Buchanan, Francis: A Journey from Madras through the countries of Mysore, Canara and Malabar ... (Band 3) (London, 1807)

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A JOURNEY FROM MADRAS THROUGH

March 13.

Guru of the
Haiga Brdh
mans.

CHAPTER steeper than those on the last two days route, and of course are less

vJ^lL/ ^fc ^or ^ie cu^tivat^on °^ r*ce » but tnere are many deep and narrow
vallies fit for Betel-nut gardens; and several of these, within or
near the old walls, are now occupied, and filled with Haiga Brdh-
mans, who in this country are the sole cultivators of gardens. In
many places I observed the pepper growing spontaneously ; but it
is entirely neglected; and many of the trees that would bear it
are stript of their leaves and branches, which are used as manure
for the gardens. All the rivulets that I crossed to-day are said to
be branches of the Sdlamala, which comes from Sersi; and ongoing
below the Ghats assumes the name of Gangdwali, and forms the
boundary between Haiga and Kankana.

I sent a message to the Guru of the Haiga Brdhmans, offering to
visit him ; but this he declined, and sent me word, that he would
come to my tents at three o'clock, at which time he would have
finished his devotions which then occupied his time. He did not
however arrive until late in the evening, when I was eating; so that
he could not enter. I found, that in place of prayer he had been
employed in giving an entertainment to another Sannydsi; and I
am uncertain whether he thought that it would be consistent with,
his dignity to keep a European four or five hours in waiting; or
whether these persons, who had relinquished the vanity of worldly
pleasure, were detained so long at table by pious conversation.

The Haiga Brdhmans seem to have changed countries with the
Karnataca Brdhmans of Sudha, who in Haiga are in greatest estima-
tion, while the Brdhmans of that country have all the valuable pro-
perty in Sudha, and their Guru has taken up his abode in its capital,
at Honawully Matam, or the golden convent. Whatever truth may
be in the story of Myuru Verma, the Haiga Brdhmans were cer-
tainly the first of the Panch Dravada division who penetrated
among the Jain of these parts. It seems to have been with the view
of depriving them of their property, that the pretence of their
having lost a part of their cast, or rank, was setup by the subsequent

Haiga Br&h~
mans.