Coorg Gazette 1878

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MISOEE

5

of

agriculture, chiefly rice

known

and

coffee cultivation.

as Nayinas or Nayirs and Maniyanis.

all

Of the

kinds,

and 752 in

latter,

some are

They are immigrants from

Malabar, and speak Malayalam. Christians.

and

1

—The

,101 females.

Christians

The

number

2,410, of

whom

1,309 are males

different classes are distributed as follows:

—

INHABITANTS.

218

since the time of the Rajas, whose purchases they

negotiated.

The 2

Chinese are returned as labourers.

The Ooorgs. The Coorgs, or Kodagas as they are properly called, are the princountry, and from time immemorial the lords of the

cipal tribe of the

For the

soiL

two centuries they are known as a compact body who resemble more a Scotch clan than a Hindu caste-

last

of mountaineers,

In the Hindu scale they are Sudras, and not pork-eating bastard Kshatriyas, as

some mocking Brahmans would have

it

but

;

it

ought to be the

pride of the Coorgs to discard the notion of caste altogether, which in fact does not apply to them,

and

The Coorgs

to the present

stand upon their own merits as

to

Kodagas, the remarkable mountain

clan of Coorg.

day are as

distinct

from the Malayalam and

Canarese people on the western coast, as they are from the Mysoreans in the north and east, though their peculiarities are to some extent allied to the habits of the one as well as to those of the other race, and even their

language

is

Look

but a mixture of the Dravidian tongues.

at a group of Coorgs of the

Mysoreans or people from the western

The Coorgs are footed.

Men

tall,

better class by the side of

The

coast.

difference

some

is striking.

muscular, broad chested, strong limbed and swift-

of 6 feet

and above are not uncommon.

Their features

are regular, often distinguished by an aquiline nose and finely chiselled lips, set off

by a well trimmed moustache, which in the gala-mishe termi-

nates in a broad volute, as worn by their Eajas and for bravery.

shave their chins, but sport mighty whiskers is lighter life

men

distinguished

Apparently anticipating recent military regulations, they !

The colour

than might be expected under this latitude.

and pride of race impart

dependence and dignified

to their

whole bearing an

self-assertion, well

of the Coorgs

Their

mode

of

air of

manly

in-

sustained by their peculiar

and picturesque costume.

"I have been in 1805,

quite delighted," says Dr. Leyden, writing of Coorg

"both with the country and

and savage bursting at

scenery, the

once on

of the loftiest

hills,

its

inhabitants.

you through the bamboo bushes, the green peaks towering above the forests on their declivities,

the narrow cultivated stripes between the ridges, to recall to

The grotesque

sudden peeps of romantic ridges of mountains

memory some

all

and

contributed strongly

very romantic scenes in the Scottish Highlands.

A

COOR0 WITH

HIS

SONS AMD GRANDSONS.

219

THE COORG S. At the same different

and bold demeanour of

time, the frank, open

from the mean and cringing aspect of

that I had hitherto set eyes on, could not

my way

approbation by a mountaineer of

that the Subedar of Virarajendrapet did, to

come up and

give

to a Scotsman. quite out of

my

me such

the natives, so

the native Hindoos

all

to be beheld with great

fail

The

of thinking.

my utter

astonishment, was to

a shake by the band as would have done credit

my

This was so utterly unexpected on

part that

head a most elaborate oration which I was

of addressing to him.

tug in reply, that

if

thing

first

that I gave

you, however,

I assure

it

drove

in the act

him such a

he do not understand a Scotsman's language very

accurately he wont forget a Scotsman's gripe in a hurry."

"The

SirErskine Perry, in a publication of 1853, says,

and

tants of Coorg, in independent bearing, good looks,

all

inhabi-

the outward

signs of well being, are by for the finest race I have seen in India."

The cotton, or

and

is

principal Coorg dress is

a long coat (kupasa) of white or blue

dark coloured cloth and even

open in front;

if

not white,

it

velvet.

has short

It reaches

under which longer

sleeves,

ones of a different colour extend to the wrist. The coat red or blue sash of cotton or waist,

which

silk,

and which holds the never

failing

is

large and

{elceocarpus ganitrus),

sandals. silver or

A

held together by a

several times

wound round the

Coorg knife, with ivory or

flat at

silver

or the peculiarly

the top and covers a portion

The

of the back of the neck, forms the head-dress.

protected with light

is

A red kerchief,

handle and chains of the same metal. fashioned turban, which

is

below the knees,

feet are bare,

or

necklace of the berry of rudrakshi

gold bracelets on the wrists, and silver

and gold earrings with pearls or precious stones complete

their festive

costume. Those who are in possession of the Coorg medal, or the lunulate

ornament

called

Kokadadi do not

Their every day dress

is

fail

of course of a

The Coorg warrior looks more cut,

to

suspend

it

more simple

imposing.

but of coarser material and shorter.

round their neck.

nature.

His dress

is

of the

same

In addition to his handy waist-

knife (pkha-Jcatti), he wears on his back, in a strong clasp of brass, the

curved, broad-bladed Coorg knife it

{odu-Jcatti).

was a most formidable weapon, and

In a hand-to-hand fioht

since the

young Coorgs have no

longer Mussalman or Nair antagonists to decapitate, they display at their feasts the strength of their

arms and the sharp edge of

their knives

beheading pigs, or cutting at a blow through the trunk of thick trees.

The long matchlock gun

is

now more a weapon

by

plantain

of curiosity than

220

inhabitants.

sportsmen

of practical use, except with the poorer Coorgs, the wealthier

having supplied themselves with English

description.

of the best

rifles

Their ancient arms and ornaments were manufactured with the most

The Coorg Rajas used

simple tools by natives of Coorg.

reward

to

men

with silver and gold bangles, or with

distinguished for personal bravery

an ornamented large knife bearing the Raja's stamp

3 upon

the blade,

and these tokens are kept as sacred heirlooms and worn on grand occasions only.

To one who has

many years amonst the

lived for

men

proved condition of the appearance of the

or twenty years ago one seldom saw a Coorg

Coorgs, the im-

very striking.

is

man

Fifteen

dressed in a woollen

garment, blue or white cotton was the material generally in use every one lish cloth,

aspires to a

ban&t hupsa or long

and some even sport boots and

;

now

woollen coat of fine Eng'

Amongst Young

stockings.

Coorg, native dandyism, so vulgar and ridiculous with Bengal Baboos, is

not unknown, though

repressed and laughed

still

disappear and merchants

make

The young Coorg

ported article.

legs, delights

ous Pegu pony, or a prancing

steed from official

The personal appearance

now

to be seen

the

to

on an impetu-

Kandahar, as he

his

visits

on duty.

women

of the Kodagitis or Coorg

is

not less

They are remarkably fair, of goodly stature,

striking than that of the men.

well shaped,

Native umbrellas

who formerly trusted

official,

muscular strength of his own

house or follows the English

at.

annually a good business with the im-

and many are

really

handsome before the betel-chewing,

which generally begins after marriage, disfigures their regular features,

and blackens

the ordinary dress differs only

that can be seen in India.

and

sleeves, fits tight

is

A

in quality

—

fall in graceful folds almost is

down

skirt,

A

long piece of white

being several times wrapped

string, so

as to

make

the skirt

to the ankles, whilst one end

end

is

arranged in

folds,

house and

field.

ing Brabmans,

and most convenient for unobstructed

of course accounted for

it

by a

silly

sensi-

activity

This peculiarity did not escape the notice of the

who

it

To

which, con-

trary to the fashion of other Hindu women, are gathered behind, a ble arrangement

of

knotted together on the right shoulder.

skirt the other

give fulness to the

one of the most becoming

closed up to the neck.

round the waist and tied by means of a

bosom and

is

— and

white or light blue cotton jacket, with long

muslin or blue cotton stuff forms the

covers the

Their festive costume

their otherwise brilliant teeth.

in

pry-

puranic legend,

THE

221

COORGS.

which at tbe same time gives vent to their vexation at the intractability of these rude mountaineers.

The head, with

raven hair,

its

coloured kercbief, one end of which

comers are joined together fall

neck

is

forehead, and tbe two

at the back, allowing the rest of the cloth to

Tbe wealth

of a Coorg family

tbe ornaments of the women.

ricbness of

silver or gold bracelets of

covered by a white muslin or

encircles tbe

gracefully over tbe shoulders.

displayed by tbe

is

a simple description span their wrists

decked with chains of

pended old Portuguese gold

their

;

pearls or gold, from wbicb are sus-

coral,

coins.

is

Glass,

Even

the nose and tbe outer rims of

tbe ears are ornamented with pretty jewellery in gold, pearls and precious stones,

and

The white women, are

festive

skilfully

worn on the

rings are

also silver

toes.

gowns of tbe men, as well as tbe kerchiefs of tbe embroidered along the seams and in the corners

with red marking cotton, and the patterns, of native design, are often very

The Coorg women esteem

elegant.

Berbn work,

their

own embroidery more than

as tbe former, unlike the latter, shews the pattern equably

The

well on both sides.

and variety of the patterns and the

richness

ness of the execution of this work has been

much admired by

fine-

ladies in

Europe. A.s for

industry, tbe Coorg

women

deserve high praise.

They

rise

early, and besides cooking and other domestic work, they bear a large

The men plough the fields, transplant manure, weed, fetch home and carry women the The men do no menial work, they leave that to their

share in the labours of the farm.

and reap the

rice

clean the paddy.

women and cussing the

;

to their servants, whilst affairs of tbe

of clothing, in wbich art

they enjoy a dignified repose, dis-

house and chewing

many are

betel, or stitching

as expert as professional tailors

gun on shoulder, wander through the jungles the height of their ambition official in

A work

is

to figure in tbe

in search

of

a piece

;

others,

game but :

capacity of a Government

the administration of their country.

Coorg

to do,

house with

woman

is

rarely idle,

and no wonder, its

if

we

her busy hands always find some

consider the bfe

40, 60, or 80 and more inmates.

grandfather and grandmother,

their sons

and bustle

Two

of

a Coorg

or three generations,

and daughters-in-law, and the

children of these families, all live and mess together.

The labourers

also

belong to the household and look up to the mistress for food and orders.

The fattening of the

pigs, the

milking of the cows, the water supply for

222

IMHABITANTS.

many

the house, these and

are under the immediate super-

other cares

Where peace and harmony

vision of the mistress.

exist,

a Coorg house

truely patriarchal scene, but the idyllic picture is too often

presents a

mar-

red by discord, occasioned by the harsh regime of an imperious mother-

by the jealousy and heartburnings of married brothers, or the

in-law,

more material

questions of family income and individual claims.

master or yejamdna, who has no easy position

up these

;

is

large houses clearly manifests

commanding

spirit

bustling

human

s,

member

of the house,

when a tendency

itself.

wisdom subdue the

make

beehive, and

to

break

Coorg women of a

But

and superior character are often heard

Abigail of old, with tact and

mon

always the senior male

especially in our da\

The

of,

who, like

unruly elements of this

the residents subservient to the com-

weal and honour of the family.

Here

woman

is

a story to the purpose

called

Dodda Avva

:

— Six generations ago, there was a lady—who at Almanda

—the great

lived

house, in the village of Armeri, which belongs to Beppu-nad.

the mistress of the

Almanda

She was a womaa

of extraordinary size

property, being the only child of rich parents.

and strength of body.

she less distinguished by qualities of mind and character. the country, she was

Coorg women. choose

same

known

— Uttacha,

sort of a husband, but

herself.

Her choice

estate,

Throughout

fell

she was at liberty to

upon a man of the

He was

a son of the Mananda house.

much

Nor was

as the wisest, the richest, the strongest of

Independent owner of a Coorg

a husband for clan

She was

inferior every

haps she had chosen him for

this

way

very

to his

reason.

a good

great wife.

Per-

His place in the

house was rather that of head-servant, than of husband and master.

Every year the people

of

Armeri used to send a caravan

the low country, near Cannanore, to fetch carrying rice to the coast, would start son.

On

such

occasions

salt.

to Irktir, in

At other times caravans,

from Armeri during the dry sea-

Dodda Avva would

herself attend to every

thing, put the cattle in readiness, prepare provisions,

and at

last

accom-

pany her husband and his oxen to the place of meeting appointed for the whole train from the village.

husband and his beasts

and return home

to the

to her

kind

On

parting, she would

offices of

the best

recommend her

men in

the caravan,

great house and her large business.

Often,

when husband or servants appeared too slow in loading the oxen, she would bid them step aside, and quietly taking up the double sacks with both hands, lay them softly and evenly upon the backs of the cattle

such was her strength.

223

THE COORGS. She was equally famed

Muddu

for

On

wisdom and honesty.

this account

Raya, who ruled Coorg in her time, greatly respected and rever-

enced her, and often, on coming to Beppu-nad,

Awa

Dodda

talk with

In course

of*

Almanda

of

time Dodda

stopped

have a

to

house.

Awa became the mother of four daughters,

but to her great grief no son was granted her to succeed to the Almanda

When

property.

The

to sons of neighbouring landholders.

member

of the

eldest

Amnichanda

a general agreement of the

was also given

chiefs,

Almanda

as heiress of the

she bore any, to her mother.

Of

sons in succession.

grand -mother Dodda

these,

into the

Palekanda house,

to the

was

Pulanda

The youngest, by

family.

property, she

marriage

in

became the wife of a

Palekanda family, the second married

house, the third was given to the

but,

them

the daughters came of age, she gave

to give her sons, if

This daughter, the youngest, bore four the two eldest were brought up by their

Awa at

that of the other Machu.

Almanda. The name of one wasTimmaya, Machu had a son Ayappa, whose son was

Bollu, the father of Stephanas, the first Coorg Christian.

The

palate,

use of

and ghee.

oil

women

culinary art of the Coorg

European

which

relishes less hot

is

not

made

of joints, and

ambatti-pickle,

The Coorg women

makes

an excellent meal.

to native taste

excel in preparing a great variety of pickles

ney, also sweet preserves

and sweetmeats.

are relished even by Europeans.

fish, is

into a nourishing

seasoned with mango,

savoury curry, which, with a dish of boiled rice

and

appreciated by a

Meat, whether game, pork, mutton, fowl or

cut into small pieces irrespective

lime, citron

much

condiments and a more sparing

and chut-

Their cippams or niradoshe

The kitchens of the Coorgs, which are

inside the house, are remarkable for the cleanliness of the cooking-vessels

in use.

The Coorgs with

pickle,

generally take an early meal at 7, of rice-conjee seasoned

or curds.

fast, consisting

At 10 they partake of a more substantial break-

of boiled rice

and

curry.

At 3

o'clock conjee

is

again

taken as in the morning, and in the evening a hearty supper of boiled rice

with vegetable or meat curry and other condiments.

baine palm (caryota urms), also a kind of beer

made

rice-brandy and arrack are the usual beverages

but

European

liquors have

;

Toddy of the

of fermented rice,

lately, the strongest

become only too familiar to the Coorgs at

all

hours of the day.

As

is

the custom with other Hindus, the Coorg

women

attend

first

to

224

INHABITANTS.

and the male members of the house, and then own separate meal. This selfish and unmanly custom

serving up for their lords

down

sit

greatly

to their

detracts from the

charm of family

The meals, spread on

life.

brass plates, on low stools, are rather animal feeds than family gatherings

round the social

table.

The Coorgs

A

then- houses.

and on

made

are very hospitable visit

;

from Europeans

is

Then great

efforts are

honour to the guest, and in the more civilized houses a

to do

knives and

as a great honour,

looked upon

festive occasions they are frequently invited.

breakfast in almost English forks.

one comes

fashion

unexpectedly

and has to put up with

at once a great

arrival of

commotion amongst the

Soon the crackling of coming

coffee indicates the

brass vessel or in a tumbler

fire is

The

treat. ;

it is

inconveniences

little

the greater concern for the com-

ornaments put on, and there

are donned,

the house.

all

At the unexpected

fort of his guest.

on crockery and with

served,

is

But perhaps those receptions are more enjoyable where

which draw forth from the kind host

is

no beggar goes away empty from

a European

is

visitor

there

Clean dresses

fair Kodagitis.

a running to and fro within

heard, and the coffee is

aroma of roasted

brought in a spouted

highly sweetened, has also a by taste

of red pepper, as the coffee beans were broken in the mortar that serves for

pounding

but you cannot

spices,

To

your kind host.

resist

to gratify the

importunity of

leave a Coorg house without having partaken of any

offered refreshment, be

it

only a sip of milk or an

orange,

would be a

grave offence against Coorg etiquette. It '

has been said that the Coorg women do not exercise the domes-

tic virtue of

cleanliness.

to their share, festive

it

costume

in public the

;

Considering the nature of the work that

falls

cannot be expected that they should always appear in but they bathe frequently, and whenever

women

they are seen

are remarkable for then: clean and tidy appearance.

Coorg children shew much affection for their parents and relations, and the

little

ones, of whom there

of the house.

The

is

generally a goodly number, are great pets

visiting stranger is the object of their

he succeeds in gaining their confidence he whole family.

The bearing

will

be liked

all

wonder, and

if

the better by the

of the young in the presence of the old

de"

is

*

corous, the latter

by a

being greeted by every junior

visiting neighbour,

young

man

member

of the house o 1

whether male or female, with great respect.

The

lays aside whatever burdens his hands, puts off his shoes,

with folded hands, first raised to the forehead,, bows

down and touches

and the

THE feet of his senior,

a

who

lays his hand on the young man's head, pronouncing

The youth then

blessing.

225

COOEGS.

and repeats the ceremony

rises

The Coorgs are a hardy

and bear with

race,

to others.

a great deal

fortitude

of hardship, especially during the monsoon, whilst engaged with their

Exposed to wet and

rice cultivation. fever, they soon

regain their strength

;

and

cold,

uncommon amongst them.

or 80 years are not

In the times of their

during their wars with Mysore and

Rajas,

Malabar, and in their marauding expeditions, selves brave

But

often prostrate with

and old men and women of 70

and were dreaded

soldiers,

their strength lay especially in their

proved them-

the Coorgs

for

their

fierce intrepidity.

mountain fastnesses, and behind

the shelter of their native woods or the formidable breastworks extend-

ing for miles along the crests of the

Since they have

hills.

come under

the rule of the British Government, their warlike spirit has found no scope

but they are

still

doubtless stand

a brave and manly race, who in time of need would

by

the tiger, the bison or the elephant, sport

;

At the hunt of

with devoted loyalty.

their rulers

no- true

Coorg shirks the dangerous

but with nerve and coolness and wary cunning he will dodge the

advancing beast, and with keen eye and steady hand

fire

at

him

at close

quarters.

