the ceremonies which are performed for their deceafed parents, thepanchanga and mendicant Brahmans attend, and read mantrams. On thefe occafionsthe Jangamas alfo attend, and befides receive the whole profit of births and funerals.They bury the dead, and their widows ought to accompany them in the grave ; butthis cuftom has become obfolete. Widows cannot marry again : fuch an action, indeed,being confidered as intolerably infamous, my informers loft all patience when I afkedthe queftion. The men are allowed a plurality of wives, but cannot divorce them forany caufe except adultery. They are not allowed to eat animal food, nor to drinkfpirituous liquors.

I here find, that befides the tradefinan, there are three divifions among the Whal-liaru ; and that the cuftoms of each differ confiderably in different villages, as mightbe naturally expected among a people who have no written rule. There are two tribes..of Whallias that fpeak the language of Karnata ; one called fimply Karnata, and theother Morafu Whalliaru. Thefe laft deny that they have any Guru ; but fay, thatthey give prefents to the priefts at the temple of Kala Bhairava . They offer facrifices tothe Saktis , to whom they are never pujaris ; and in this place they never take the vowofDaferi. The Karnata Whalliaru fay, that they have a god named Cadri Singuppa,which is one of the names of Viffinu. The pujari at this idol’s temple is a Vailh-navam, and a£ls as their Guru. He fends annually a deputy to beftow holy water,and receive charity. They alfo facrifice to the Saktis . The Teliga Whalliaru callthemfelves Maliwanlu, and retain the Telinga language. Their religion here is thefame with that laft mentioned. They have no idea of a future ftate. They nevermarry two wives; but, to keep up the family, if the wife has no children, they maytake one concubine. Some men do not marry, and thefe may keep asr many concubinesas they pleafe. The Gotugaru, or chief of the caft, here, is not an hereditary office,but a perfon appointed by the amildar to collect the houfe rent. He is a Parriar front

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