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JULI, 1874.)
ARCHÆOLOGICAL NOTES.
191
ARCHÆOLOGICAL NOTES. BY M. J. WALHOUSE, late M.C.S.
(Continued from p. 162.) IV.-Kdshis of Parośurá ma, &c.
of Ramanuja Acharya, and at the Brahman The small spangle-like gold coins so fre- temple at Bailur, the Hõliyars or Partyars have quently found throughout the South of India the right of entering the temple on three days are called by the natives shánár kush: I have in the year, specially set apart for them. At twice known chatties containing some hundreds the "bull-games" at Dindigal, in the Madura to have been ploughed up in the district of district, which have some resemblance to SpanKoimbatur. In the Travankor country they are ish bull-fights, and are very solemn celebracalled rúskis, and along all the western coast tions, the Kállar, or robber caste, can alone of the approaches to fords over large rivers which ficiate as priests and consult the presiding deity. have been used for centuries are especially On this occasion they hold quite a Saturnalia prolific of them. After heavy bursts of the of lordship and arrogance over the Brihmaņs. monsoon, people often regularly resort to and in the great festival of Siva at Trivalûr, in ininutely scrutinize the tracts leading to the Tanjor, the head man of the Paroyars is mounted fords. In Travankor the Hindus say that on the elephant with the god, and carries his Parasurama, when he had created Kerala, chauri. In Madras, at the annual festival of sowed it all over with gold ráslis, and buried the goddess of the Black Town, when a táli is the surplus in the cairns which occur spar- tied round 'he neck of the idol in the name of thr ingly on the Travankor mountains. On the entire community, a Pariyar is chosen to reprehigher ranges there are three of" Parasurama's sent the bridegroom. In Madras, too, the mercanCairns," where the mountain-tribe, the Malla tile caste, and in Vijagapatam the Brahmans, had Arriyans, still keep lamps burning Stone to go through the form of asking the consent of circles are very rare; one, much dilapidated, was the lowest cas es to their marriages, though the called "a rashi hill of Parasurama." Holed custom has now died out. kistvaens abound along the western slopes and In connection with this subject it may be worth spurs of the Travankor Hills from Quilon to the while to rescue the following paragraph, which Tinnevelli district. Most of them have the round appeared in a Madras newspaper of 1871. The opening to the south, with a round stone put in heading indicates how little the able Editor, it as a stopper, and another stone placed leaning like most Englishmen in India, wotted of the against that, to keep it in its place. I have real importance and interest involved in such never heard of this arrangement in the eastern questions : and southern districts, or in Central India.
"A very important question indeed! V.-Privileges of Servile Oastes.
“The following printed notification has been It is well known that the servile castes in forwarded to us :- It is hereby made known Southern India once held far higher positions, to the Hindu Pandits, and all friends of the and were indeed masters of the land on the ar. Hindu Sastras throughout India, that an importrival of the Brahmanical races. Many curious ant question has been raised as to whether the vestiges of their ancient power still survive in sheep-offering in the Yågana should be made the shape of certain privileges, which are by a Pot-maker or a Brahman. The Nellur jealously cherished, and, their origin being for- Hindu community declared that a Brahman gotten, are much misunderstood. These privi. should preside at the sacrifice; but Gurram leges are remarkable instances of survivals from Venkanna Sastriar, C.K.A.S.B., contended that an extinct order of society-shadows of long- a Pot-maker is the competent person, accorddeparted supremacy, bearing witness to a period ing to the Sastras, to deprive the sacred when the present haughty high-caste races were sheep of its life, and has written a valuable suppliants before the ancestors of degraded work entitled Vipra Samitra Khandanan, classes whose touch is now regarded as pollution. overturning the arguments and authorities adAt Mêlkotta, the chief seat of the followers duced in support of the doctrine that a Brah
• Are the "Molla Arriyana" the same the "Malairdears," or "forest lingo," commonly called "Muisers'' P-ED.