The

and moral

intellectual

faculties of the Coorgs

have for ages

been neglected, and consequently up to the present day they are both ignorant and superstitious. The worship of demons and of departed spirits

has usurped among them the worship of God.

abound

all

ascribed to the curses

posed to trouble the ments. tions

Many

and witchcraft of enemies.

living,

and

to

demand

of the Coorgs, though they

and neglect

and the brandy

their

bottle.

dissimulation, falsehood

and conspiracy are now to advance self-interest.

neighbours,

among men and

Disease

over the country.

Charms and

idols,

The

are sup-

and other atone-

despise their old supersti-

have come to believe in nothing but money cruel despotism of their

and treachery often

The dead

sacrifices

may

sorceries

cattle is readily

;

enough practised

The name

who look upon them

Rajas engendered

hence lying and deception, bribery to ruin

of the Coorgs

is

as proud, irritable

an opponent and

still

feared by their

and revengeful men,

and such popular estimations of the character of a neighbouring race are seldom without some foundation. It still may happen, that the head of a Coorg house on his dying bed

will solemnly

charge his sons to wreak

29*

226

INHABITANTS.

vengeance on his personal enemies, a bequest which occasions calamitous feuds between succeeding generations.

The Coorgs have themselves

without education,

Even

subjects.

tempted systematically to raise them lately

most praiseworthy

efforts

Rajas,

did nothing for the instruction of their

English Government

the

The

an unlettered people.

hitherto been

for

many

in intelligence

have been made to

years hardly at-

Only

and character.

awakened

satisfy the

made have

popular desire for education in Coorg, and the provisions

already borne good'fruit in supplying Government with a body of trained

though education

officials,

The

public

elders, called

is still

in its first stage of development.

morality of the Coorgs

TaMa

mulchyastaru,

by a council of

controlled

is

mana-

are the moral censors and

who

gers of social affairs, without however any magisterial power from Govern-

This institution dates from the time of the Rajas, and

ment.

ditary in certain families.

The authority of the

here-

is

Takkas extends

village

over offences against social customs, attendance at public feasts and pro-

per conduct during the same, drunkenness and adultery. The offender has to appear before the council of the elders of the village,

(a council-room on the village green), where the matter

The presiding Takka pronounces the

discussed.

amount

to

a maximum

fine of

10 rupees.

to pay, he will be excommunicated,

muhhyastaru, that

is

the assembly of

is

at the ambala investigated

and

which

may

sentence,

Should the offender

when he may appeal to the Nddthe Takkas of all the villages of the

An

outcast Coorg

may

restored to his former status on paying the imposed

fine.

district,

and

their decision is final.

refuse

after years

To

be

the influ-

ence of these guardians of public morality the orderly conduct of the

Coorgs in public

is

principally owing.

It

is,

however, to be feared that

many Coorg houses modify Takkas, and make them more complaisant to

the increasing wealth and influence of strict control of rich,

the

which tendency

and a greater

will inevitably

the the

result in a decline of their authority

laxity of public morality.

The contact

of the

Coorgs with

Europeans, who have chiefly settled in the country as coffee planters, has not proved an of

more money

civilisation

unmitigated boon

for

the natives.

With

the

into the country, the vices concomitant with

have found a footing too.

hold on the people,

who

influx

European

Intemperance has got a fearful

are no longer

satisfied with

brands, but indulge in the strongest European liquors

;

which in the times of the Rajas was rigorously repressed,

their

and is

country

this

now

vice,

rather

AMMA

227

COORGS.

encouraged by the numerous liquor shops, which are decidedly on the increase all over the

country.

It

requires a

new impulse on the part

of the better* type ofCoorgs to combine in vigorous combat,

during their

Amma

festivities,

Kodagas.

—The Amma Kodagas form a

They are believed

sect.

Their number

succeeding Brahmans.

They

live chiefly in

small and exclusive

have been the indigenous priesthood, but

to

degraded to their present insignificance by the

houses.

is

wily schemes of the

below 300, divided among 42

Kiggatnad and Padinalknad, and they seem

come up from Malabar, where they were

to have originally

biaru and where they

especially

against this ruinous enemy.

still

called

Nam-

In language, manners and

have connections.

costume, they are hardly distinguished from other Coorgs, only they wear the brahmanical cord and abstain from animal food and fermented liquor.

They do not Their

therefore eat with the Coorgs, nor intermarry with them.

Amma

name

Kodaga

or Mother's Coorgs denotes that they

are priests devoted to the service of Kaveri

With

the Coorg tribe

the rest of

Amma,

or Mother

Kaveri.

they celebrate in the same manner

the great Kaveri and Huttari festivals, but of course as priests performing

puja in their own houses, for they have nothing to do with the Kaveri

They have no sacred books or shastras, nor do they exercise

temple.

any

spiritual influence

The seem

over

the people.

history of these old Coorg priests is shrouded in obscurity.

to have been of a rude character, like the

and Germany, untractable and disinclined the subtility of the Brahmans gradually

But

to adopt foreign culture.

instilled into their

which made them aspire after

priestly notions,

They

priests of ancient Britain

adopting the sacred cord and a Brahmanical

superior It

diet.

is

minds some sanctity

said that

by

Tim-

mappaiya, a Havige Brahman and brother-in-law of the late Raja, who died in

the

1868 as Karnika or Treasurer, gained such an

Amma

influence

over

r

Kodagas that they looked up

to

him

as their guru, and

many

them resolved upon laying aside the Coorg costume and imitating the Brahmans in dress and diet. of

To acknowledge its

the indigenous Coorg priesthood, and yet account for

degraded state as compared with the erudition of the twice-born, the

Brahmans invented the following legend, which is not in harmony with the The sage Kavera, as a reward for his austerities, was Kaveri Purana :

—

blessed with a daughter Kaveri,

another sage,

who

also resided

whom he

promised in marriage to Agastya,

on the Brahmagiri.

Kaveri did not accept

228

INHABITANTS.

the proposal, and assuming the shape of a river fled from the mountain.

Agastya in hot pursuit overtook her in Kadyettnad, and persuaded her to

They

submit their dispute to the arbitration of their friends. three families of Annua Kodagas and six of Coorgs

part of Agastya, the latter that of Kaveri.

woman

;

The Amma-Kodagas decided

that Kaveri should not be allowed to proceed

that a

called

the former took the

but the Coorgs declared

;

The

should not be forced to marry against her will

en-

raged Agastya muni thereupon pronounced a curse upon the Coorgs, that the generation of Kodagas or Coorgs should decrease, that their

women

should not tie their garments in front, that the sown rice should not

Kaveri

grow, and that their cows should not give milk.

Amma, who was

the patroness of the Coorgs, counteracted the curse as well as she could

words

in the followng

" the Kodagas shall increase, but the

:

Kodagas decrease the Coorg women

shall tie their

sown paddy

and the cows be milked

;

shall be transplanted,

garments behind

by Agastya by the border of her garment, she turned Hence the

flowed rapidly away.

Bala-muri, turning to the right.

by the Brahmans, and

it is

place, where

built here

to

the

the right and

was

this occured,

called

[A linga has been erected near the spot

yearly visited in Tula-masa at the time of the

Kaveri feast by Coorgs and others, who bathe in the

a rest-house, which

is

river.

Dodda Vira

in tolerable

still

vation.]

The only

origin of

the indigenous priesthood of Coorg, but to obscure

it

;

after the

So saying, she tried to escape, and on being held

calves have drunk."

Kajendra also

Amma

object this legend can have

under the rubbish of puranic

lore,

preser-

not to clear up the

is,

and bury

which eludes every historical in-

vestigation.

The Coorg their

house.

paddy-fields,

clumps of plantain ing trees.

A

coffee

—The

Coorg houses are generally situated close to

on a sheltering slope of Bane land, surrounded by trees,

sago and betel-nut palms

and other

fruit-bear-

garden and a small plot for the growth of native veget-

ables are seldom absent, and, where the locality is favourable, a little

tank well stocked with

fish is

not uncommon.

The

position, the style

of building,

and the approaches of old Coorg houses, strongly remind

one of small

fortifications,

feuds,

when

and

tradition points

chief fought with chief, clan with clan.

gas or ditches with high banks, we state

of

back to a time of general

affairs.

in every direction,

still

In the deep kadan-

see memorials of that warlike

These war-ditches intersect the mountainous

districts

and have resisted not only many a furious attack of con-

tending parties, but also the force of the annual monsoon.

229

THE COOBG HOUSE.

A shady

deeply cut passage, payed with rough stones and overgrown with sloping side walls decked with a

trees, its

variety

ant ferns, leads you in angular lines to the doorway,

Though a paved

out-house.

courtyard, enclosed on three sides by stables,

you come to the front of the main

store-rooms and servants' quarters,

which

building,

above the ground. thatched with the

and raised about three

feet

the buildings are roofed with bamboos,

and

square,

is

All

one

of

storey,

Considering that there

rice- straw.

The

for habitable quarters.

an open verandah

—

the reception

front side however

Near

hall.

a small door into the inner square, which

an

is

collected in a

underground channel.

On

masonry

dark, opening only by

all

by the sky-light formed

is lit

by the junction of the four inner slopes of the water from which

reserved for

is

to the right end the prin-

rooms, which are

cipal door leads to the inner

an open square

is

mdu-mane, there remain only the

hall in the centre of the house, called

four sides

of luxuri-

passing under an

the dripping rain-

roof,

and drained

reservoir

off

by

the side opposite to the verandah two doors

communicate with the backyard of the house.

The

front of the verandah

is

raised,

and covered with a wooden

2 feet broad, so as to form a convenient seat

wooden

pillars,

of well beaten

square and

from

;

it

tapering and sometimes carved.

mud, overlayed with cowdung

and the

;

slab,

rise three or four

The

floor is

ceiling of

arranged in small compartments. In some houses the verandah

is

wood,

separa-

ted from the inner hall merely by a wooden grating, in others by a solid earth wall with a principal door flowers

and

sort of

window, or

posts, this aperture

figures, leaving

lattice,

is

made

often very

small open spaces

Mussalman

who are as curious

sisters

to see

room

is

and observe

visitors as their

first

compartment

occupied by the master of the house and his wife.

the kitchen, from which the smoke issues

for fresh air, the

eyes and gasps

and

fills

to the

The next the whole

While the European rubs

house, coating and preserving the wood-work. his

for the benefit of the

behind the purdah or screen.

Entering through the principal door, the right is

Like the

between, just enough to

peep through without being seen, a contrivance chiefly fair Kodagitis,

of wood.

handsomely carved in

inmates of the house feel no incon>

venience and only smile at his sensitiveness.

The small compartments

of the remaining two wings are tenanted by the married couples, and the

unmarried

women

;

the boys

and young men sleep in the

the ceiling are suspended matchlocks and

rifles,

hall.

From

the wooden bells and

INHABITANTS.

230

trappings for their pack bullocks, and other domestic utensils,

space under the roof, which

reached by a ladder,

is

and the

serves for storing

bags, baskets, pads, pots, onions, salt, &c.

The house and yard are generally kept clean and

in good order,

the announcement of an approaching honoured visitor

broom

into activity,

and you may arrive just in time to see the retreating However, the object

Coorg damsel and have to swallow the raised dust. is

you perceive what attention has been paid to you.

attained,

A deep

well, built

with stone,

fetched from a hole sunk by the well

is

usually in the compound, or water

is

paddy

side of the

fields,

is

and near the

the hut for hot bathing. caste servants have their huts

The low Coorg house

from

but

at once sets the

;

the meals

eat on plantain leaves

them they

given

some distance from the

at

apart

their masters.

As already remarked, the Coorg house male

relatives,

and cannot be farm

with their wives and children, belonging to one parental

The landed

stock.

is

property, or

alienated from

by

cultivated

all

it

Jamma-bhumi, or divided

feast.

is

vested in the house,

amongst

It often occurs,

is

members.

The

management

of the

its

the housepeople, under the

master of the house, and the produce Huttari

the domicile of all the

is

divided amongst

however, that an energetic

them

member

house, or one in Government employment, acquires for himself called

Koppa which

may

family, he

are his own, and

live there

coffee plantation or

seem

if

sufficient for the

after the

of the

some fields

support of his

and establish a new house. Others own a small

cardamom-garden, and these individual enterprises

to be the natural transition to

an impending general social reform

the breaking up of the great houses, and the independent establishment of each married couple,

residing near their

own paddy

fields,

and eating

the fruit of their own labour. The indolent will then have to work for their subsistence or sink into misery, the industrious

and

after

dom and

a period of no domestic

The danger

to be

little

felicity

angry

will

apprehended

strife

and

a happier

thrifty will life

prosper,

of personal free-

be the inheritance of future generations. is

the tendency of the rich houses to

absorb the poorer ryots and thus interfere with their independence.

however, the alienation of the

Jamma

land, which

is

If,

the mainstay of the

Coorg house, were permitted, considering the increase of the vice of

drunkenness amongst the Coorgs, and their ruinous indebtedness to unscrupulous

money

lenders, the landed property

would within a few years

COOEG LAWS OF INHERITANCE.

change hands and many Coorgs be reduced

2,31

to beggary.

was therefore

It

a wise and beneficent measure of Government, to forbid the alienation of Coorg

Jamma

land,

and

to cancel

any transaction of the kind.

Prescriptive law of irilwritance.

—Sons, grandsons,

sons, daughters, daughters' sons, cousins,

brothers, brothers'

and adopted sons have the

right

of succession to inherit property successively, in the order here mentioned. Property, in default of offspring, on the death of a

man

widow

is

if

;

he leaves a son under age, the widow

takes possession of the property. sons, but a grandson

divided, provided

and a

now

prevails

and

and

or a brother's son, the property

be undivided

;

but

division

is strictly

is

be divided the

if it

The law

grandson takes possession of the whole property. ture, however,

his guardian,

deceased leaves neither wife nor

If the

brother,

the family

devolves on his

of primogeni-

prohibited.

If the deceased leaves neither wife, nor children, nor grandsons, the

property devolves on his brother or his brother's sons, est relations.

-In cases

where the deceased has

any, as the near-

if

left neither wife

nor sons

nor brothers, but a daughter not married, the relations of the family put her in possession of the property, and dispose of her in

on her death her husband or her sons ing a

inherit it

But

if

marriage, and

a

man

dies leav-

daughter not married, and a brother's son or a grandson, the

family being undivided, the property used to be liable to a division. failure of the preceding persons, the property

used sometimes to descend

to the cousins, and sometimes not, as the Government determined.

cases where

the deceased leaves

protect him, the

In

a son under age without relatives to

Government appoints the head of the

guardian to the boy and to take charge of his tains his

In

village to act as

patrimony until he

majority, which ranges from 1 6 to 20 years

at-

according to the

maturity of judgment shewn by the individual, when he puts his ward in possession of

it,

and renders him an account of receipts and disburse-

ments during the period of his nonage. If the deceased has left no children, the widow adopts a her relations,

if

child of

procurable, or otherwise of 'her tribe, and he succeeds to

the property on his attainment of the proper age, provided he has been

adopted formally and according to the usage of the clan.

Wedding and married

life.

—The

marriage-customs of the present

day present a curious mixture of old and new tions.

In ancient times,

it

rites,

would seem, the marriage

fashions

and no-

festivities

had a

INHABITANTS.

232 peculiarly cormnunal call together the

whole grama, that

valleys girt with

farm houses, to a

ears pierced by the carpenters for

the families of one of the rice

is, all

The youths would have their earrings, and the maidens had rice feast.

This was in those days called the marriage

strewn upon their heads.

The whole community feasted

feast.

great day a family would

On some

character.

together, and the young people

were now at liberty to go in search of husbands and wives. In the low country, the piercing of the ear

is

generally performed

by the goldsmith, except in out-of-the-way places where a goldsmith not to be found.

is

In such a case another branch of the t trade fraternity,

smith or carpenter,

may

act for

In Coorg the

the brother goldsmith,

carpenter has the exclusive privilege of piercing the ears for ornaments.

The

girls

have

pierced in early childhood.

their ears

of age, the ceremony of putting on their heads

When

they come

some grains of

rice is

a

token of their being free to marry.

The present marriage bride

rites of

Coorg, especially hi Kiggatnad, where

and bridegroom are welcomed together by the and

villagers of both parties,

resemble the

common

sit

relatives

and

together on the wedding-chair,

fellowclosely

fashion of the Hindus, though they have not yet

conformed altogether.

Young persons under

sixteen years of age are not married in Coorg.

wholesome rule are very

Exceptions, from this

It is to

rare.

be hoped

that the Coorgs will ever be preserved from the misery of child-marriages.

A young

when about

Coorg,

to marry, has

sent of his father or of the head of the family. the Arava of the house

first to

speak to the Arava 6i the family to

whom

These Aruvas* hold an important

among the

house becomes

Aruva

its

of the other.

office

A

life.

They

Coorgs.

particular friend of

act as

a neighbouring Coorg

Aruva, and a member of this house

On a

to

the desired bride belongs.

and guardians of families and individuals, on

representatives, counsellors,

the great occasions of

He has

taken into the marriage-council.

is

the con-

obtain

This affair being settled,

certain

is

naturally the

day the Aruva of the intending bride-

groom, accompanied by his father or elder brother, goes to the house of the young

woman who

to be asked in marriage.

is

Aruva and to the head of the house. turned, the whole

house

* Arwia, one who knows,

is

man

A

carefully swept

of experience.

They speak

favourable answer

and a lamp

is

to the

being relit.

Some

COOEQ WEDDINGS. families, affecting

new

fashions,

to see whether the stars of the

Where no

at

new

time

this

couple

!

wise seers generally return acceptable

the marriage proceedings

will agree

a lamp

in the

to be

It is

.

together or not.

Aruva and

newly swept house

on one

father, or elder brother,

on the other

supposed that the

The

evidently an innovation.

is

;

loss, find

However, this part of

answers.

fashion is

old

when the two Aruvas, with

the heads of the respective families, stand before

tives

the astrologers

call in

horoscope has been taken, the astrologers, never at a

the stars by the names of the parties

to light

233

side,

— and shake hands together,

it,

—the bridegroom's

the bride's representa-

an inviolable

in token of

contract having been concluded in the presence of the divinity or sacred light of the house.

Such engagements are

broken.

rarely, if ever,

After the above preliminaries, the time for the wedding

The

on.

