DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.2373#0344
*,lis \
9115 s
he ^.
111,1 DOthio,
treated with
^ called J|
& and wodiq
E ever fori
ors, nor to
>r into
;s hold, by
f the culti'
arly i
some sffi'
ith a cou*|
mark M
> not ^
it the
1S fo\i°n
t
afl
a to
w
,irth^
MYSORE, CANARA, AND MALABAR.
315
CHAPTER
V.
July IS
parents ; nor do they ever receive Upadesa or Chakrantikam. They
pray to Dharma Raja, and offer sacrifices to Marlma, Caragadumma,
and Gimgoma. The Pujari, or priest, who officiates in the temple of
this last destructive spirit, is zfVhallia; and her's are the only
temples into which any of this tribe are ever admitted. They eat
the sacrifices offered even to this deity, peculiar to their cast.
Their Guru never joins in any of these sacrifices; none of them can
read or write. They are allowed to drink spirituous liquors, and to
eat beef, pork, mutton, fowls, and fish; nor have they any objec-
tion to eat an animal that has died a natural death. Their marriage
ceremony consists in a feast, at which the bridegroom ties the
bridal ornaments round the neck of his mistress. Except for
adultery, a man cannot divorce his wife ; and if she has children, he
cannot during her life take another; but if a man, in a reasonable
time after marriage, have no children by his first wife, he may take
a second. Widows are not permitted to marry again; but it is not
expected that they should burn themselves, nor preserve celibacy
with great exactitude. Many of this cast take the vow of Daseri.
The Togotas, or Togotaru, are a class of weavers of Tdinga origin, Customs of
and in their families retain that language. They follow no other
trade than weaving, and have hereditary chiefs called Jjyamana,
who possess the usual authority. Many of them can read and write
accompts; but none attempt any higher kind of learning. Idle,
stupid fellows, that cannot get a living by their industry, take the
vow of Daseri, and go about praying with a bell and conch. They
have no tradition concerning the time when they came into this
country. They all eat togethe#, but intermarry only with such
families, as by long acquaintance know the purity of each other's
descent. They cannot lawfully drink spirituous liquors, but can eat
fish, fowls, and mutton. It must be observed, that, throughout the
southern parts of India, fowls are a common article of diet with the
lower casts; whereas in Bengal, their use is confined entirely
to Mussulmans. In Bengal again, ducks and geese are com-
the Togotas.
mt
9115 s
he ^.
111,1 DOthio,
treated with
^ called J|
& and wodiq
E ever fori
ors, nor to
>r into
;s hold, by
f the culti'
arly i
some sffi'
ith a cou*|
mark M
> not ^
it the
1S fo\i°n
t
afl
a to
w
,irth^
MYSORE, CANARA, AND MALABAR.
315
CHAPTER
V.
July IS
parents ; nor do they ever receive Upadesa or Chakrantikam. They
pray to Dharma Raja, and offer sacrifices to Marlma, Caragadumma,
and Gimgoma. The Pujari, or priest, who officiates in the temple of
this last destructive spirit, is zfVhallia; and her's are the only
temples into which any of this tribe are ever admitted. They eat
the sacrifices offered even to this deity, peculiar to their cast.
Their Guru never joins in any of these sacrifices; none of them can
read or write. They are allowed to drink spirituous liquors, and to
eat beef, pork, mutton, fowls, and fish; nor have they any objec-
tion to eat an animal that has died a natural death. Their marriage
ceremony consists in a feast, at which the bridegroom ties the
bridal ornaments round the neck of his mistress. Except for
adultery, a man cannot divorce his wife ; and if she has children, he
cannot during her life take another; but if a man, in a reasonable
time after marriage, have no children by his first wife, he may take
a second. Widows are not permitted to marry again; but it is not
expected that they should burn themselves, nor preserve celibacy
with great exactitude. Many of this cast take the vow of Daseri.
The Togotas, or Togotaru, are a class of weavers of Tdinga origin, Customs of
and in their families retain that language. They follow no other
trade than weaving, and have hereditary chiefs called Jjyamana,
who possess the usual authority. Many of them can read and write
accompts; but none attempt any higher kind of learning. Idle,
stupid fellows, that cannot get a living by their industry, take the
vow of Daseri, and go about praying with a bell and conch. They
have no tradition concerning the time when they came into this
country. They all eat togethe#, but intermarry only with such
families, as by long acquaintance know the purity of each other's
descent. They cannot lawfully drink spirituous liquors, but can eat
fish, fowls, and mutton. It must be observed, that, throughout the
southern parts of India, fowls are a common article of diet with the
lower casts; whereas in Bengal, their use is confined entirely
to Mussulmans. In Bengal again, ducks and geese are com-
the Togotas.
mt