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SUPPLEMENT, 1876.)
THE BHADRÅCHALLAM TÅLUKĀ.
359
Adamarazu. The goddess Mâmili or Lêle must be propitiated early in the year, or else the crops will undoubtedly fail; and she is said to be very partial to human victims. There is strong reason to think that two men were murdered this year, near a village not far from Dummagudem, as offerings to this devata, and there is no reason to doubt that every year strangers are quietly put out of the way in the Bastar country to ensure the favour of this bloodthirsty goddess.
The Kois regard themselves as being divided into five classes or tribes, the Peru m boyudu gotra, the Madôgatta gotra, the Peregatta gotra, the MAtamuppayo gotra, and the Vidogatta gotra. The Dôlôllu, another class, are a kind of priests, and have charge of the velpu --the objects of worship amongst the Kois. They carry about a large banner which moves round a pole, and, having planted the pole in the ground, one of them seizes hold of the lower end of the banner, and runs or dances round the pole, whilst • his companions are most busily engaged in beating
small drums, about the size of the drums usually carried about by the jugglers of this country.
All the Kois seem to hold in great respect the Panda va brothers, especially Arjuna and Bhima. The wild dogs or dhols are regarded as the dátas or messengers of these brothers, and the long black beetles which appear in large numbers at the beginning of the hot weather are called the Pandava flock of goats. Of course they would on no account attempt to kill a dhol, even though it should happen to attack their favourite calf, and they even regard it imprudent to interfere with these datas when they wish to feast upon their cattle.
At Gangôlu, a village about three miles from Dammagudem, live several families who call themselves B à sa va Golla vandlu, bat on inquiry I found that they are really Kois whose grandfathers had a quarrel with some of their neighbours, and separated themselves from their old friends. Some of the present members of the families are anxious to be re-admitted to the society and privileges of the neighbouring Kois. The word Basava is commonly said to be derived from bhásha, a language, and the Gollas of that class are said to have been so called in consequence of their speaking a different language from the rest of the Gollas.
The Kois are exceedingly restless and suspicious, but probably the juster rule of the British Government will allay their fears and tend to make them more settled in their habits. It has already done so in the villages in the part of the Lower Godavari district which lies to the east of the Eastern Ghats. The misrule which formerly was so prevalent here (see Ind. Ant. vol. V. p. 303) was not at all calculated to encourage industrious, saving habits on the part of any one who had the misfortune to live in this neighbourhood. Before the Godavari navigation works were set on foot, tho Kois were not accustomed to see Europeans or many welldressed natives, and have been known to take refuge in the jangle at the appearance of a Hindu wearing clean white clothes. Great difficulty was at first experienced in paying them for articles brought or for labour done, as they objected to take any coin but the old dabs, three of which went to the anna. A silver coin they *had a great aversion to. One anausing tale has beon told me more than once, and I see no reason to doubt its general truth. It is as follows :- About thirty years ago a Koi was sent with a basket of mangoes from Palavantsa to Bhadrachallam. He was warned not to meddle with the fruit, as if he did his dishonesty would come to light, since a note in the basket would tell the people at Bhadrâchallam how many fruits were to be delivered. On the way the Koi and a companion were so tempted by the sight of the fruit as to determine to taste one, but how to overcome the danger of being seen by the note they could not at first conceive. However, a bright thought struck the messenger, and he exclaimed to his companion, “Oh, if we take the noto out of the basket and bury it while we eat the fruit, it will not see anything, and so will not be likely to bear witness to our theft." Accordingly they buried the note until they had enjoyed the taste of some of the fruit, and then, having dug up the note again, and placed it in the basket, resumed their journey. When they were accused at Bhadrâchallam of having purloined some of the fruits, and the note was shown them as evidence, they were utterly at a loss to understand how the note could have known any. thing about the matter, seeing that it was in the ground out of sight when the theft occurred. I
I A Brahman in Maulipatam (Machilipatnam) to whom I once related the above tale replied that he had heard &
similar story, and that it was often used as an illustration 1 of the ignorance of the inbabitants of the forest.