April and May,

be done.

agreed up-

nuptials are often postponed half a year, sometimes for a twelve-

month, but generally the Coorg weddings come

the

is

when the

When

bridegroom are

during the months of

The

is

asked for

relatives of the bride

and the

respective houses ten

the

invited to

Under the superintendence

days before the

of the Aruvas, they engage in

The members

the necessary preparations.

work to

is little

the time approaches, the astrologer's counsel

choice of a propitious day.

wedding.

off

are dry, and there

rice valleys

of the

respective

On

themselves are not expected to join in these labours.

families

the last clay

before the marriage, all the

families of the villages

of the

bridegroom are summoned.

Each house must send

at least one

and one female

Now

representative.

pigs are slaughtered and dressed

;

rice

and

bride

male

the wedding sheds are finished

;

The

and vegetables are prepared.

whole company, thus working together, join also in a good dinner provided for their guests by the

principal

parties

interested.

The Aruva of

each house acts throughout as master of the ceremonies.

On

the wedding day,

at sun-rise,

the

two village communities to

which the bride and bridegroom belong are in festive commotion.

house

is

permitted to absent

itself

from the general gathering.

bridegroom's house the male guests, attendants,

in the

bride's house

No

In the

the female

busy themselves with bathing, dressing and ornamenting

the chief personage of the day,

a good Coorg

feast.

and strong the

The

larger

liquor, the

ent ballads are recited,

and making every thing ready for and

fatter the pigs, the

more abundant

greater will be the glory of the day.

Anci-

extempore singers extol the names of the

30*

234

INHABITANTS.

Mrta

among the

persons

principal

assembled

or propitious hour has come.

Now

relatives.

the

time both bride

At the same

muand

bridegroom are conducted to the wedding seat in then respective houses.

The guests put themselves

One

in order.

other approaches

after the

the bridegroom or the bride, strews some grains of rice upon his or her head,

a brass vessel

lifts

some drops

into his or her

a three anna ta

is over,

filled

with milk from the ground and pours

mouth, puts a piece of money, not

piece, into his or

the

than

muhur-

the bridegroom on his side and the bride on hers, retire into

another room, where they continue to

sometimes for hours, until the

sit,

has come and offered his salutation and

last of the guests

The wedding company next apply themselves The joy of the

for them.

bards,

When

her hand, and passes on.

less

who

feast

is

gifts.

prepared

to the dinner

heightened by the

songs of the Coorg

sing of the glories of the relatives of the house of the families

belonging to the village

community, and repeat the gahme's or ancient

songs which they have learned from their fathers.

The

following

is

a specimen of a humorous wedding song, translated

by Mr. A. Graeter from the Coorg original God Almighty

,

live

and

And they laboured on

rule,

Role as oar Lord and God, Rule as our Sovereign and King

On Coorg

is like

.'

smallest kingdoms one.

the N&ds 3re 35

But in our

He

Md for ever,

Though he now

In his

man

To

I

have

the ruler of the country

jamma land,

He

it

as a present.

For his money he

is

the wife to wear them

is all

our

a petition

For 3 goodly

now bought

Boleyas to be his servants,

and nourish

In a household without children

Vain

received

and costly garments,

to dress

have precious stones and jewels,

But where

offered

himself he pondered

rice

But no one

of reputation,

Mandanna the mighty hero.

When he

lived comfortably,

Constantly this one idea

I

In this Apparandra house

his labours.

mind was meditating

And within

Like a flower of paradisp,

Lived a

all

Mandanna the mighty hero,

'

Blooms the name of Apparandra.

procured for heavy money,

And completed

a string of pearls,

In this land they count 12 valleys,

And

his farm.

Bullocks too, his fields to plough,

the surface of the earth

Though of

:

toil

and trouble

Here on earth no joy

Without wile If a

is

perfect

to share the bliss.

tank is without water,

Has

it

And

a garden without flowers,

not been dug in vain ?

-,

?

WEDDING Has

not in vain heen planted

it

Who

would

£ONG.

?

While he thus was

like to eat cold rice,

Void of curds and void of suit

News

?

Chinnavva, a lovely maiden.

When

And one lovely Sunday morning, hen the

silvery

dew was

Took a meal, and dressed

To the

ancestors and

man

Slowly with his friend proceeded

sparkling,

To the

himself,

started

Where between

with

the

When

with

Poured

silver,

FJaced

bis friend.

oflf

Walked he

to seek

till

all

Wandered Till his

Asked him, saying

off,

Do you not Use

sitting

till

'

the walkiug-stick

If

my

dearest,

you will bring me

;

his face

Thought,

I'll

for

Then he did not

like the caltle';

Took again the

cattle right,

And began

Then the If the

were miserable

paddy land was good,

Then the

And

6elds

pasture ground was bad

if all these things

were good,

Then the maiden did not

please him.

day.'

and hands and

come

Mandanna, the wise and

he found the

it.'

'You shall have water

If he found the servants right,

If

more.'

and he replied

you come here ev'ry

Washed

If he found the house was right,

him

friend,

?

Mandanna now took the water,

suit his'mind.

suit

call for

I will,

She replied:

in ev'ry quarter,

then the servants would not

Why, my

Water as to-day you brought

Mandanna the mighty hero

But no house would

and then

Certainly

'

take any water

said,

If for ever

In his hand was growing shorter.

Sought a wife

it,

So she

in the scorching sun,

head was hot and giddy

Wandered

him

Then standing modest on the threshold,

wore

with

for

Fattam&da Chinnavva

country,

the Mandus,

Till his dress in holes

on a shining mat,

it

In the seat of the verandah.

a wife.

his soles

Pond'ring sat in

hilly

a jar of water,

in a silver pitcher,

it

And spread another mat

Thrones the lofty Kutta-male,

He went

down

she heard of their arrival,

Came and brought

woody mountains

WandVing through the

house, and there sat

the bench of the verandah.

Chinnavva, the lovely maiden,

;

the journey,

his stick adorned

And then

On

to call his Ar'va

To conduct him on Took

Gcd

he heard this information,

Mandanna, the mighty hero,

Joined his hands in adoration

Sent a

:—

In the Pattamdda house,,

our rooms be full of children.'

So he thought within himself,

"V\

sorely troubled,

arrived of consolation

In the N£Iku-n£d there lived,

Sons there must be in our houses,

And

235

Tell

me

She

replied

'

j

seat of honour,

"My

;

'And where

is

clever,

My pretty maiden,

now, where

To a meeting

feet

more to-morrow.

is

your father

father's gone

in the Mandu.'

your mother then

She's gone to the potters' village,

?'

V

INHABITANTS.

236 Where they 'And where

Spoke again to him the landlord

celebrate a wedding.' is

why you

Tell me,

your brother then?'

me

called

'He went down the Ghat to Kote

Then spoke Mandanna the

With

'I

his bullocks, to get salt.'

When To

his

an hour or two were spent)

Mandanna made

Bowed, and touched the old man's

When

feet.

an hour or two were spent,

Mandanna again

is

why

I call you

father.

Evermore with admiration

his obeisance,

To her house returned

clever

have seen your lovely daughter,

That

house returned the father.

;

father ?'

You behold the

stately palm-tree

It a tree is poor

and crippled,

You

the mother.

Then the

saluted.

'I

upon

forget to look

it.'

father spoke again

you have the daughter,

will let

When

an hour or two were spent,

Give a pledge that you

To

house returned the brother.

'Shake then hands with me' said joyful

his

Mandanna made

his obeisance.

Alanianna 'and as a pledge

Then they had some conversation,

Take from

Talked about their friends and kindred. Last they asked

him

Will you please to

Why He

let

you undertook

replied

'My

;

us

this

know journey

V

Women

'AH the

to

sold,

Where the beauteous brazen lamp

From the

were

ceiling is suspended,

Aruvas and near

give in marriage.'—

bullocks, they

In July,'

with provisions

For the merry wedding feast.

that there lives

want

him

sn ept the house and chambers,

Filled the store-rcoms

In the house a lovely maiden,

Whom you

assist

In the wedding ceremony

I have heard that in this house

And moreover

this piece of money.'

For his Ar'va to

dearest father,

There are bullocks to be

me

After this the father sent

'Dearest cousin,

;

will take her.'

Came

sold

relations

together from both houses,

Stood and settled the engagement

replied the father,

And the lucky day

of weddin.

'And the daughter too has gone,

Whereupon the happy bridegroom Inthe

month

of

May

Then gave Mandanna 'Those that went,

Give

me

her

who

let still

she this

left us.'

his bride

As a

pledge,

Was

the wedding celebrated.

answer:

and eight days after

them be happy, remains.'

In the afternoon, the bridegroom

strangers, abundance of rice,

of the bride and bridegroom,

pork and

The

the bridegroom's party

;

conducted by his party in pro-

spirits.

two rows opposite each

bride's party, the *

is

provided for the

Dinner over, the parties

each consisting of the representatives of

their respective villages, stand in

between them.

is

There a new feast

cession to the house of the hride.

is lit

a golden necklace

Gave

Do you

Amva

other.

A

lamp

being spokesman, ask

give tp our daughter, house

and yard,

237

COOEG WEDDINGS.

and jungle, gold and

field

pebbles into the hand of the bride,

little

of her garment, in token

band's home.

The

upon a

A

He

This question

silver?'

When

is thrice put.

answered in the affirmative, the bridegroom's Aruva delivers three

it is

stool.

of her right to

who

them

binds

The bridegroom

now brought

is

strews some grains of rice upon her head, gives her a

and makes her a present of some

drink,

He

is

the

same manner.

and seated

bride is then conducted into the kitchen

light is kindled.

hem

into the

the property of her future hus-

little

in.

milk to

a rupee or a rupee.

coin, half

succeeded by his parents and relatives, who [salute the bride in After this welcome, given by the whole family to

new member, the bridegroom takes the hand of his bride, and leads her into the outer room of the house. Thus

the

bids her

rise,

the daughter

bids farewell to the house of her birth and renounces all her claims upon

the family and

property of her parents.

returns to the bridegroom's house.

Upon

the wedding party

this

Then

Again the guests are feasted.

the Aruva of the husband conducts bride and bridegroom into their

own

room, and dismisses the party. After arrive at

or nine, or

eleven days the bride's relatives

house of the newly married couple, and carry the bride

Oa

with them. unclean,

or seven,

five,

the

her return

to

her former home, she

her dress and ornaments are taken from her

mitted to touch anything in the house, and childbirth.

In

this

is

treated as

she

is

is

not per-

woman

shut up like a

is

young woman

seclusion the

;

after

kept for a fortnight,

or a month, or even two months, according to the wealth and respectability of

to her

From

the family.

that time she becomes free.

new home, and may now return on a

whenever she

likes,

visit to

She goes back

her mother's house

without fear of molestation.

In Kiggatnad the Coorgs have conformed in some measure to

Badaga (Canarese) customs. bride's house guests.

house,

There the new couple

and are both of them welcomed by the

Then the same ceremony

is

in

and other

But the true Coorg

whither the party repair in company.

is

relatives

in the

gone through in the bridegroom's

are strictly observed in Coorg proper, or the

land country. For Kiggatnad

meet

first

Mendalenad,

many more

respects,

i.

e.

rites

the high-

than geogra-

phical position only, below Mendalenad. It

has been asserted, both by Lieutenant Connor and Dr. Moegling,

that the married

life

of the Coorgs is

disfigured

and pernicious system of polyandry, or rather

by the extraordinary

communism

of

women

in

238

INHABITANTS.

one house.

Wilks

Also Col.

" perfectly true," a similar the

Coorgs, which

given in the historical

is

as

History of Mysore asserts

his

in

statement contained in Tippu's address to

examination of the matter. Mr. Richter states the custom in bygone ages, there the Coorgs as a " national

'

Upon a

part.

careful

Whatever may have been

no such thing now practised amongst

is

That a people without the restraint of religious principles and enlivened by

rite."

a morality based upon pure and holy divine grace, should

live together

exposed to great temptations without

occasionally falling into grievous sin,

nature

;

there

may

an alleged practice

still

solitary intances, as

as well regard

life

too

much

to expect

vogue

in

;

from

fallen

but we are not at liberty to record those

an established system or even custom

Hindus might

;

the disclosures of our divorce courts as the normal state

of European matrimony.

married

is

even be in some benighted, out-of-the-way places such

of the

Whilst thus vindicating the honor

Coorgs,

I

would not

flatter their pride

;

of the

but rather

induce them to render and to maintain their family hearths pure and

honourable

withal,

and

to infuse

a better

also

feasts, those popular schools of morality,

spirit into

from which

all foul

public

their

and indecent

ribaldry should be banished for ever.'

Polygamy curs,

and

male

issue.

is

chiefly

but

in cases where the first marriage

is

not blessed with

happens that a young widow

is

taken to wife by

It also

member

another

not prohibited amongst the Coorgs,

either part,

of the

same house, but

and the woman

this is

it

seldom oc-

a voluntary engagement on

loses all claim to her first husband's property,

being now the wife of another.

The odd expression Sirkar wives the Rajas, who, all the

to

men and

when

refers to a tyrannical practice of

women

to a state of slavery,

work on the Sirkar farms or Panyas.

plied for

a Coorg house, exterminated

severely punishing

reduced the

Any low

making them

caste fellow

who

ap-

a wife to the Raja, might then obtain one of these poor creatures,

and such marriages may account some appearance of many a low

for

the comparatively fair and hand-

caste native of Coorg.

Divorce on account of unfaithfulness

is

a recognised institution, and

solemnly carried out by the

Aruvas of the unhappy couple and by the

Takkas

children remain in the

of

the village.

mother returns with

The all

her belongings to

father's house, the

the house of her parents.

Should a reconciliation take place, the husband of a restored wife looked down upon with contempt.

munism

of

No

refutation of the alleged

women' could be stronger than these

facts.

'

is

com-

239

CHILDBIRTH.

—

CMldbirth. The birth of a child renders not only the mother of new born babe but the whole house unclean, and every one who may come in contact with them. This ceremonial uncleanness (sutcika) the

lasts for seven days,

for

The mother

be the babe male or female.

confined

is

two months to the house and not expected to engage in any work, but

to recover her strength

and to devote herself

singular custom no doubt

and vigour

greatly contributes to the general good health

Coorg women.

of the

This

entirely to her child.

much

Daughters are not

valued.

They must be brought up and yet are destined to be entirely alienated from the house by their marriage. Boys are the stay of families. As soon as a Coorg boy plant, with little

is

born, a

an arrow, made of a

little

same

leafstalk of the

plant, is put into his

He

hands, and a gun fired at the same time in the yard.

at taking his

man and On

first

warrior.

and ceases

to

the

1

many

This ceremony, however, has almost

2th day after birth, the child

of the village-green)

cradle,

any fashionable it

its

meaning,

and

well- sounding

for

;

laid

is

in the cradle

significant

name, which

in

thus for boys

Mandanna

(gold-father),

girls— Puvakka

:

by the

(the brother,

(flower-sister),

Muttakka

Chinnavva (gold-mother).

for* swinging,

sleeps in

lost

this occasion gives the

Belliappa (silver-father), Ponnappa

The

thus,

be generally observed.

instances is both

(pearl-sister),

is

breath, introduced into the world as a future hunts-

mother or grandmother, who on

up

bow, made of a stick of the castor-oil

woven

of slit

requires

bamboos and cane, and

but a

little

trimming

berceaunette, at all events

the

to

little

fitted to

render

it

Kodagu

be hung

as

tidy as

smiles and

as happy as a prince, while his mother bends over her dar-

ling with overflowing love

and happiness and hums the Coorg lullaby

Juwa, juwa, baby dear the baby's mother comes, She will give her darling milk. !

When

Jiiwa, juwa, baby dear!

"When the baby's father comes, He will bring you cocoanut

Juwa, juwa, baby dear

!

When the baby's brother comes, He will bring a little bird: Juwa, juwa, baby dear

When She

the baby's sister comes,

will bring a dish of rice

;

240

INHABITANTS.

Death and funeral ceremonies.

The corpse

for seven days.

the young

buried

who

die

—A

case of death defiles the house

The bodies

either burnt or buried.

is

of

under 16 years of age, and those of women, are

those of other persons, especially of old people, are burnt.

;

On

member

the death of a

of a Coorg family, messengers are des-

patched to every house of the village community.

As

service

on the occasion.

rection

of the

wedding,

at a

each house must send at least one male and one female

member

to do

The Arava of the family has again the Under

ceremonies.

superintendence the corpse

his

diis

washed and dressed by the men who have followed the funeral summons,

man, but

the deceased is a

if

a woman, by the women.

if

remark-

It is

able that the Coorgs see no defilement in the handling of a corpse by the

funeral party.

It is

enough

them

for

to bathe

and to change clothes on

their return home.

The preparations ended, the body

carried into the middle a-

is

partment (nadu mane) of the house, and laid upon a funeral bed, near to

winch a lighted lamp

afford

it

burn on

this occasion clarified cow's

nut placed on a handful of

a copper

rice in

gather round and break out into

much

tearing the hair, fired in

piece of

in the

honour of the dead.

the yard, a

little

money

Instead of

placed.

is

water

is

butter in half a cocoa

dish.

The whole company

loud wailing, beating the

Hindu

usual

poured into

mouth by the

its

milk, saffron, rice and well water.

Each

Now

is

lays a piece of money

the expenses of the

in the plate.

After

funeral.

last leave of the departed,

brought into

little

and a cocoa

carried to the

the body

all is

present

have thus taken their

deprived of the ornaments, and

upon the

are thrown upon

and now the covering

pile,

a drop or two,

This collection goes to defray

laid in the grave or it,

also

funeral guest approaches, dips his finger

into the copper dish, moistens the lips of the corpse with

and

is

relatives,

containing a

the body

breast,

Guns are

style.

Towards evening the corpse

deposited in a copper dish,

burial or burning ground.

who can

those

oil,

the contents of the funeral-lamp-dish of the grave, or the

burning

of the pile, concludes the ceremony.

Before this last scene, however, some relatives must be set apart for is

funeral observances until the

thili,

the great ceremonial day, which

sometimes celebrated on the 28th day after the death of a person,

at the

end of the lunar month

in

i.

e.

which the decease has occurred, some-

times later, as late as six months,

when

peculiar

honour

is

intended

241

FUNERAL SONG. to be done

la the interval, the relatives who offer

the departed.

to

themselves for this service have to undergo a certain course of fasting.

They forego the

and the second meal

early

At noon they bathe, prepare

their

pickled vegetable), eat part of

little

the crows, which consume

and nine

at six

(consisting of rice

When

rites,

arrives,

the

and a

the great

thiti,

the whole

o'clock.

the rest to

themselves and give

it

for the dead.

it

day of the conclusion of funeral munity

own food

village

com-

again invited to a least in honour of the departed and for the

is

and thus

quiet of his soul,

is

the last end of a Coorgs earthly course

celebrated.

