Part 14
In a "History of the Saurashtras in Southern India" [86] it is recorded that "when the Saurashtras settled in the south, they reproduced the institutions of their mother country in the new land; but, owing to the influence of the Southern Dravidians, some of the institutions became extinct. During their migrations, the men were under the guidance of their leader, and the process of migration tended to increase the power of kinship. The people were divided into four heads, called Goundas (chiefs), Saulins (elders), Voyddoos (physicians), and Bhoutuls (religious men). Some traces of the division still survive in the now neglected institution of Goundans. The Goundans were supposed to be responsible for the acts and doings of their men. The masses enjoyed the property under the joint undivided Hindu family system as prescribed in the Code of Manu. The chiefs were the judges in both civil and criminal affairs. They were aided in deciding cases by a body of nobles called Saulins. The office of the Saulins is to make enquiries, and try all cases connected with the community, and to abide by the decision of the chiefs. The Voyddoos (pandits) and Bhoutuls (Josis and Kavis also ranked with Voyddas and Bhoutuls) had their honours on all important occasions, and they are placed in the same rank with the elders. The Karestuns, or the Commons, are the whole body of the masses. Their voice is necessary on certain important occasions, as during the ceremonies of excommunication, and prayaschittas for admitting renegades, and during periodical meetings of the community. The Goundans at present are not exercising any of their powers, except in some religious matters. Saurashtra Brahmans were originally leading a purely religious life, but now they have begun to do business of different descriptions fitted to their position. Their chief occupation is agriculture, but some are trading, dyeing and weaving; however, it can be safely affirmed that their business interferes in no way with their religious creed and ceremonies. The name Patnulgar means silk weavers, and is sometimes erroneously applied to the Saurashtras too; but, on the contrary, the term strictly applies to all classes of weavers in Southern India, called Seniyars, Kaikkolars, Devangas, Kshatris (Khattris), Parayas, Sengundas, Mudaliars, Saliyurs, Padmasalays, but not to the Saurashtras in any way. The Saurashtras are now seen as a mercantile community. They are brave but humble, god-fearing, hospitable, fond of festivities and amusement. The Saurashtras, it is said, were originally a class of sun worshippers, from soura meaning sun, but the term Saurashtra means inhabitants of the fruitful kingdom. Their religion is Hinduism, and they were originally Madhvas. After their settlement in Southern India, some of them, owing to the preachings of Sankaracharya and Ramanujacharya, were converted into Saivites and Vaishnavites respectively. The Saurashtras belong to the Aksobhya and Sankaracharya Matas. The Saurashtras, like other nations of India, are divided into four great divisions, viz., Brahma, Kshatriya, Vaisya and Sudra. The Vaisyas and Sudras are to be found in almost all towns and villages, and especially at Tirupati, Nagari, Naranavanam, Arni, Kottar, Palani, Palamcottah, Vilangudi, and Viravanallur."
The affairs of the Patnulkarans at Madura are managed by a Saurashtra Sabha, which was started in 1895. Among the laudable objects for which the Sabha was established, the following may be noted:--
(a) To manage the Madura Saurashtra school, and establish reading-rooms, libraries, etc., with a view to enable members of the Saurashtra community to receive, on moderate terms, a sound, liberal, general and technical education.
(b) To manage the temple known as the Madura Sri Prasanna Venkateswara Swami's temple, and contribute towards its maintenance by constructing, repairing and preserving buildings in connection therewith, making jewels, vehicles and other things necessary therefor, and conducting the festivals thereof.
(c) To found charitable institutions, such as orphanages, hospitals, poor-houses, choultries (resting-places for travellers), water-sheds, and other things of a like nature for the good of the Saurashtra community.
(d) To give succour to the suffering poor, and the maimed, the lame, and the blind in the Saurashtra community.
(e) To give pecuniary grants in aid of upanayanams (thread marriages) to the helpless in the Saurashtra community.
(f) To erect such works of utility as bathing ghauts, wells, water fountains, and other works of utility for the benefit of the Saurashtra community.
(g) To fix and raise subscriptions known as mahamais (a sort of income-tax).
Among the subjects of the lectures delivered in connection with the Saurashtra Upanyasa Sabha at Madura in 1901 were the life of Mrs. Annie Besant, the Paris Exhibition of 1900, Mr. Tata and higher education, Saurashtra bank, Columbus, and the Saurashtra reform hotel.
