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THE DEVIL WORSHIP OF THE TULUVAS.
AUGUST, 1896.]
house and caste. He afterwards performed a pújá with flowers. He presented the brother at the festival with all the dresses of a man, and the sister with all those of a woman. The Bhûtas readily accepted the feast, and were called the gods of Hoïlâr's house and caste.
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"We will not forget you wheresoever we may go," said they.
They went to the houses of Nalyana Kalyandar, of Adauga at Kallabotti, of Jogyandûr at Karaya, of Muppendar at Kolpu, of Maraḍaiga Jantiri of Malivar, of the Jantiri of Malabar; and wherever they went they made the people sick. They burnt the houses, and while the fire was burning in one corner, it went out in another. They called Nada Balyaya, and made him refer to the prasna-book on a plank of a black tree called katra, to the sound of conch shells. It was found in the prasna-book that it was an annoyance. The Bhûta Kalluṛti had caused the annoyance and that a feast and sacrifice were to be made. And so they built a sanam, and performed a feast and pújá. Then the sickness decreased. Then the Bhûtas went to Aruvatta Guttu, Bangara Guttu, and Navar (in Maisûr), where they were received with a feast by the villagers. Ferry, called to the boat-man Râma Gudda Kuñja :-"You, Rama Gudda ferry-boat," said they at midnight.
Bangadi, and last to They reached Ubâr Kuñja, bring the
"This is midnight and who is that woman that calls ?" bawled out he. "There are holes in my boat, and the oar is bent. I cannot recognise the whirpool and the rocks at night. I have drawn the boat up and put a stone on it, and so I cannot bring the ferry boat."
"Cannot you bring your boat because of the holes in it and the bent oar ?" the sister
asked.
She drew the boat to her from the other bank and crossed over in it. She tied up the boat and put a stone on it as before. She would not let the ferry-man get into the boat, and when he climbed on to it, she would not let the boat proceed.
"What is this wonderful event?" said the boat-man. He called Nada Balyaya, and made him refer to the prasna-book on a plank of the black tree called katra to the sound of white
conch shells.
"Balyaya, say correctly and think properly!" said he.
"A Bhúta possessing charms has come to the ferry. If the boat is to go properly, a matam of stones is to be built, and you should worship there," said the astrologer.
"I will worship them as the gods of my house and caste," said Ke. Then the sister informed him in a dream: "We will build the foundation first with stones and then you must build over it, Kuñja!" said she.
She built the foundations of stones at Oïpu for the god Kadvaikai and at the ferry of Ubâr, and the remainder was built by Rama Gudda Kuuja. The sanam was built. He performed a feast and sacrifice.
"We are very much pleased with your feast and sacrifice. Although we wander over four countries we shall not forget you," said the brother and sister.
In the places between the Eastern countries and Western countries; within the boundaries of Ankola (in North Kinara) in the North and Ramêsvar in the South; and in the Ghâts called Kayeri and at, the sand-bank at Nuguru the brother and sister had feasts, without leaving even a house built or a door open.
(To be continued.)