The Coorg

funeral song

chord in every sorrowing heart Woe my !

Woe is me Gone with

Oh how !

father,

Woe! thy Of the All

And no

now

Even thus hath God Almighty

concluded;

man comes

But to

die

When And

die,

living.

into being

Oh how !

roll

the years

Break the

Woe

!

!

flight in air,

the string of choicest pearls children's necks adorned,

Is for

ever burst and scattered

Woe

the clear and brilliant mirror,

!

I

Dashed out of our very hands, Is fallen to the

Woe!

A

ground and broken!

the wrath of

God Almighty,

flood of fiery indignation,

Beating on the lofty mountain,

Hath swept

its

summit

on

set

fire,

fruitful plantain trees

In the garden round our house,

;

So brief was thy career on earth.

Which our

is

father, is this house

As the raging storms in June

soon were thine concluded

Swift as the eagle's

the grass

hot and burning,

is

Desolated by thy death

exempted from this doom.

Onward, onward

the sun

Thus,

not one of us

;

Tumbe male

In the sultry days of summer,

now consumed

among the

Suddenly cut off thy days. Like the top of

further portion granted.

to stay

Truly

Is

days are

and touches a kindred

Slaying all the valiant men,

I

father

thy wish was not to

Alas,

But

my

share the Lord assigned thee fully

is

I live

pathetic,

Breaking into peaceful houses,

!

thy soul of virtue

all

can

most

:

Like the enemies at night,

thou art gone

for ever gone

1

is

to the ground!

Thus wast thou cut

When

logs of

house

When the AH

1

the floods destroy the storehouse

Where the All the

father

off,

is

wood are

stacked,

in distress

meeting-hall

ruined,

is

the villagers lament:

If the temple is destroyed,

All the land

Thus

is

is full

of sorrow.

our house in dire distress

By thy sudden

death,

father!

As they quench the shining flame

Of the beauteous golden lamp,

Thus baft God cut short thy

life!

31*

242 Ai the

INHABITANTS. banyan tree

stately

In the lofty mountain

Which Is

To the

forest,

Thou

the axe has never touched,

courts around the house.

Oh my I

like the bright and shining leaf

with costly timber.

didst build the solid gate,

And the

uprooted by the whirlwind

Of the

roof,

father

;

yesterday

Fallen on the bed of sickness,

royal sampig.',

And

to-dny before the feet

Broken from the stem and withered

Of the Lord of earth and heaven.

Thus wast thou cut

On the morrow,

In the days of

father!

off,

life,

thy hand

Made

provision for our house,

Thou

didst plant our smiling fields,

Thou

didst lay the corner-stone,

Thou

slialt

Coorg

Woe my

festivals.

two great annual

—The

feast in Tula

masa

November or December.

ally at the first

Kdveri feast.

and men

towards the end

the time of the sun's

e.

and the Uuttari or Harvest

;

festival is

May and ;

observed

all

in August, gener-

over the monsoon clouds.

A

is

of Coorg.

—About the middle The

the grand festival of Kaveri.

of October all Coorg prepares

sun

has gained

few passing showers only

may

still

be ex-

with rich paddy approaching

rice valleys are clothed

for

the ascendancy

ma-

the forests and grass hills are resplendent with the freshness and

beauty of spring. to Tala-Kaveri.

Every Coorg house

sends one or two representatives

Also pilgrims from Malayalam, Tuluva and Mysore re-

pair to the sacred place by thousands.

Brahmani widows

the

The

break in the monsoon, the Kailmurta or festival of arms,

celebrated by the youths

The

i.

The Bhagavati

over Coorg before the monsoon, in April and

;

for ever

Coorgs are not numerous.

festivals of the

entering into the sign of Libra in October

pected.

thou art gone!

gone

festivals take place in quick succession,

—the Kdveri

turity

father,

father,

safely rear

of the year

feast in

the sun

sink into the grave.

Woe! my !

And our homestead

like

Setting in the cloudy sky,

— sad

figures,

ment, one end of which covers the

Distinguished amongst these are clothed in a reddish

shorn head.

brown gar-

A bundle under one

arm, they trudge along supported by a stick; perhaps they come by their

own impulse, perhaps The nearer the

in the

name and for

the benefit of some sick relation.

pilgrims approach the end of their journey, the

more

quent and the more numerous are the festive caravans of men,

and children

in holiday costume,

the shady banks of streams, hills.

who now

now proceed

rest

in

in picturesque

gay

defiles over

fre-

women

groups on the grassy

243

KAVERI FEAST.

With

tbe last ascent of

Tala-Kaveri

hill,

a small elevation near the foot of the

the view of the upper basin of the Kaveri valley, which

rather wide and flanked by steep

hills,

suddenly bursts upon the view.

The Bhagamandala temple with its copper

roof is conspicuous in the middle

is

A

of the valley and close to the Kaveri.

changed into a busy mart. the

humming

it

are

fro,

and

noise of the multitude sounds like the distant surf of the

Hundreds are engaged

ocean.

few rows of houses near

Thousands of people move to and

'

in bathing in the sacred

stream before

they enter the temple, which forms a large square with an open centre, like a

Coorg house.

Along the road, pedlars are squatted behind their Mendicant san-

paltry wares, which are spread under a flimsy awning.

with hollow sounding conch and brass gong in hand, push, blowing

yasis,

and .

ringing, through the

arrivals descend

from

all

Hourly the multitude increases

crowd.

the neighbouring

;

new

mountain pathways into the

valley.

Hundreds of people have already proceeded source, in order to build for themselves

ering booths

against the cold

damp

paddy-fields, through steep jungle,

sacred spot.

As they ascend,

and the echo

is

there

is

night

to

reach the Kaveri

their expected friends sheltair:

A pathway

and over rocky mountain

they shout

'

Narayana

taken up by succeeding caravans.

!

leads

over

ridges, to the

Narayana

!

Near the summit

an overhanging rock, called Bhima kallu, which forms a sheltering

abode for some fakirs during the is

and

festive season.

is built.

From

this reservoir the

The source

of the river

which a small shrine of granite slabs

enclosed by a stone basin, over

tank of

pure water percolates into a

about 30 feet square, which by an outlet keeps the water to a level of

2\

feet.

hill side,

On two

sides there are rough stone

and above the

third terrace, on a

square temple dedicated

to Ganapati,

abode of the resident Brahman

At the moment,

as fixed

clip

terraces, scooped out of the

of the

hill,

there

pujari.

by the astrologer, of the sun's entering

the sign of Libra, whether by day or by night, the pilgrim who to experience the full

the holy tank.

is

With the approach

anxious

of the hour

an ever-increasing mul-

moment.

the priest gives the sign, and the living throng, old and young,

and women, rush

into

power of the sin-cleansing bath, must descend into

titude surround the tank, impatiently waiting for the propitious

Now

a small

is

with a few huts close by for the

in wild confusion into the water,

men

duck three times and

drink as often of the water, and, on emerging, offer a small gift to the

INHABITANTS.

244 priests,

who

sit

fill

it

most

Before leaving,

of the

for the benefit of their

and for purifying their

relatives

From 8,000

may

15,000 pilgrims

to

annually

wells.

with decreasing

The effectual bathing season lasts for a whole month, but virtue.

pilgrims

with water from the sacred spring, and carry

a hollow reed {watte)

home

some pure

near the shrine, receive the money and pour

water over the devotee's head.

Tala-Kaveri,

visit

but the interest in the place seems to be on the decrease.

The presiding

Brahmans have secured some jungle for coffee cultivation in the neighbourhood of the temple, and the Coorgs complain that the priests take greater care of their coffee gardens than of their religious duties, for not

long ago some valuable portions of the Tala-Kaveri shrine were stolen.

The Kaveri day remain at home, and

is

celebrated also in the Coorg houses by those

is

considered as a high holiday.

mistress of the house early

leaves

takes a brass dish, throws into it

over the whole plate, puts a

use,

the centre.

into

common

Then a red handkerchief

added.

To is

is

tripod,

the tripod the

lamp, cloth and jewel.

woman

Upon

The mistress

is laid.

own person on

per-

the occasion, which

is

spread on the ground,

is

table, placed

upon

sets the brass plate, with the

rice,

which serves the Coorgs

Upon

the mat.

young cucumber

placed behind the lamp.

Then a good mat

considered the luckiest choice.

and a

surrounded with flowers

these a fresh

the handkerchief some jewel of gold or silver

haps takes the necklace from her

and having spread

rice,

lamp, which has been in daily

The burning lamp

gathered from a garden or the jungle. is

goes to the cooking-room,

her bed,

a handful of

it

who

Before sunrise, the

for

a dinner

This done, she proceeds to bake

little

cakes from

a dough of rice-flour and plantains, well kneaded together on the preceding night,

upon a stone mould well heated,

Three of these

little

They

instantly, go

cakes

are added to the contents of the plate.

She then

calls the

inmates of the house.

straight into the kitchen, ration.

One

them down

bamboo

of the

fold their

all rise

hands before the

tripod, as in ado-

takes three or five of the fresh cakes and carries

to the rice-fields.

sticks which

crowned with a is

men

and

There he puts the cakes upon one of the

have been placed in every

bundle of kaibala creepers.

chosen for this offering.

field

The

on the preceding day,

field

next to the house

When the cakes are duly laid upon man gives three loud shouts and

of the creeper-crowned pole, the to the

house.

It is

now about

gathered up by the Holeyas who

five o'clock. live in the

the top returns

(The cakes are afterwards neighbourhood.)

245

HUTTARI FEAST.

On

man

the return of the

from the

field,

the whole family

and eat the cakes prepared by the mistress and other females morning entrance into the cooking and dining-room.

When

consumed, the ceremony of the Kaveri day

But

some one knows how recites the

;

the cakes are

where

in houses

he now takes the Govina-pada book and

to read,

Song of the Cow, the

kept as a holiday

over.

is

down

sit

after their

nobody

is

of the

Lay

The day

rest of the family listening.

But there

expected to work.

is

is

no further

ceremony.

The substance

of the

Cow

is

when a

of cattle were grazing in the forest,

as follows

:

— A large herd and

royal tiger appeared,

in

a

few moments by three or four leaps threw himself into the midst of the poor peaceful animals.

The whole

pair in all directions.

One cow only stood

and said

:

You

will

to

still,

commit

it

and devour me.

kill

moments' leave to go after

and

affrighted,

The cow, however, made bold

savage beast. '

herd,

to the

my

poor

calf,

Do

to let

it

off in

wild des-

speak to her destroyer, it.

But give

me

a few

drink for the last time,

care of kind friends before I

moved by the speech

astonished and

to

ran

and was seized by the

The

die.'

of his victim, causes the

tiger,

cow

to

swear that after performing this last duty she will return and deliver herself to her hungry

Having found

it,

She swears and goes to seek

master.

she gives

to drink,

it

and then commits

her friends, entreating them to allow

own

calves, not to kick

their horns against

it

when

when

to share their

her

comes in

front.

milk with their to turn

Having sworn, she would

She therefore returns

rather die than break her word.

calf.

to the care of

comes from behind to drink, nor

it

it

it

it

to the tiger,

and

begs his pardon for having detained him so long and increased his hunger.

But the

tiger, in

remorse.

the presence of such truth and goodness,

is

seized with

His heinous sins rise up before his mind in dreadful array.

slayer of a thousand cows sinks under the burden of his wickedness. I killed this pattern of righteousness,

says to himself.

He

declares to the

my sins

down dead before the good cow. sisting of

feast.

nual rice harvest.

The

rice,

is

If

leap high into the the Coorg

Lay

in safety to

air,

and

falls

of the Cow, con-

one hundred and odd verses.

Hultari

new

— Such

'

could never be forgiven,' he

cow that she may return

her calf and her herd, takes a desperate

The

— The

Huttari

The name

is

feast; is

held in honour of the an-

derived from the

Malayalam

by the rules of Coorg grammar transformed

festival occurs

pudi-ari,

into Huttari.

under the sign Scorpio, which succeeds Libra.

The

246

INHABITANTS.

day of the Coorg

Coorg, because

Malayalam

festival

of the

festival

Malayalam

tho

coast ripens two

First-fruits is

upon the

fall

held on the

months

November

to our

The Huttari of the Coleyas.

is

;

latter

month, and so

our September— October, Vrishchika

to

— December.

the great national festival of the Coorgs, as well as

It is as

The

of Saturnalia.

day of the

first

be on the second day of the former month, the

festival

Simha masa corresponds

masa

If the

earlier.

day of Vrishchika-masa

first

Coorg holidays commence on the second day of the on.

sign

takes place two months before that of

the rice on the

Simha-masa, that of Coorg if

of the new-rice festival under the

celebration

The Malayalam

Leo.

depends upon the date fixed by the Malayalam

festival

astrologers for the

were a heathenish Christmas season, or a sort

it

holidays are only seven in number, but both

real

Coorgs and Holeyas, who stand in an ancient and intimate relation

to

each other, generally add two or three more days of feasting and merry-

making

to the

great week.

On

a Coorg kitchen on

ciate in

well as on the great

Nor could they

offi-

;

and

it

appears that the

very well without them.

Six days before the

of tasting

chief festival

the

new

rice, all

males, from six to sixty years of age, assemble on one of the

Mandu

the Grama, after sunset.

which business

well

Kaveri day, or preside over the pork-and-

brandy feasts in the merry days of the Huttari people can do

as

this occasion,

Kaveri day, Brahmans are in no way wanted.

is

is

name

the

transacted or festive

the

Mandus

of

of the open public place in

games carried

Gramas have

on.

generally three Mandus, one called the Panchayati-mandu for business

;

a second, Devara-mandu, on which dances are performed in the name of Bhagavati during the after -Huttari days

Mandu

;

a

third,

The time

at

(i.

which these national games and dances are held

after ten o'clock.

sunset

till

except

little

The whole male population

men past

boys and old

sixty,

e.

assembly little

is full,

a space

distance

is

marked out

the

—

sit

near a

fire

ing themselves and their instruments.

The drums are a pare smaller

size).

(large

is

from

Giima,

o'clock.

The

When

the

for the performances of the party.

a band of musicians

two Meda drummers

of the

have religiously to attend.

assembly gathers gradually between six and seven

At a

Uru-mandu

of the village) on which the Huttari performances take place.

—two Holeya horn-blowers and

which they have kindled for warm-

The horns are

drum) and a

large

JcudiJce-pare

and of

(pot-drum

brass. of.

a

247

HtTTTAKI FEAST.

men

Coorg

1 hree

aloud three names

Ayappa

:

and

step into the centre of the open space, !

Mahadeva

Bhagavati

!

The men

!

call

stand

in a triangle, their faces towards the centre, their backs towards the

Ayappa

company.

is

the Coorg forest-god

;

Mahadeva, the Siva of the

Hindus, and Bhagavati his wife.

The

sembly takes part in

A

scene.

of rope

peg

the

it,

moon shedding a

it

by a loose

circle

i,

The people who make this rope. A piece

the peg at a

piece

this pre-

of wood,

six of these balls in

distance of the rope's length, the seventh

The whole company now endeavour

deposited close by the peg.

without being touched by their guardian.

off the balls

A

cut into seven parts, which are called

is

The man holding the rope puts

balls.

e.

round

loop.

round, and tries to touch some one of the aggressors.

If

is

to pick

The player

in the

centre, always keeping the rope's end in one hand, turns round

and

he succeed, the

person touched must take his place and the play recommences. six balls

as-

bright silver light on the

some one who must hold

seize

generally of a creeper called odi,

a

The whole

follows.

driven into the centre of the chosen ground.

is

fastened to

is

paration,

chandu,

now

chandu-lmtti, or ball-and-peg play,

When

are abstracted, the seventh must be moved to the distance of

When

one foot from the peg.

this also

is lost,

man

the

has to run

through the whole crowd, and escape without being caught to the musicians' place.

If

If

finished.

man, an

he reach

this

asylum in

he be caught on his way, he

officer of

the play-court,

along angare stick— a large

safety, the

who has been nettle

fierce

His hands and feet are well touched with

The assembly next perform

play

in his hand, for

it,

won and

waiting all the time with

—

different

is

brought before the nettle-

is

and the play

the victim.

ends.

kinds of plays and

dances,

which one generation learns from another in the moonlight nights of the Huttari.

These appear to represent the wars which in ancient times

were waged between people of all

manner of jokes and

more

different districts,

buffoonery.

and are accompanied with

The broader the humour the

it is relished.

The company form

into two lines standing opposite each other, which

advance and recede three times, keeping time to the slow-paced dance with a peculiar kind of shouting.

He

party. is held,

ed by

is laid

A wounded man

on the ground, surrounded by

and a deputation of two men

the opposite party, to fetch

is

is in

camp

the

his friends

;

of one

consultation

sent to the hostile nad, represent-

a famous doctor.

They

arrive at the

248

INHABITANTS.

enemy's camp,

round the enemy's

who they

are,

own

own camp.

manner

numbers of

district telling

They go

of tricks.

stories before they confess

At

renowned doctor in triumph upon a long pole to

The physician now

and prescribes

style,

all

abusing their neighbour clan and being abused in turn.

last they carry off the

their

shout and play

call out,

in turn plays the buffoon in his

sorts of remedies, but the poor

all

wounded

warrior derives no benefit.

The dance

again resumed and then the same performance

is

through by the other

side,

who pay back with

gone

One

of the

wounded men has

sent to the opposite

camp

to give, notice of the

Both parties next seat themselves.

Two messengers are Coorg wit

funeral.

is

strained to the utmost.

The

invitation but in vain.

of demoniacal possession battle.

is

and play-

which they have received.

ful abuse

died.

interest the jokes

is

Three times they give the

acted.

A

and triumph.

opposite party sing

Then follows a shouting of the

scene

fiercest

This suddenly ceases, and the funeral procession issues from one

camp with lamentations and mourning, their victory with a joyful dance

while the other side celebrate

accompanied with music and clapping of

hands, in which before long the whole company unite.

The

parties again separate, and being seated, two speakers rise

each side and seek to outdo one another in incredible

day a

the other says one:

hare

little

"Did you?

replies the other,

and

I

saw a

Dances

sticks keeping time with the

and

buffalo

follow,

accompanied by the beating of

music of the band outside.

agility are

neck"

its

over the mountains,"

flying

Three men invoke again Ayappa, Ma-

so on.

hadeva and Bhagavati.

nastic strength

attacking a tiger and breaking

on

" I saw

stories.

Feats of gym-

next performed, and another invocation of

the three deities concludes the performance.

The seventh in the morning, religiosa),

or great

day of the Huttari

before dawn,

kumhali and

M;u

falls

on the

full

(wild trees),

some hundred of each

houses, together with a piece of a creeper called inyoli, and

bark called achchi, are collected use of the evening.

moon. Early

a quantity of leaves of the asvafha

and deposited

During the day, the house

in a is

(ficus

for great

some

fibrous

shady place for the

cleansed, brass vessels

are scoured, and every thing wears the appearance of a great holiday.

Beggars come and are dismissed with presents. The tari basket, the potter the little Huttari pot, the

Meda brings the Hut-

blacksmith a new

the carpenter a new spoon, the Holeya a new mat.

Each

sickle,

carries off bis

249

HUTTAEI FEAST.

The

Huttari portion of rice and plantains.

municate the exact time of the Huttari bounty.

The

full

menial servants have an extra

moon, and

allowance of rice

com.

share of the

claims his

washed and scrubbed

are

cattle

follows, to

astrologer

once

for

;

the

breakfast and dinner

;

are served to the family.

At sunset the whole house prepares is

whom

given to the person

The precedence

a hot bath.

the astrologer has chosen in the morning for

the ceremony of cutting the

he repairs to the threshing

for

first

On

sheaves.

from bathing,

his return

spreads the Huttari mat, and while the

floor,

rest are engaged in their ablutions cuts the inyoli creeper into small pieces, rolls each piece into three leaves

Jcambali

up the

and one of the

in the fashion of a native cheroot,

IceJou,

bundle with a

little

—one of the ashvatka, one of the and

ties

the bundles are

All

of achclii fibre.

bit

placed in the Huttari basket.

Now

women

the

take a large dish,

lamp

fields.

The dish with the lamp

in

it.

lows, with basket

strew

with

it

rice,

and place a

This done, the whole household march towards the

lighted

and

sickle in

is

carried in front

;

the sheaf-cutter fol-

one hand, and a bamboo bottle of fresh

Arrived at the chosen spot, the young

milk in the other.

man

binds one

of the leaf scrolls from his basket to a bush of rice, and pours milk into it.

He then

cuts

an armful of

rice close to

three stalks to every one present.

No

vessel of milk.

one must

then return to the threshing :

Deva rice,

'

(increase,

and fastened

God

!)

shouting as they

bundle of leaves

move on

:

adorned with a stalk of

is

to the

door of the house, where the mis-

meets them, washes the feet of the sheaf-cutter, and presents to

him, and after him to all the

rest,

a brass vessel

and sugar, from which each takes a draught. kitchen.

The Huttari mat

is

The young man disperse to bind roof, trees,

&c.

distributes the bundles to the

them

with milk, honey

They move

In the mean time he

sits

into the

which are added seven new

rice corns,

to

and

are placed on of the family,

and garden,

down

rice meal, plantains,

rice,

members

to every thing in house

dough, which consists of

filled

spread, the brass dish, the rice sheaf,

the basket with leaf scrolls, each with a stalk of

to

All

" Poli, poli,

to the post in the centre of the threshing floor.

The company next proceed tress

stalks are also put into the

touch the cutter of the first-fruits.

floor,

A

Some

r and distributes two o

it

it.

who

doors, stools,

knead the Huttari

milk and honey well mixed, seven pieces of cocoa nut,

seven small pebbles, seven pieces of dry ginger, seven

cardamom

seeds,

32*

250

INHABITANTS.

and seven corns

sesamum.

of

upon an ashvatha

leaf,

Every one receives a

and eats

sheaf-cutter mixes with the

little

of this

Thus ends the ceremony and the

it.

Supper follows, consisting of su-

company.

gared rice and sweet potatoes, into which a handful of new xice

and of a substantial common repast of rice and follow

now

curry.

is

thrown,

The Huttari chants

at every house during the night.

But the Coorgs have not yet done altogether with

their pleasant

Four after-Huttari days are added to the holy week.

festival.

dough

On

the

eighth day the Uru-kolu, the village stick-dance, collects the whole com-

The women

munity.

mandu, bals

of two or three houses repair together to

the Uru-

cym-

a pair leading and a second pair following, all four beating

and chanting ancient songs or impromptu

arrived at the place of meeting, they

down

sit

When

verses.

they have

in groups with the children,

and look at the dances performed by the men, who go through the evolutions of Coorg saltation, beating small

in each

from a group of Holeyas,

and that

rattans, of which they carry

hand, while they move to the time

of their

own

-stationed

people,

between the assembly of the Coorgs

who enjoy themselves,

in the

same fashion as

In the evening theatrical perform-

their masters, at a little distance.

ances begin.

Brahmans, Moplas, Woddas (tank diggers from

dikas (snake dancers), Jogis (represented by

little

Orissa),

s

till

next morning.

After dinner on the ninth day, the Nadu-kolu begins.

assembly of the whole

district.

Every thing

is

Ga-

boys) are the characters

These play through the village

usually exhibited.

one

of a music which proceeds

This

is

an

done as at the Uru-kolu,

only on a larger scale.

At these assemblies, while the monotonous

music plays and the large

circle of

dance, a couple of shield

and a long

men from

rattan,

step

dancers moves in the measured stick-

different

gramas,

from opposite

shout of defiance, and keeping time with

armed with a small

sides into the

ring with a

the music, they approach and

evade each other, swinging their rattans and dealing blows aimed at the legs,

and with

excited that

their shields warding their

sham

them

single-stick

off.

But often the players get so

combat ends in a mutual severe

flogging,

which has to be stopped by the spectators.

from the

different villages separate

At

five,

the parties

and go home.

In the afternoon of the tenth day, the Devara-kolu (stick-dance in

The entertainment

honor of Bhagavati) takes place in every

village.

the same as on the two preceding days.

Dinners are held at different

is

houses of appointment, and terminate on the eleventh day with a large

251

BHAGAVATI FEAST. public dinner, which

is

given on some open plain in the forest,

musicians, bards, drummers, Holeyas and

Medas

when the

unite their exertions to

give eclat to the festivity.

Bhagavati

Bhagavati originally

feast.

villages

festivals,

,

has been introduced by Tulu Brahmans, or

feast,

localities differ in

the time

if it

was

monsoon.

Two

of its celebration.

have one Bhagavati temple in common, and support

hold the livings

who wear no

entirely in charge of

;

Brahmans.

or three it jointly.

Tulu Brahmans

with them some Padardis, a lower class of Brahmans,

The

holy string, are associated as musicians to Bhagavati.

whole establishment

is

to collect

under the management of some Tantri Brahmans

who come every

in the Tulu country,

and

one, the

a Coorg observance, has been thoroughly brahmanized

These temples are

by the

two lesser annual

the

takes place during the two months preceding the

It

Different

idols

— Of

On

money.

eighth or tenth year to consecrate

these occasions large

sums are

offered

superstitious.

The Coorgs have an extraordinary dread of the power of these men. They say that if one of the Tantri Brahmans be offended and curse a man, he will lose

his sight or

hearing, or

even his

It is

life.

enough, they believe, for one of these masters of the black art to say to a

man

'

:

do you not

doomed

fellow is

less

or

to blindness or

common

appear that the

was

see?'

do you not hear?'

'

deafness,

and the poor

or even death.

worship of the great

The

poor Coorgs.

Tantris,

on one of

enslaved the

then* visits, will gather

or three hundred rupees from the money-loving Coorgs. idol of

Bhagavati has

lost its power,

some two

Sometimes

when they re-animate

Brahman, who has played the possessed on

the officiating days, has died.

The Tantri has

to appoint

vices are not performed gratuitously

year one half of the

;

by Bhagavati.

by the ruling Tantri.

Or

festival

These

his successor.

through a curate

Some Coorg also is chosen as a subject He likewise, and his successors, must be They

it.

ser-

the presiding Tantri receives every

profits of the establishment,

he leaves in charge. sion

would

degrading to the mind, and engendered a more cheerful kind

of superstition, than this wild sort of idolatry which has

an

It

gods of the country

are selected from a small

whom

for posses-

instituted

number of candi-

v

dates presented

by the community

connected with the temple.

The

Tantri takes one of the men, pronounces some mantra, and puts holy ashes

upon

his face,

when immediately the individual commences

to dan.ce and to speak as one possessed,

to shake an,d

INHABITANTS.

252 Every house of the

villages

connected with a temple must pay an

employed, and money

assessment in rice every year to the Brahmans

must be offered by last

every family,

day of the annual

The Bhagavati

from three annas to one rupee, on the

festival.

During the

lasts nine days.

feast

every morning and evening,

the idol

carried three times round the

is

temple in procession, while the Tantri curate, who in the place, performs puja, strewing rice thes

mixed

carqphylUfolia,

Tulu Brahmans

man

sion.

Many

and mumbling

placed towards the

officers

of the

One

his mantras. ;

he

is

of

the

accompanied by the

shrine, followed

by the band of

drum, cymbal and gong, and preceded by

Padardis, playing the

Coorg

and minced leaves of calyptan-

the idol on his head

carries

and the other

Pujari

the chief authority

is

together, on the stones

eight regions of the heavens,

days,

six

first

the

performing a frantic dance in the ecstasy of demoniac possespeople

come on these occasions

vati in behalf of sick persons, or

to put questions

for the discovery of thieves,

to

Bhaga-

&c, which

are duly answered by the Coorg spokesman of the goddess.

On

more excited

the evening of the sixth day things take a

aspect.

Now the Brahman idol-carrier also is seized with the strange inspiration. He dances and trembles, and answers questions by making signs only. On the same afternoon a crowd of Holeyas, who have finished the Pannangal-amma

(a corresponding Holeya festival)

feast

space before the temple,

many

of

them possessed by

which belong to the host of Pannangal-amma,

all

come to the open

devils of their own,

of

them jumping and

dancing and beating their drums and gongs in the most approved fashion.

Every one of them, man, woman and

child, carries

a long dry

bamboo-

These bamboos are piled up in front of the temple, like

stick.

muskets, and set

fire

to at night,

flames until the pile breaks and

towards the

falls to

considered a

east, it is

soldiers'

when the Holeyas dance round the the ground.

lucky omen.

If

the pile

fall

While these things

take place outside, the temple-yard resounds with the voices of Coorgs, singing

hymns in honor

through which the pierce

— a dismal scene

On temple,

of Bhagavati,

the seventh

and the wild notes of many drums,

words of the demoniac Coorg now and then

shrill !

day,

votive offerings

after the

morning circumambulation of the

are brought by the villagers of the parish.

In

each village the people collect at the house of some one who has vowed

a bullock-load of

rice

or cocoa nuts, and take their breakfast,

After

KilLMURTA FESTIVAL. breakfast, the whole

company proceed with the

and making music.

singing

253

The

gift

offering to the temple,

having been presented to the

the party return to the village, to carry another

temple in the same manner.

young

men

dance for some hours.

tertainment,

and

and

sit

old men,

o'clock the

Thus

all

the forenoon

the rest of the community, women,

He

The Brahman

pect, casts every piece

With the

Tantri.

The morning presents as

o'clock,

is

of the eighth day

day

At ten

the seventh

in

some nut

hits the

delivery of votive

o'clock dances are

is

tree

is

two) to the young men. it

Then one

One

out of his grasp.

o'clock the

men go

of the

number

Tak-

of cocoa-

an abundance, as every family must bring one or seizes a nut

between his hands, others try

In a few moments the whole ground

He who

idol-procession takes

it

away as his

place again,

with the idol to the river or the tank,

is filled

succeeds in forcing the

nut out of the hands of the original possessor, carries

At three

A

as a

rewarded with a present of three annas

with parties struggling for cocoa nuts.

the

two

till

between two plantain tops

kas, or the C'oorg dancer before Bhagavati, distributes a

to take

performed

This continues

day.

and the honor of the uame of a good marksman. nuts (of which there

concluded.

is

devoted to the

is

good shots assemble for shooting at a mark.

hung up

He who

mark.

as on

the

all

can,

given to him into a copper vessel held by the

on the preceding day.

when

cocoa nut

Whoever

head.

He, conscious enough in this res-

open hand.

setting sun the business of the

by the young men,

carrier of Bhagavati

hand during the strange

stretches out his

dance which he performs with the idol upon his into his

At four

and carried round the shrine* the whole

idol is taken out

money

the

children

girls,

round the temple-yard as admiring spectators.

possessed by the goddess.

puts some

Then

spent.

Music heightens the joy of the en-

assembly joining in the procession. is

to the

contribution is

priest,

after

prize.

which

to bathe tho

all

goddess

and themselves.

On

the ninth day one person appears at the temple, from each house

bearing the yearly money-contribution, which

The

collection being

made, the

of the temple are paid.

is

delivered to the Takkas.

salaries of the temple officers

Then the Brahmans

ner of pure vegetable dishes to their Coorg supporters, eating themselves,

dinner

is

Ihe,

and leaving the

rest

and servants

give a good orthodox dinfirst

to their friends.

of course

This temple

the last act in the Bhagavati festival.

Kqilmurta festival,—-The Kailmurta

festival is

a very

different

INHABITANTS.

254

Early in the month of Leo (July

altogether a Coorg business.

affair,

Takka of the grama calls some respectable men to accompany him to the house of the astrologer. They enquire of the wise August) the

man what

will

be the most propitious day for the celebration of the Kail-

murta. By the sage's answer the day of joy for the village youth

is fixed.

and transplanting of

rice are

Tho hard labours over, there is

a

of the ploughing, sowing

the monsoon,

lull in

clay spreads its bright light

and

forests

their fields

On

fields of

and houses

young men

of the

sit

down

spear,

bow and

some room or

in a corner.

now wait

All

is

and a show-offering

made

to

them as

to

As soon as

idols.

placed before the weapons, After the meal, the

athletic exercises.

muhurta,

dotted upon

ceremony sits

is

(nivedya)

mat

over, a

down

succeeds

in

TV hen the cocoa nut set

arm and

cutting through

carries away the palm.

up has been

hit,

some of the from the

On He

three plantain trees at one stroke,

and thrown, or

the head by such as are strong enough.

company

the keenness of their blades.

Then, round heavy stones,

for the purpose, are lifted

Uru

afternoon in shooting at a mark, and in

Plantain trees are next fixed up in the ground, three deep.

ground.

is

to dinner.

take their arms and proceed to the

these they try their strength of

On

is

practice jumping over a rope extended four or five feet

company

du

this

and the whole house

men

mandu or village-green to spend the

who

for the

and other food

of rice

knife.

When

At the right moment

burned before the weapons, sandalwood paste

in profusion,

is

to the centre hall, the

the propitious time assigned by the astrologer. is

sword and

arrow,-

to burnish the familiar weapons.

done, they are carried to

nadu mane, and there placed

them

valleys,

labour in

a holiday is now most welcome.

:

collected in

incense

and

at

the morning of the joyous day, the whole armoury of the house

Some is

hills

The people have long been

Coorg.

the verandah, gun and

this

and now and then a most lovely

and sunny warmth over the

When

placed on the

Man-

put, as in Scotland, over

the evening

is

set in, the

disperse.

the

following morning the youths assemble for a hunt in the

forest belonging to the village.

Of whatever game

is

brought down the

mail who has killed the animal receives a hind-quarter and the head, the rest belongs to the company.

the whole Nadu,

This day

Kailmurta, to the taste of young Coorg, festivals,

is

followed by a great hunt

a repetition of the village hunt is

the

on a larger

scale.

most glorious of

of

The

all the

.

255

VILLAGES, &C.

Urban Population. Villages, in the usual acceptation of the term, are found only in Yelu-

savira

and Nanjarajpatna

taluks: the

Coorg Proper are made up, not of a

so called villages

(grama)

group of houses joined into one

of

com-

munity, but of a number of detached vargas or farms surrounding one of the winding rice valleys, the homesteads being dotted about on the side of the hills or rising grounds which border the valleys.

Bearing this dis-

tinction in mind, the following table will serve to exhibit tion

:

the distribu-

256

CASTES.

Alphabetical •p.

Achala Paleyar Adike Kui.lija

215

Gauliga

'207

Gauriga

212, 213

Adiyar Agasa

206 211 Agas&le 202 Aimb-okkalar Ainnnokkalu 208, 209 Aiiis 202, 210 212 Ajjalapale Annua Eodaga 202,

227 205

A're

Balolikara Banajiga

208,

Baniya

Banna Bantar Baral

208,

Burya Bedar

206, 206,

Besta

237 210 209 206 207 211 209 208 211 208 208 208

Betar Betta Kuruba 202, 207, 214, 215 205 Bheri Bilimagga 208 Bilvar 202, 207, 214, 216. Bine Battaru 211, 212

208 208 216

Bopal Botar Botwas

Brahmans

204, 205,

218 214

Brinjaris

208 210 208 203, 217 210, 218

Chaliyar

Chappategara Chelekava Christians

Coorgs

202,

Darji

Dasa Banajiga Devadasis

Devanga Divans L'oiriba

206 206 208 208 207 211

207 Gatigadikara 208 Gaudas 202, 208, 209 Ganiga

206,

list

of Castes mentioned in this Chapter. p.

2 7

214 206, 207 208 205 207

Golla

Gugga Gujaiati

Quntis

Haghiya Haiga

206 204 Hajam 206, 207 Hal Kuruba 207 Hal Wokkal 208 Havika 204 Heggade 202, 208, 209 Hindus 204 Holeya 202, 212, 213 Hulisavar 212

p. 212 205 Kumari Mahratta Kumbara 206, 207 Kuruba 206, 207

Eukka

Eutuma

211

Labile

216

Ladar

205 214 204, 210

Lambani Lingayats

Madivalas

Mahrattm Maila Paleyar

208

Jada Jains Jaliya

203, 204, 210

Jambu Kutiga

208 211

Jangamas

210, 211 Jenu Euruta 202, 207 214, 215 Jingar 206 Joti Pana 207

Eabbara

206 Kadala 216 Kadu Kuruba 202, 207 214, 215 Kage Korama 214 Kakar 216 Kallu Kuttiga 208 Kambli Kuruba 207 Kaniyaru 211 Eapala 212, 213 Kavadi 208, 209 Kavare 206 Kerobatti 212 202, 218 Kolairi 208

Maleboyi

Male Eudiya Maleya Maniyani

'

211

217 208 216 202 212

Mamyara Miipile

Maples M4i mgi

Marks Marta Marula Marwadi Mayal

2ft)

212, 213

Meda

208 205 212 214

Mendicants

211

Mochi

206

Modali

206, 20S

Mogeru Moickuva

Muhammadans

206 206 203

216.

211

Nadavar

Koleya

21i>

Natva

208 205 206 227 206, 207

Kollar Koinati

210 205

Nayak

206

Nayina

208

Naymda

217 207 208, 217 206, 207 208

Konkani Korachar

Koramar Koyava Eshatriya

218 Eudiya

214 214 207 204, 205

Palli

Panehala 210 Paneyars 214, 215 Panika 211 Panjara Yerava 214

215

217

Parsis

206, 208

Nagarta

Naidu

Nambiaru

Nayir Neyiga

Nudiya Outeastes

205 205 205

Kaxhevar Rajapinde Rajaputs

206 208 211 208, 209 Eetti, Banajiga 206 Sikligara 210,211 Srnartas 204 Sri Vaishnavas 204 Stanikas 204 Sudras 204, 206, 218 Sukaligas 214 Sadar

Sale Satani Se"rvegara

210, 211

Tachayire

Telugu Banajiga 207 Temmale Eudiyas

206

207 Tiglar 206, 208 207 Tiyar 206 Toieya Tula Brahmans 204 206, 208

Uppu Eoramar

214 215

"Dru Euruba

208,

Va

204, 205

.

Vaniya Vaniya

Vavve

211 207 208

Waddar

206, 208 204 Wandering Tribes 214 214 Wild Tribes 204, Wokkaliga 206, 208 209

212

207 Padarti

216

Pin'dari

Upp4r

Muyairi

211

p.

212, 213 214, 215 206, 208

Pale Paleyars

Pille

212 204 213 206 205 215 211 206 207

Macial Madlivas Madige Holeyas

Male 206, 207

I'diga

Paddaru

211,212

Yedeyar Yerava

207 202, 214

RELIGION. The

essential features

easy,'

remarks the

of the Coorgs are anti-Brah-

of the religion

manical and consist of Ancestral and Revel. F. Kittel,

'

Demon

But

Worship.

'it is

not

to find out which of their superstitions

the Coorgs brought with them at the time of their immigration, and

which were imported afterwards. Maleyala, Tulu^Kannada, and

The Brahmans who

Their superstitions,

Brahmana

however, shew

elements.

are domiciled in Coorg have succeeded in in-

troducing Mahadeva and Subrahmanya (under in entirely Brahmanizing

the

the worship of the river

name

Iguttappa), in having

Kaveri,

temples erected and idols set up, in spreading puranic

tales,

and

in

They

usurping to some extent the puja at the places of Coorg worship.

have been greatly assisted by the Lingayats in these successful endeavours,

manage

especially

number

bring a

introduction

at of

demons

Mari-amma and

vows paid

to

of

Tulus

the Linga.

still

demons Maleyalas have made themselves demon and ancestor worship, and are also increasing

to smuggle in their

indispensable

the

in the

;

and Mysoreans, at certain times

;

carry

it

of the year,

through the country to have the people's

it.'*

Though

Coorg tradition has been supplanted by Brahmanism, and

what information one

is

able to obtain is in

most cases but a

faint

echo

of the legends of the Kaveri Purana or some other brahmanical imposition, there

is

one story free from this imputation, and

origin of

nical

The

some of the Coorg

fancy,

story

is

deities

who

it

throws light on the

are not the creations of brahma-

though their shrines are now presided over by Brahmans. given by the Revd. G. Richter, as taken from oral tradition,

and runs thus

:

In ancient times there lived in the Malabar country six brothers and

a

sister.

Five of them,

accompanied by their

went to Coorg by the Paditora ghat. of

them

said

say that she will spoil

her

• Ivd. Ant.

:

is

'

How

our wife/

caste.'

II,

is it

sister

Ponnangalatamma,

While they were on the road, four

that our sister comes with us ? the people will

The

When

fifth replied

:

'

If she

comes with

they came to the Chauripade

hill

us,

we

near the

47.

33*

258

RELIGION.

Kakabe river,

pare us some food.' said '

'I

:

will give

I will boil it

She replied

you

:

have neither

'I

rice,

but you must boil

fire,

but you must eat

without

Paradandra house, went and milked

the

full of rice,

tree,

went to the bank of the it

began

it

lire

without without

Pre-

'

:

Iguttappa

rice.'

She replied:

tire.'

To

salt.'

this the

milk

her, letting the

fall into

and while the brothers were sleeping in the shade of a

a pot

where

it

nor

seeing a cow, one belonging to

Then Ponnangalatamma,

brothers agreed.

said to his sister

Then Iguttappa

they felt hungry.

to boil.

river

and buried the

vessel in the sand,

Then she called her brothers to eat the rice which

she had prepared.

When up

they had eaten enough, Iguttappa took some

into the air,

and exclaimed:

Ponnangalatamma, angry a heavy blow on

'

See how the hail

at this, took

his back, said:

see whose betel

hands

their

is

to look at

were throwing

it

all

laughed at him. Afterwards, while

had

again,

lost

it,

Then they

all

:

'

Let us into

spat out the betel

which the brothers, pretending that they

after

again into their mouths and chewing, threw the betel be-

hind their heads.

mouth

the reddest.

it

and giving him

ladle,

they were sitting together and chewing betel, Palurappa said 1

threw

falling from the sky.'

See how the thunder breaks in the

'

monsoon/ Then the other brothers

is

up a wooden

rice,

The

sister,

deluded by

this,

threw her betel into her

They now said that by

and went on chewing.

so doing she

whom

her caste, and their brother in Malabar too, to

they ap-

pealed, confirmed their decision.

and wept

bitterly.

But

Iguttappa threw an arrow from the Iguttappa-betta and ordered his

sister

Ponnangalatamma was

to go with the arrow

excessively grieved,

and stay where

it

fell.

The arrow stuck

into

a mango tree at Ponnangala, in the village of Yawakkapadi, and Pon-

nangalatamma, assuming the shape of a crane, flew towards the

spot.

Near the Karatandra house some Holeyas were working in the paddy Ponnangalatamma flew upon one of them, who thereupon became fields. possessed,

and ran towards the

The brothers then separated tled,

tree in into

which the arrow was sticking.

different villages,

where they

and the whole family were afterwards worshipped as gods.

turappa has a temple at Baitur in Malabar, the second in in Malabar, the third in the

Maletarnbira forest in the

Coorg, the fourth on the Iguttappa in

Kuyangeri

hill

nacl; the sixth, Tirnalli

A temple was also

built for

near Kunjila,

Timmaya,

Bai-

Taliparambu

Joma-male

the fifth

at

at Tirnalli in the

Ponnangalatamma, round the

set-

tree

in

Palur

Wynad.

where the

ANCESTOR WOKSHTP. arrow had stuck. At her annual

and

is

seen sticking in the wild

Ponnangalatamma weeps,

feast, in April,

worshipped by the Holeyas.

mango

259

The arrow

is,

up to the present day,

tree.

Ancestor worship.— According to Coorg superstition, the their ancestors continue to

and are jealous

abide witb or occasionally

to be worshipped

female

The

a male ancestor

spirit of

chi or Sodalichi.

the living,

fields.

It is be-

are the most implacable in their revenge.

spirits

Karana

of

by them with due reverence, under pain

of sore troubles and calamities to house, cattle and lieved that

visit

spirits

is

called Karana, that of a female Karana-

also a

is

term commonly used to denote the

head of a family*

living

Ancestor worship occupies a very prominent place with the Coorgs.

For the use of the ghosts or

spirits

of their ancestors,

hover about the dwelling, a small building called

matta

room feet

is

erected near the house.

It is

which continue to

Kaymada

or Kai-

square and consists of but one

or sometiihes has only a niche, the basement being raised 5 or 6

Within these Kaymadas, to represent the an-

above the ground.

cestors, are placed silver plates

embossed with

rudely

figures,

copper

or bronze images male and female, or even a slab of stone with figures

sculptured on ver or

who cannot

Along with them are put sticks with

it.

common

knives and other articles, by

way

a Kaymada, make a

afford to build

silver heads, sil-

of memorial.

sort of

mud bank

Those for the

purpose, called Kota, under a tree in the fields where the family's

first

house stood.

On

occasions

when the

disturbed by troublesome rice or arrack,

they are appeased by offerings of milk,

which are placed in the niches in the wall of the house.

If the visitant is

supposed to be the

father) a fowl, or two

these not be

well-being of the Coorg house seems to be

spirits,

deemed

are decapitated at the

sufficiently effective,

profess to become possessed by one of the

he now

acts,

and he

is

Ajjappa (father or grand-

spirit of

a

spirits,

liberally treated with food

questions regarding the demands of the vexed

him

are called

A

Kaymada.

member

But should

of the house

may

as whose representative

and drink, and answers spirit.

The

gifts offered

Karana Barani.

ceremony of

still

greater importance

is

the Karana Kola or Spirit

in the Eannadsflanguage the expression Mrarepeatedly used in the sense of a person horn to fulfil a particular high destiny, or fated 1'hus Kama was the predestined victor over Havana, 'to accomplish some great work or purpose. the champion oftherikshasas.

* In the Pampa Rarrayana, an ancient Jain poem

na purusha is

RELIGION.

260

mask, performed in order to ascertain the particular wishes of the departed. It takes place

ternity of wizards,

after sunset,

people and

and

annually or biennially,

and

—Panika,

is

is

conducted by one of the fra-

The ceremony begins

Banna or Maleya.

performed in the house, in the presence of the house-

The personator

their neighbours.

of the spirit wears in suc-

Thus arrayed, he

cession a variety of masks, and buckles on a sword.

dances to the accompaniment of a drum, and as he sings of the deceased father, grandfather or other ancestor,

as is

its

mouthpiece.

To each

spirit

a

the spirit seizes him and he speaks sacrifice, also called

Karana Barani,

offered in the courtyard, consisting of a cocoa nut, fried rice, a cock and

a bottle of

liquor,

which latter the representative drinks to

for further exertions during the night.

fortify himself

The ceremony terminates with the

sacrifice of a pig fattened for the purpose.

Either the wizard, or a Coorg

whom he

points out, decapitates the pig in front of the Kaimatta, where

the head

is

placed for a few minutes, when

wizard, but the body of the pig

Where

is

it is

removed and given to the

cut up and eaten by the house people.

there happens to be no Kaimatta, the sacrifice

is

made

at the

Ka-

rana Ko(a.

A

peculiar kind of illumination

essential

is

to both performances.

placed on the ground in three

Plantain trees split into thin strips are

or four layers, crossing at right angles, and forming a kind of network, twenty-four, forty-eight or ninety-six such. strips of split plantain-stems

Where they

being used.

cross one another,

are driven through them into spikes,

spikes of a reed called wotte

At the upper end of these

the ground.

which are two or three feet high, pieces of cloth are fastened,

twisted into wicks and well moistened with

oil.

When

the whole net

is

thus arranged, two layers of strips are raised, one to near the top of the

a foot lower.

spikes, the other

leaf are placed,

Between the crossings, pieces of plantain

upon which quantities of

nut, jaggory, &c, are put.

wicks are lighted.

At the

When

rice,

plain

and

fried,

of areca

the ceremony begins, a few of the oiled

sacrifice

of the pig

whole square blazes up like a table of

fire,

all

are kindled, and the

without however consuming

the offerings placed on the leaves, which are the perquisite of the perfor-

mers.

When

females appear to be possessed, (karanachi) they do not give

any responses but

Demon pf

roll

Worship.

about on the ground speechless.

— As

if it

were not

some neglected and angry ancestral

sufficient to

spirit,

the

be in constant dread

life

of the superstitious

261

DEMON WOBSHIP. Coorg

is

rendered

still

more gloomy and wretched by the supposed

evil

male and female, called Kali,

influence of certain malignant demons, both

a word which occurs in Tamil and Tulu, and which means an

evil spirit-

Strange sounds or voices are some times heard by the knowing, sudden

has overtaken the house or

illness

cattle, or

of the mischief to have been a

fixed

periods

—

is

supposed not to

Should he declare the author

or astrologer are called into requisition.

must be performed.

a relative

In either case the services of the sly Kanya

have died a natural death.

then a Kuli-kola or

Kuli,

Demon-mask

As such performances, however, take place only

at

once a year at a place called Kutta, and at other places

once every second or third year

—the master of

the house

vows to have

the Kuli-kola duly performed at the appointed time, and as a pledge ties

some money

to

a

If the

he has

fulfilled his

ceremony should be

posed to have been carried

off

observances are the following

eats

spirit

sup-

:

vow.

for the release of

by a demon or Kuli

a departed

in the dying hour, the

—The performer who

who has secured the departed

spirit, is

begged to

resistance he throws a handful of rice on the

him, and with this action he gives the alights

and

rafter of the house, or even his dinner plate

off plantain leaves until

spirit

represents the

members

demon

After

let it go.

some

of the house near

over to them. The spirit then

on the back of one of these members of the family, who at once

falls into

and

a swoon,

is

carried by others into the house.

return to consciousness, the

spirit

"With his

supposed to have gained his right

is

place amongst the ancestors.

These Demon-masks are performed by the above mentioned nity of wizards in in the

name

of five Kulis

:

—Chamundi,

Goraga, termed the pancha bhuta* Panjuruli and Kalluruti

;

;

or in the

is

Kalluruti, Panjuruli, Guliga

or in the

name

food offered in these occasions, which Kola,

is

name

of three

of only one

and

— Kallugutti,

— Chamundi.

The

the same as that used in Karana

called Kuli Barani.

Representatives from other houses or villages that are

under a vow

to perform a demon mask, obtain the liberation of the imprisoned

much

frater-

the courtyard of the house, and they are held either

the

same manner, only when the performer throws

them they do not

fall into

a swoon, but as the

spirit

spirits in

the rice upon

mounts

their back,

they have to hasten swiftly away with their burden, without looking back, till it is

secure in the

• See Vol. I, p. 366,

bosom of the

ancestral family.

262

RELIGION.

The

final act of

of the so

a

Demon-mask

is

demon

called Kuli-kota or

the decapitation of pigs in front

One pig

a house

suffices for

whole village

is

affair,

all

all

fowls are sacrificed

upon

it.

but several pigs are required when a

carcases supply the house or village dinner.

mor through

:

The heads are given

concerned.

may be anywhere

abode, which

near to or far away from the house or village

performers, the

to the

There runs a vein of hu-

these dark and deplorable superstitions

in the midst of

;

the demoniacal excitement, the parties concerned never loose sight of

own

their

interest

his fowl or pig of

—the wizard which he

is

minds

so fond

his liquor

and the Coorg

bottle,

1

In addition to the above objects of propitiation, which are chiefly of domestic or local importance, there are certain spirits possessing more of

a national

On

interest.

the day of Sivardtri, a religious ceremony takes place in Mercara

at the Raja's tombs, that of

a temple, where the

spirit of

to the saint or rather god,

Lingayats.

On

charis, collect

Dodda Vira Rajendra being transformed the hero for

this occasion

is

worshipped with the honours due

Vira Rajendra has been defied by the

a large concourse of people, chiefly Siva-

round the tombs to pay their respects, or at any rate to

participate in the liberal charity dispensed at the time

ment

Ajjappa

—The people of Coorg have

Fonmppa,

man, who came

also great faith in a certain

or simply Kaliat Ajjappa, the spirit of a

to Coorg

many

tha Nalknad taluk cutcherry.

is

Coorg,

—Higher even than Kaliat-Ajjappa,

he practised.

in the estimation

stands a certain female devil at Kutta, -called Karingali

(Kari Kali), or the Kuttad-amma.

Wynad.

to the strange arts that

still maintained in honour of Acha Nayak in Chikka

in Kiggatnad.

Kuttad-amma. all

great

Since his death, his spirit takes posses-

who give themselves up

similar worship

Munduru

He was a

At last he was shot near

magician, and long the dread of the Coorgs.

sion of men,

Ea-

Malayalam

generations ago, was naturalized, married

a Coorg woman, and established himself at Nalknad.

of

from the Govern-

Treasury.

liatanda

A

into

Kuttadamma has no

Kutta

temple, but

lies

she

stones in an enclosure under a tree in the forest.

at the borders is

The pujari

man, a Kannada-wokkaliga peasant, the only person which has engaged in this worship. only fowls are admissible.

For bloody

of the

represented by some

left of

sacrifices

is

a young

the family

offered there

Large sums of money are annually sent

thi-

263

SERPENT AND TREE WORSHIP. ther by people from

damma

person recover or

woe

all

Many vows are paid to KuttaAnd whether a sick

parts of Coorg.

iu behalf of sick people or of the dead.

sum vowed

die, the

must be

for his recovery

or

paid,

Liberal presents are also given to her pujari to engage

to the living.

her services against enemies, who, they say, are distressed or altogether

demon

destroyed by the is,

There

in answer to the prayers of her priest.

Kuttadamma

however, a decrease perceptible in the influence of

over

the minds of young Coorg. Gulika.

— Another annual

divinity called Gulila.

every house has to offer to a peculiar

sacrifice

This

invisible constellation or star, belong-

an

is

ing both to the order of planets and to that of the zodiacal stars.

The

knows the Gulika and

astrologer only

A

sick.

stone

is

little

It is,

eye sees

it.

power, especially over the

its

placed for the Gulika at the foot of some tree posses-

sed of a milky juice.

and a

No mortal

a son of S'ani or Saturn.

as the people say,

There the Coorg

offers

every year fowls, cocoa nuts

brandy, in a dish of plantain-leaves, to his tutelary numen.

In cases of frequent deaths in a family, a second Gulika, called Mrityu Gulika, the Gulika of death,

Serpent and serpent and

Tree

is

worshipped.

Worship.

—The

on which cobras have finished

According

di capella live3 a thousand years.

When

long

silver,

years.

day

body begins to shrink, and

and measures three

length.

it

life, its

fly

Still later,

At

feet or less

disappears altogether.

was passed the meridian of

to brighten

the proprietor of the land.

till it

shines like

only one foot in

is

Then

finger.

hundred

it will

some

and sink down upon the ground, where

No man

the important secret, which he

are

life

at the age of six or seven

,

the size of a

into the air, die

upon the hallowed

terrestrial

to Coorg lore, the cobra

the reptile shines like gold, and

last it shrinks to

up high

his person,

it

of

The Ndtas, or spots

course of

their

the object of solemn ceremonies.

its

discovered traces

universally

tree worship are not wanting in Coorg.

sees

will

it,

but of course the

communicate

Should any

human

spot, incurable disease of the

and the poor wretch

such disasters, the Nata place

will is

rot

Kanya knows

consideration

being unawares

to

set- foot

skin will break out upon

away by

marked by a

During the month of Scorpio (November

for a

degrees. little

—December)

To prevent

stone enclosure.

a lamp

is

lighted

a presiding

divinity,

every evening to Nata, and cocoa nuts are offered as oblations.

Each bane

(parcel of grass or forest-ground) has

to which an annual

sacrifice of

pork and cakes

is offered.

If this sacri-

264

RELIGION.

be not made, or not properly performed, the Kd-devaru, the tending

fice

god,

and

the god watching over the cattle, will withdraw his favour,

e.,

i.

and death among the

sickness

Besides the

many

cattle will ensue.

worship, but chiefly for Ayappa-devaru there called

nad

groves set apart in each

foot

abodes or hunting grounds

These forests are

ancestors.

:

object

are some extensive

Devara-Mdu, which are untrodden by human

tiously reserved for the

some

for

and

of

forests

supersti-

heroic

of deified

the Iggudappa devara kaduin Padinalknad,

the Joma-male in Katiyelnad, and the Iruli-bane in Kuyingeri-nad.

Omnia

Devatas.

—As among other Dravidian

in Coorg, tradition relates that

human

sacrifices

mountain-tribes, so also

were offered in former

Grama Devatas

times to secure the favour of their

Mdriamma, Durga

:

and Bliadra Kali, the tutelary goddesses of the Sakti posed to protect the villages or nads from

line,

who

are sup-

all evil influences.

In Kirindadu and Konincheri-grama in Katiyetnad, once in three years,

'

cU

December and June, a human

in

Bhadra

and during the

Kali,

Amma

!

offering

a man, oh mother

'

Amma, ddu?

not a man,

sacrifice

used to be brought to

by the Panikas, the people exclaimed

But once a devotee shouted

!

oh mother, a

goat,

— and

:

'

dl all

since that time

a

he-goat without blemish has been sacrificed. Similarly in Bellur in Tavaligeri-murnad of Kiggatnad taluk, once

a year by turns from each house, a

head

at the

devoted

an '

temple

victim

his escape

into

hdali-adu? which has a double

ddu,

we

will

he-goat

is

give,

meaning,

viz.,

or next year, ddu, a goat

were offered.

off his

The devotees

:

said to the pujari

:

next year,

and thenceforth only

fast during

At night the Panikas, dressed

after

villagers,

kaldke,

killed in the afternoon, the blood sprinkled

the flesh eaten,

by cutting

The

the jungle.

returned to the temple and

unsuccessful search,

scape-goats

sacrificed

but when the turn came to a certain house, the

;

made

man was

in red

the

upon a

The

day. stone,

and

and whiie striped

cotton cloths, and their faces covered with metal or bark masks, perform their demoniacal dances.

In Mercara taluk in Ippanivolavade and in Kadakeri in Halerinad, the villagers sacrifice a Jcona or male buffalo instead of a man. to a tree in

a gloomy grove near the temple, the beast

Meda, who cuts at the time.

off its

head with a large

The blood

eaten by the Medas.

is spilled

knife,

is killed

Tied

by a

but no Coorgs are present

on a stone under a tree and the

flesh

GRAMA DEVATAS.

265

In connection with this sacrifice there are peculiar dances performed

by the Coorgs around the temple

the komb-dta or horn-dance, each

:

wearing the horns of a spotted deer or stag on his head

man

the pili-dta or

;

peacocks'-feather dance, the performers being ornamented with peacocks'

and the chauri-dta or

feathers,

keeping time, swing yak

yak-tail dance, during which the dancers,

These ornaments belong to the temple

tails.

where they are kept. In some cases where a particular curse, which can only be remoTed

by an extraordinary

human

sacrifice, is said

by the Kanya to rest upon a house,

the ceremony performed seems to be another relic of

stable or field,

The Kanya sends

sacrifices.

kas or Bannas, and they

some

for

A

set to work.

of his fraternity, the Pani-

pit is

dug

of the house, or in the yard, or the stable, or the

may

a

fashion, muttering mantras.

and covered with the earth a

pit,

jack-wood

of

fire

&c,

kinds of grain,

Panika

sacrificer

man

nada

Pieces of

He

down

immured

above, and his

death-atonements.

bali or

human

being,

colleague

These

a cock

They is

cost

sacrifices

from

1

different

all night,

below,

In the morning the pit

in

this platform

sugar,

This sacrifice continues

are thrown.

sits

laid across the

Upon

foot or two deep.

returns to the light of day.

stead of a

occasion

wood are

kindled, into which butter,

is

their incantations all the while.

the

as the

Into this one of the magicians descends.

require.

Hindu

middle room

in the

field,

is

are

the

repeating

o ened, and called

Mara-

to 15 rupees.

sometimes shut up in the

pit,

In-

and

killed afterwards.

In cases of sore afflictions befalling a whole small-pox, cholera

or cattle-disease, the

grama

wrath of Mdri-amma by collecting contributions of nuts,

bread, and plantains from the

at the

Mandu whence they :

one basket there out bring a it into

the

is

some

little rice in

pigs, fowls, rice, cocoa-

different houses,

and depositing them

and the members of each house on coming

the hand, and waving

it

round the head, throw

the basket, with the belief that the dreaded evil will depart with

rice.

At

last the offerings are put

left,

and

is

offered on a stone, the rice

to nad,

and basket

The people of adjoining gramas or nads repeat the

same ceremony, and thus the epidemic the country.

down on the nad boundary, the

the rest of the provisions consumed by the persons compos-

ing the procession.

nad

appease the

are carried in a procession with torn toms. In

rice,

animals are killed, their blood are

or nad, such as

ryots combine to

In

and

still

is

supposed to be banished from

greater calamities, a flock of sheep

at last expelled from the country.

is

driven from

266

RELIGION.

Pilgrimages.

—Besides

in

there

April,

the day following at Irpu

the Lakshniantirtha

fall,

thousands of

pilgrims

The way

Kiggatnad, and at the foot of

back,

thither

in

its

earlier

course descends in

beautiful cascades over the almost perpendicular mountain

meandering through the

fore the eye calmly

bank of it

is

the devasthana,

through a

leads

once upon the pilgrim's

bursts all at

The Lakshmantirtha, which

submit to the sup-

an open valley with a high

jungle, so that the landscape of Irpu, forming

wall of mountains at the

in

miles further on, where,

five

posed sin-cleansing shower-bath.

view.

a large concourse of

is

during Sivardtri at Herumalu

people in February

in October,

the annual Tale Kdveri festival

and the Kuttad-amma jdtre

wall, lies be-

On

rice valley.

the right

an unsightly building, but adorned by a

splendid specimen of the beautiful scarlet-flowered asoge tree. Near all

it

and

along the banks of the stream pilgrims build their booths.

The bathing tic,

place

is

200

feet

above the temple. The way

is

roman-

with steep rocks to the right, the shallow winding stream to the

left,

tumbling and foaming over large boulders, but during the monsoon swelling into a thundering torrent.

All around the scene are the hundreds

of pilgrims, Coorgs and Malayalam people.

Every few steps a beggar

encountered, exhibiting his deformities or sores. if

dead, with a wooden nail through his cheeks

Here

lies

a

is

fanatic, as

there a boy with a lancet

;

through his outstretched tongue and a smoking chatti on his stomach

man

here another

with a long knife across his throat,

and a

;

horrible

corpse-like appearance.

At the holy bath, the stream high above breaks through a woody embrasure over a succession of rocky ledges

till it

spreads

itself into

a foaming shower bath, received in a stony caldron formed by slippery sharp-edged rocks. ing multitude

now

goal.

The bath-

falling spray,

though only

Here the crowd of pilgrims fmds]its force their

way under the

a few can avail of the sin-cleansing bath at the same time. old

woman

bles from

a father

with bent head right under the

the

lifts

shock, yet for

several minutes

his screaming child

the caldron

;

force their

change

she perseveres.

the bath.

;

his mother's breast is

The

brought

Dripping and shivering, the bathers

way back through the new arrivals, and seek a sunny

their garments.

There

here with

spouse along the rock and into

and even the tender babe at

within the influence of

spray, her body trem-

under the splashing water

firm grasp a husband drags his timid

See that

pressure

is

great, the

spot to

path slippery, and

267

PILGRIMAGES. the confusion alarming.

According to Brabmanical superstition the color

of the water- in the caldron indicates the intensity of the guilt

bathing pilgrim.

The darker

its

hue the greater the

guilt,

phenomenon depends only on the accident whether the is

intercepted by the bodies of the bathers, or whether

basin directly and by the force of

its fall is

of the

and yet the

falling

it

water

reaches the

beaten into foam.

After bathing, the pilgrims assemble at about 4 o'clock in the temple,

where a Brahman dances before the

upon

of Isvara

his

head

Brahman with a

another

;

idol shrine with

a brass image

plate receives the

small money offerings, and a third distributes prasdda of flowers and

The

sandaL

native officials

make

first

their

the most de-

obeisance,

voted amongst them even the sdslitdngam, touching the ground with the

members

eight

and then

of the body,

sesses 2,000 battis of rice-land,

and annually

The

and Herumalujatre

origin of the Irpu

Brabmanical legend

:

him by

returning the

his

same time

He

expiation for his crime. of the

is

this festive

common

based upon a

Laksbmana,

rocks at Irpu,

in a

fit

of madness, in-

bow and arrows which he had

But soon repenting of offering at the

ness,

receives on

— One day when Rama with his followers was living

in this place, bis younger brother

Rama.

This temple pos-

400 rupees from Government.

occasion

sulted

offer their gift.

rashness,

to

throw himself into a large

forgive-

fire

as an

accordingly shot an arrow against the foot

when a

large fire flared up, into which he threw

Rama immediately

himself. In order to save his brother,

which up to the present day

received from

Lakshmana asked

is called

created a river,

Laksbmanatirtha, but

it

was too

late.

Rama

man

to bring a linga from Kasi (Benares) within one hour and a half.

afterwards desired to consecrate the spot, and ordered Hanu-

During his absence, Rama, fearing that Hanuman would not be back in time,

made a

prised by

linga himself of river-sand, in which operation he

Hanuman, who

was sur-

flew into a rage for having troubled himself in

He twisted his enormous tail round one of the Hanuman betta, and attempted to upset it. Eama, to vain.

neighbouring

bills,

comfort the furious

monkey-god, assured him that Hanuman's linga should become even

more famous than and the

festive

his own.

So the new linga was set up at Herumalu,

day of its worship precedes that of the linga at

Irpu.

In April and December there are jatresto the Iggudappa Jcundu in Padinalknad, where Tulu Brahmans have a temple, and receive the ftblations of the Coorgs,

Jt

often

happens that a sick Coorg vows

268

BELIGION.

his weight in rice to the temple, and heavy Coorgs are

therefore no

doubt acceptable worshippers.

On

the Hattur hill or Kuntada-betta in Betiyatnad there

nual jatre in honor of Isvara or

names

has there a

stone-

little

In 1853 the dilapidated temple was rebuilt

temple dedicated to him. at the

who

Siva,

an an-

is

expense of the Takkas and headmen of Betiyetnad, and their are written on a stone slab in the temple, which

the brink of the precipice, which a beautiful view

is

is

5 feet long,

There

obtained over Kiggatnad.

is also

On

able partner to the unmarried youth.

a Chandala

woman, or a

suit-

a

little

the north side,

a small tank with perennial water, which

considered holy, but 100 years ago

some time.

a remark-

broad and

and turn three times round, believing

that this ceremony will insure issue to the barren

is

feet

bring offerings of

where childless or unmarried people

below the temple, there

only 15 feet

about 500 feet deep, and whence

able stone on the very edge of the precipice, about 2

betel leaves, perform worship

is

It stands near

square, but substantially built, with a lingain front.

said to have

it is

been

defiled

is

by

woman bathing in it, when the spring ceased to flow for On the south-east ridge a cave is shewn, which, accord-

ing to Brahmanical discovery, offered an asylum to the exiled Pandus.

After their departure the cave was occupied by a tiger, which out

of respect for the jatre quits his abode seven days before the feast and afterwards returns.

On

the precipitous

side

of the rock there are

nests of vultures and several hundreds of beehives.

For seven days before the Tula sankramana the ryots assemble in the village of Mugutageri at the foot of the

and sing Ctiorg chants

at the

Mandu

hill,

one from each house,

in praise

night of the 7th, the inhabitants of the

of

Isvara.

On

disguising themselves in masks of 18 various descriptions.

They then

go to the Ambala and dance and sing to the sound of the torn

The day

following, a light hollow frame,

of cane-work,

body who

is

carries

the

whole nad come together,

representing a horse,

torn.

made

decked out so as to hide the lower part of the man's it,

making

multitude then ascend the

it

appear as

if

hill in procession,

he rode the horse.

The

headed by the horse and

a band of musicians, dance round the temple and bring their offerings of water, fruit and money.

The PdMr jdtre of Iggudappa,

is

in Kuyingerinad, in honor of

a similar

affair,

Palrirappa, brother

which takes place in the month of

269

HINDUISM.

The temple was

April.

rebuilt only a few years ago at a considerable

expense.

Amongst the jatres beyond their own Coorgs are four

which

is

country, those visited by the

Subrahmamja on the northern

:

held in December and attracts a great

with the feast there

metal vessels and

is

connected a

number

of people, as

and the sale of superior

Baitur in Malabar, held in January, to which

idols.

chiefly the people of

cattle-fair

frontier of Coorg,

Beppunad and Yedenalknad proceed

;

they also

send rice to the temple. Payavur, also in Malabar, held in February; especially supported and visited

it is

by the Kadiyetnad Coorgs, who

send from one to ten buttis of rice per house. sore,

which comes

Hinduism religious sects

off in

—

Nanjanagodu in My-

December.

It is

unnecessary to add any description of the Hindu

common

to Mysore and Coorg, as they have been noticed

in connection with the former.

That the Jains were

the

in

influential

country from a very early period might not only be conjectured from historical associations as previously described, but is evident

from

its

exist-

ing remains, especially in the south.

The Coorg Eajas were Lingayats, as well as the Rudrangalu, the of the Periyapatna, Nanjarajpatna State and

numerous out of Coorg Proper, that

is

we

rulers

find this sect the

in the north, one-fourth

most

of the

population of Yelusavirasime and one-eighth of that of the Nanjarajpat-

na taluk being returned as Lingayats. Hindu inhabitants

According to the census, the

Coorg consist of 124,791

of

29,685 votaries of Vishnu, but the mode of

votaries

of Siva

and

classification is

perhaps open

to question, though the overwhelming preponderance of the

Saiva faith

is

doubtless a fact.

The Coorg character;

devastdnas

none

is

or pagodas are mostly of an insignificant

distinguished

for

great antiquity or structural

beauty; most of them are but rude village shrines, of thatched roofs, within a gloomy cular description.

the

mud

walls and

grove, and not calling for any parti-

But a passing notice may perhaps be bestowed on

Omkaresvara devastdna at Mercara, which stands in a hollow just

below the Superintendent's Court, and

is built

in the

same

the Rajas' tombs, but with a small tank in the temple yard.

the centre of the tank

a

pretty

little

pavilion

rises,

nected with the margin by a balustraded passage. pwjaris of these places are chiefly Tulu,

which

The

style as

From is

con-

priests or

Havige and Karn&taka Brah>

270

RELIGION.

mans.

The former

merous

in Coorg.

Honore

in

branches

are divided into three

Brahmans, of whom the

davara, and Shivalli

The Havige Brahmans

the Kotu,

:

latter are

Kan-

the most nu-

are Smartas, residing near

North Canara, whose native tongue

They

Canarese.

is

worship both Vishnu and Siva, and the marks on their foreheads are

put horizontally.

The Karnataka Brahmans

are immigrants from

Mysore. There are altogether 863 pagodas or temples in Coorg, and 57

mattas of Jangamas, of the total

'

of

which places 549 share a Govern-

ment contribution of 13,800 rupees annually in cash, and 9,174 rupees worth of remitted assessment from endowed landed property: 372 places only are maintained by private contributions. The lion's share of this large Government grant svara temple, with rupees 4,850

rupees 3,956;

;

falls to

to the

the Mercara-Omkare-

Bhagamandala devastana, with

to the Tale Kaveri pagoda, with rupees 2,320;

the Rajas' tombs, with rupees

2,000 per annum

—a

and

to

total of rupees

13,126.

The mattas

or jangams are religious institutions

originated

endowed by the Coorg Rajas, who were themselves Lingayets. are

now

who

derive

and

They

evidently of greater importance to the Sivachari priests

an easy living from the rich endowments, than of any

practical use for the

whom

Coorg people, amongst

of its royal patronage, never struck any root.

endowments 31,457

this sect,

battis of land, representing an

of 3,360 rupees due to

Government

if

in spite

The 57 mattas hold as annual revenue

the land were held by ryots.

Government, therefore, contributes not only that amount of revenue, but also the actual produce of the

The most

richly

Basavahalli matta in Yedavanad

Abbi

fields less

the working expenditure.

endowed mattas are the following:

—

4,105, battis of land.

MUHAMMADANISM.

Muhammadanism.

—As

regards

271

Muhammadanism,

the country during the reign of Tippu Sultan

the history of

shew the

sufficient to

is

character of the proselytism which was forced upon the unhappy people of

Coorg by his fanatical propagandism.

There are but 5 small masjids

The Musalmans

in Coorg.

resid-

ing there are mostly poor, and live chiefly in Mercara, Virajpet and Fraserpet. Christianity.

—The introduction

demands a longer

of Christianity

notice, as presenting several unique features of interest.

—Whatever the moral and

Roman

Gatlidlics.

Coorg Rajas

may have

and

liberal spirit^

political vices

of the

been, in religious matters they shewed a tolerant

which at the time put to shame the intolerance of

marjy Christian Governments. Dodda Vira Rajendra extended his protection to the poor fugitive

Roman

who

Catholics

fled

from the claws of

Tippu Sultan when in 1792 Lord Comwallis besieged Seringapatam. They were Konkanis from the western coast, who had incurred Tippu's particular displeasure for their assistance in provisioning General Mathew's army,

and had come Mangalore

into his

Konkanis are noted to circumstances.

power after the

when he

in 1783,

settled

fall of

them

for their industry

and

Dodda Vira Rajendra

Bednur and the

and about

in

siege of

his capital.

The

adapting themselves

skill of

eagerly welcomed

them

into his

depopulated country, granted them land at Virajpet, procured for them

a priest in the person of Father John de Costa, a native of Goa, assisted

them in

building a chapel, and allotted to

buttis of

paddy and a certain amount of

ance his successors continued

commuted

it

into

and

the

maintenance a stipend of 84

its

oil

and

candles.

a monthly grant of Rs. 20, "

its

continuance being

dependent not only on the Priest's conduct, but that of his far as he

may justly

This allow-

English Government in 1835

be considered responsible for

it."

flock, in

as

This stipend

is

now looked upon as the Priest's salary from Government, and attempts have been made to get it increased, but Sir Mark Cubbon declared: " that the amount the Priest enjoyed had no doubt been deemed proportioned to the ordinary duties of his

office,

but

of any extra duties by the requisition of the tion,

the Commissioner conceived that the

means

of enabling the priest to

if

called to the discharge

members

latter

meet such extra

of his congrega-

should contribute the official calls."

Pastoral jurisdiction over this community having been claimed by

272

RELIGION'.

Sta.

Agnes, Bishop-

Coadjutor, Vicar Apostolic at Mangalore, addressed the

Superintendent

De

the Archbishop of Goa, the Rev. F. Bernardino

of Coorg in

1846

in the following letter

:

Mission of Coorg, by a Firman passed by the Raja in 1805, was

"The

founded to remain always under the jurisdiction of the Bishop Vicar Apostolic of

Bombay, who has ultimately transferred

was ever or

is

it

No jurisdiction

to me.

now possessed by the Archbishop

of

something like an omnipotence

and therefore sends the

Roman

in

Rome

shewn by

possess

pretends to

the spiritual throughout the whole of India,

and disturbances among

his emissaries to excite dissensions

and he has accordingly

Catholics subject to the Vicars Apostolic,

sent one to Coorg,

it

regarding the same, but the

national presumption,

Archbishop, actuated by certain

over

jurisdiction of

territory, aa

His Grace does not extend beyond that Portuguese various bulls which have emanated from

The

Goa.

named Francesco Pacheco, who endeavours

to take forcible

possession of the church there."

The Roman

Catholic establishments in Coorg are

spiritual charge of the Bishop at Bangalore, the see at

now under the

Mangalore having

declined about ten years ago to send priests to so unhealthy a locality as Virajpet.

In 1835 a grant of Rs. 1,500 was

sanctioned by Government for

the restoration of the delapidated church at Virajpet,

and in 1866 a new

grant of Rs. 2,500 for re-building the same edifice, which after completion is said to

have cost Rs.

school houses for boys

and

1

The

5,000.

girls

are on the

of the Christian quarter look clean

and

dwelling

Priest's

same

the better class of other natives in the place, are substantial

The number

able.

to 313,

of

Roman

The

premises.

and the houses,

tidy,

Catholic Christians

and there may be as many more

in the

and the streets

like those of

and comfort-

in Virajpet

amounts

neighbourhood.

The

mortality amongst those in the town has of late years been very considerable.

As stated by Mr. Kerr, the late Superintendent a

Roman

Catholic,

" the Christian colony at

of Coorg,

Virajpet

is

and himself

not a mission

establishment in the ordinary acceptation of the term," and no Coorg

and hardly any other Christians,

away from

caste

people of Coorg have

their pastor's eye,

seem

ever joined

to be

more

it.

The

influenced by

the surrounding heathenish superstition, -than to exercise any renovating influence

by

their Christian

life

socially as well as morally they

and testimony upon the heathen. But appear

now

to be in a better condition

CfitJBCk

273

OF ENCLAND.

than they were when Lieutenant Connor saw them in 1817, and drew a picture of the colony in the following sketch

:

" The Christians here are under the Church of Bombay, a small chapel has been built and

from that place

;

ing, the greater

arrack from

on

religion

them are employed

retain

most of

Christianity

it

inculcates is

in eastern countries

observable,

their ancient superstitions

sanguine could scarcely hope

A

it

and ;

its

;

but a small share of

votaries

seem

still

to

indeed, if either the condition

be taken as a

much good

the degradation

all

to result

most

criterion, the

from a more general

its divine doctrines.''

church and native congregation, chiefly of Tamil Christians —the

and pensioned

servants of Europeans,

Miners

flourish-

has impressed no very awful seDse of

or character of these followers of

conversion to

from

manufacture of

an avocation that bespeaks the estimation in which

attaching to a profession of it

is far

in the

rude followers, who are subject to

its

the morality

performed by an ecclesiastic

services are

the condition of his flock, however, portion of

rice,

they are held.

its

— have

places either a

Church

European or a Native Priest

of England.

periodically resides.

— Mercara containing a

ropeans than Mangalore, and

Sappers and

sepoys, especially

Mercara and Fraserpet, at which

been established at

offering a

greater

number

more salubrious

chaplain of the latter station removed to the former in

1

of

Eu-

residence, the

854, and Mercara

has ever since been under the spiritual care of a clergyman of the Church of England. His congregation, comprising civilians, military planters,

numbers over a hundred

souls.

officers

and

Through subordinate agency,

Native Christians, especially Tamulians. have likewise been benefited by the successive chaplains.

Basel Mission.

—When

the account of the reduction of Coorg arriv-

ed in England, considerable interest was awakened in behalf of the inhabitants

of the

new Province whom

British

arms had delivered from

cruel bondage, and whose brave and frank character

seemed

to

establish

a peculiar claim upon the sympathies of the friends of Indian Missions. General Fraser on the 10th June 1834, in a letter to Mr. McNaughten the Secretary to the

Government

of India,

remarks:

— "There

is

not probably a spot of ground in all India of this limited extent capable of so

much improvement

as

Coorg.

The people appear

or no attachment to the debasing superstition of their

minds

seem to

me

to be

to

have

the country,

more open than those

of

little

and

any other

35

RELIGION.

274

Indians I have seen, to be prepared for receiving the light of the Christi-

an

religion, while their intellect

may

be expected rapidly to expand un-

der the influence of that education they are themselves soliciting."

The noble-hearted general

endowment

of

offered his share of the prize

money as an

a Protestant Mission, and the Wesleyan and London Mis-

sionary Societies were inclined to extend their operations to Coorg, but both

subsequently found that thoy could not spare

Societies

mission at a distance from their older tunity

was

men

for a

General Eraser subsequently established a

lost.

new

and thus a good oppor-

stations,

school at

Fraserpet, which he endowed with a sum of Es. 300.

In the year 1834 the Basel Missionary Society commenced operations

on the western

coast, in the

their stations to the north

and then

visited

;

and

neighbourhood of Coorg, and extended

Mercara and Virajpet were now

south.

but no proposal was

made

to the

Committee to occupy

Thus the country remained nearly twenty years under

Coorg.

rule without the establishment of a

At length

mission.

in

British

1852 Dr.

Moegling was in an unforeseen and singular manner led to commence the long delayed work.

Being on the point of returning to Germany to recruit his shattered health, he

was

visited

by a Coorg man, disguised as a sanyasi, who ap-

plied for instruction in the Christian doctrine.

astute Coorg, and the story of his

life

He was an intelligent and

highly interesting.

After receiving

baptism on the 6th January 1853 with the name of Stephanas, this man,

Somaiya of Almanda

in

Beppu-nad, returned unexpected and unnoticed His wife received him with

to his house, accompanied by Dr. Moegling.

On

great joy and declared that she would live and die with him. following day Stephanas took formal possession of his

house,

the

and Dr.

Moegling resolved on standing by the family and becoming security to the creditors

who

the convert.

him and

speedily assembled for

Two days

the liquidation of the debts of

afterwards, his

neighbours and relatives drove

his family out of their house at night,

refuge with the missionary at into the case,

the matter

Virajpet.

and the Chief Commissioner,

was

referred,

and forced them

to take

The Superintendent inquired Sir

Mark Cubbon,

gave the following decision

to

whom

:

To

The StTPERINTENDENT OP

COORG.

Sir,

The Commissioner, having had under

consideration

jour various com-

munications regarding the reception on his return to Coorg of one Somaiya,

who

has

left his caste, I

tions as to the

In the

275

MOEGLING.

DE.

have the honour by his advice to convey to yon his instruc-

manner

in

first place, it

which seems

and similar cases should be dealt with.

this to be

admitted on

all hands,

that but for the

fact of his having left his caste, Somaiya, as the' rightful head by inheritance of

his branch of his family,

had nothing

do but to return to Coorg

to

quiet possession of his house and land?.

party in this case, and in the case as

it

it

requires to be shewn that there is an aggrieved party

really happened.

be true, as stated

If it

in the

sees no reason to doubt that it

papers under notice, and the Commissioner that several instances exist of individuals

is so,

having become outcastes from their own

religion,

madanism, and yet been allowed to remain clear that degradation

it is

of faith,

is

from caste

and even converts to Muham-

in quiet possession of their estates

that neither on

It is therefore evident in the present instance,

could there have been an

national nor on caste grounds

aggrieved party, unless perhaps

wife and children and the

in the event of his

other inmates of the house which he came to occupy having

So

polluted by his neighbourhood. it

appears that one and

company

in the

children lost

far,

all of

it

is

however,

is

this

felt

themselves

from being the

them preferred being turned out

middle of the night

without him, and

remaining under shelter of the roof

to

no time in following

his example,

and making a public renuncia-

bad been brought up.

Under these circumstances the Commissioner must regard the act

who

case,

in his

moreover subsequently reported that the wife and

tion of the faith in which they

people

change

for misconduct, or on voluntary

not of itself regarded in Coorg as involving the deprivation of heredi-

tary or self-acquired property.

that

and take

There would have been no aggrieved

violently ejected

him from the

house, of which he

of those

had been

in quiet

possession for nearly three days, as a gross and flagrant insult to the Govern-

ment, only to be excused by their ignorance, and their having been led

a certain extent by the

evil

away

example of their Subadar Appachoo.

conduct of Appachoo himself, there can be but one opinion,

to

Of the

but the Commis-

not unwilling to overlook for once the error of an old and able servant

sioner

is

of the

Government, and trusts that Appachoo will justify his good opinion of

him by the cheerful

alacrity

with which he

will replace

Somaiya

in possession of

the house and lands of which he was so illegally and violently deprived.

You to all

will

be good enough carefully to explain the whole of the foregoing

the parties concerned, and at the same time inform them that the Civil

Courts are open to them

grounds for depriving

should they

still

consider that (here are any legal

this convert of his inheritance,"

,

RELIGION.

276 The Coorg family returned remained

in their

home

to their

and

in June,

With

neighbourhood during the monsoon.

ning of the cold season, he

made preparations

Dr. Moegling

for building

a

the begin-

little

church

Stephanas to the

and a dwelling-house, on a piece of ground given by

and the work of preaching at the principal market places was

Mission,

commenced. Having taken

all

these steps without

founder of the Mission had to bear

rangement,

as well as the

its

Memoirs, which

is

was

work called Coorg

a most graphic and interesting account of Coorg and

and contains a summary of the history

publication,

support and ar-

evangelistic labour, for six long years. It

Coorg Mission, that Dr. Moegling compiled his

its people,

the

the Society's sanction,

the burden of

the case before the public, and obtain subscriptions for

in order to bring

the

all

and the periodical

reports of his work

This

of the country.

in the

"Madras Christian

Herald," greatly helped to interest the South Indian public in his Mission.

But though thus standing alone

connexion with the Basel Committee in

in his

work, he

still

continued in

everything except financial sup-

port and obedience to the rules of their conference as applied to the older stations.

Meanwhile two more Coorg families joined him, and Dr. Moegling, notwithstanding repeated attacks

of jungle fever, remained at his post

and continued to labour assiduously, preaching on market days at Virarajendrapet and Mercara, visiting the scenes of the Coorg annual festivals,

and engaging ty.

He

English

in literary labours for the

Government and the Bible Socie-

was treated with great kindness and by the other residents

officials

and encouragement by the in Mercara.

In the same year a number of families, comprising 130 souls, of the

Holeyas or agricultural slave-caste, who had assisted in building the Al-

manda church, applied for instruction. They were received, and located in Ammat-nad on a waste farm, which was taken from Government for the purpose, where they might maintain themselves by

the direction of Stephanas. tual

son,

The farm was held by

the Rev. A, Kaundinya, one

of Mangalore,

who

new settlement

Brahman

of the first

cheerfully undertook the risk

was named Anandapur

its cultivation,

and

under

Dr. Moegling's spiri-

converts

responsibility.

(city of joy)

and a simple

The resi-

dence and chapel were erected. In 1858,

the departure one by one of the tried friends

who had

known the work from its beginning, and the altered circumstances of

277

BASEL MISSION.

•

India after the mutiny, induced Dr. Moegling to seek connection with the

Church Missionary

and he went to England and

Society,

and the Coorg Mission

that he should

He was

to their acceptance.

by the Committee, but, after

make another

meantime they gave a

to continue attached

effort

liberal grant

very kindly received

they considered

full deliberation,

£ 500

of

himself

offered

it

better

to Basel,

and

Encouraged

to his work.

with this help, he returned to Coorg in January 1859, alter having effect-

ed a new connexion of the station with the Basel

had

Dr. Moegling in 18 GO

continues.

who was ordered

to

Europe

to

Society,

and

so

it still

part with his excellent

wife,

broken health, -and at the end of the same

in

year he had himself to follow in thoroughly shattered health, and reached

Wurtemberg

him

to return to India.

The work has been carried on by under great selves

his successors

Kaufmann, Kaundinya and Schnepf

Stokes,

His own state

just in time to nurse her in her last illness.

of health did not allow

and disappointments.

trials

new houses the :

—the

Revs. Kittle,

—with varying

The

success and

Christians built for them-

proprietor of the farm erected through his

manager

Mr. Hahn, a substantial dwelling and a new church, towards which the

Government contributed Rs.

1

,000

;

he also opened out a small

coffee

plantation to give additional and permanent employment to the colony,

but though very hopeful at

first,

the devastation

so complete that the whole plantation

by the borer was here

was destroyed.

Unfortunately, the locality of Anandapur, being in a

and only

partially

bamboo

district

and newly cleared, has not proved a healthy one

;

the

native as well as the European residents were frequently prostrated by fever, the missionaries Kittel,

Hahn had

to leave the station

Stokes and Schnepf, and Mr. and Mrs.

on account of

of fever, and both the late pastor Mr. in

1

ill-health

Kaufmann and

from severe attacks his wife fell victims

869 to the Coorg fever contracted at Anandapur. According to the census of the Coorg Mission, there were in

1870, 50 communicants and 7 non-communicant--, 42 children and 12

catechumeui, while the parochial school was attended by 23 children.

Considering the

abject

and degraded position of most of these

Christians before their conversion, the social, intellectual and religious

standing of this colony cannot be expected to be very high; but, spite of

much weakness and

wanting of

Of

visible

in

grievous shortcomings, evidences are not

and genuine Christian and

spiritual life.

the nine Christians from amongst the Coorgs,

and of Step?

278

RELIGION.

hanas in particular not

much good

can be said; in fact several of them

disgraced by their conduct the Christian

and proved to them

name among their own

people

a stumbling block. Stephanas, being insincere

of a divided heart, as

it

and

seems, from the very beginning, was at last

found out in his secrei course of wickedness and had to be excom-

He

municated. set fire

to

is

suspected to have afterwards

in a

fit

of revenge

the Almanda chapel and dwelling house in 1867, both of

which were utterly demolished, and then disappeared from the coun-

His son

try without any trace of his whereabouts. lore Theological Seminary, lore lead a

is

in the

Manga-

and his two married daughters at Manga-

becoming Christian

Their mother died, her last years

life.

being beclouded by insanity.

Thus

far

General Fraser's hopeful view of the Coorgs' prepared-

when the opportunity should

ness for embracing the Christian religion

To what causes

be offered to them, has not been realised.

may be

ascribed

The unpalatable

failure

this

some headmen in Stephanas' affair, the loss of the 130 Holeyas of Beppu-nad who joined the Missionary, the Coorgs* jealousy of the it is

difficult to say.

defeat of

of the Coorg

moral and social improvement of their former prehension of their

own degradation

becoming Christians, the inconsistent the natural propensity of the Coorgs perity of late years

to

life

to,

Brahmans upon stances

;the superstitious

may have

of some of the Coorg converts,

and success

and the concomitant

frequent intercourse with Europeans,

self

the

Coorgs

led to such a result.

slaves, their fancied ap-

an equal footing with them on

in,

material pros-

indulgence, their increasing

more

influence of

— these and other

circum-

Perhaps General Fraser form-

ed his opinion before he had sufficiently made himself acquainted with the Coorg character, though he was a very shrewd observer

;

or per-

haps the providential time has not yet come for such a decisive step

by the whole Coorg-clan, and prophecy

;

but however

this

his opinion

may

may

still

be an unfulfilled

be, Dr. Moegling's labours in

Coorg

cannot have been in vain. In connection with the Mercantile Association of the Basel Mission, there

is

at Mercara a mercantile establishment under a

agent, which,

while serving the

useful employment

to a

number

secular interests

of native converts.

European married

of the

Mission, gives

LANGUAGE. The

official

language in Coorg

is

Kannada

or Canarese, but this small

mountain clan of Coorgs, with their former slaves the Holeyas, have a language of their own, called Kodagu. *

appears to be a dialect of Kan-

It

nada, bearing a close relation to the older forms of the language. the whole,

it

seems safest to regard

says Dr. Caldwell,

it,'

about midway between Old Canarese and Tulu.' (palame) have been written for ages past with

A Cole,

Coorg Grammar was

'

On

as standing

'

The old Coorg chants

Kannada

letters.

by Major

for the first time published in 1867,

then Superintendent of Coorg, and some specimens of Coorg Songs,

Grammar were published by

with an epitome of the of Mangalore in

1

the Revd. A. Graeter

The Kodagu language, according to

870.

a convenient medium for conversation with abrupt terminations in half vowels, of the organs of speech,

and admits

;

by

its

Mr. Richter,

'

is

contracted rounded forms,

does not require a great exertion

it

of chewing betel

and retaining the pre-

cious juice whilst the flow of conversation is uninterruptedly carried on.

Indeed a beginner should practise the pronunciation with his mouth half full of water, till

he can speak without

spilling any.

the force and expressiveness of the Canarese,

the

It is rich in

lips.

it

1

glides

hough

it

has not

more readily over

words and forms, and as the Coorg chants attest,

admirably suited for expressing easy flowing poetry of a humorous or

solemn

strain.'

The Kodagu language

consists of

consonant, and 20 consonants

The vowels are e

oi

» o

2°

;

^,

:

n,

The consonants are

Cerebrals

Labials

*

which

is

:

=5*

ka

rt

W ta z$ £ pa w :

ga da

ba

1

half

«ro

wa^

rejects all aspirated consonants.

and the diphthongs

which sounds like m,

:

it

letters, vis. 12, vowels,

the short and long a

The half consonant or

Gutturals

;

33

ai so

es «3,

and au

i