A few years ago, the Saurashtra community submitted a memorial to the Governor of Madras to the effect that "as the backward Saurashtra community have not the requisite capital of half a lakh of rupees for imparting to their members both general and technical education, the Saurashtra Sabha, Madura, suggests that a lottery office may be kept for collecting shares at one rupee each from such of the public at large as may be willing to give the same, on the understanding that, every time the collections aggregate to Rs. 6,250, Rs. 250 should be set apart for the expenses of working the said office, and two-thirds of the remainder for educational purposes, and one-third should be awarded by drawing lots among the subscribers in the shape of five prizes, ranging from Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 125." In passing orders on this sporting scheme, the Government stated that it was not prepared to authorise the lottery. It has been well said [87] that the Patnulkarans have a very strong esprit de corps, and this has stood them in good stead in their weaving, which is more scientifically carried on, and in a more flourishing condition than is usual elsewhere.
For the following note on the Patnulkaran weavers of Madura, I am indebted to Mr. A. Chatterton, Director of Technical Enquiries:--"As a general rule, they are in a flourishing condition, and much better off than the Saurashtra weavers in Salem. This is probably due to the fact that the bulk of the Madura trade is in a higher class of cloth than at Salem, and the weavers are consequently less affected by fluctuations in demand for their goods due to seasonal variations. In various ways the Saurashtras of Madura have furnished evidence that they are a progressive community, particularly in the attention which they pay to education, and the keenness with which they are on the look-out for improvements in the methods of carrying out their hereditary craft. Nearly all the so-called improvements have been tried at Madura, and the fact that they have rejected most of them may be taken to some extent as evidence of their unsuitability for Indian conditions. Some time ago, one A. A. Kuppusawmy Iyer invented certain improvements in the native shedding apparatus, whereby ornamental patterns are woven along the borders, and on the ends of the better class of silk and cotton cloths. This apparatus was undoubtedly a material improvement upon that which is ordinarily used by the weaver, and it has been taken up extensively in the town. It is said that there are 350 looms fitted with this shedding apparatus, and the inventor, who has obtained a patent for it, is trying to collect a royalty of Rs. 1-4-0 a month on each loom. But this claim is resisted by a combination of the weavers using this shedding apparatus, and a suit is at the present time (1907) pending in the District Court. One of the most important weaving enterprises at Madura is the Meenakshi Weaving Company, the partners of which are Ramachandra Iyer, Muthurama Iyer, and Kuppusawmy Iyer. Their subscribed capital is Rs. 1,00,000, of which they are spending no less than Rs. 40,000 on building a weaving shed and office. The Madura dyeing industry is in the hands of the Saurashtras, and the modern phase dates back only as far as 1895, when Mr. Tulsiram started dyeing grey yarn with alizarine red, and, in the twelve years which have since elapsed, the industry has grown to very large proportions. The total sales at Madura average at present about 24 lakhs a year. There are from 30 to 40 dye-houses, and upwards of 5,000 cwt. of alizarine red is purchased every year from the Badische Aniline Soda Fabrik. The yarn is purchased locally, mainly from the Madura Mills, but, to some extent, also from Coimbatore and Tuticorin. The mordanting is done entirely with crude native earths, containing a large percentage of potassium salts. Drying the yarn presents considerable difficulty, especially in the wet weather. To secure a fast even colour, the yarn is mordanted about ten times, and dyed twice, or for very superior work three times, and between each operation it is essential that the yarn should be dried. The suburbs of Madura are now almost entirely covered with drying yards."
In a note on the Patnulkarans who have settled in Travancore, Mr. N. Subramani Aiyar writes as follows. "The Patnulkarans are generally of yellowish tinge, and in possession of handsomer and more intellectual features than the Tamil castes, from which they may be easily differentiated by even a casual observer. They are, however, more fair than cleanly. They keep in Travancore, as elsewhere, aloof from other castes, and live independently of general society, speaking a foreign language. This they have preserved with astonishing attachment, and recently a Saurashtra alphabet has been invented, and elementary books have begun to be written in that dialect. They are a very conservative class, religious enthusiasts of a very remarkable order, and skilful and industrious workmen. They take a peculiar pleasure in music, and many of them are excellent songsters. There are many kinds of amusement for both men and women, who generally spend their leisure in singing songs of a devotional nature. They believe largely in omens, of which the following may be noted:--
Good.--A pot full of water, a burning light, no Brahmans, a Sudra, a cow, a married woman, and gold.
Bad.--A barber, a patient, a person with some bodily defect, fuel, oil, a donkey, a pick-axe, a broom, and a fan.
"On entering a Patnulkaran's house, we are led to a courtyard, spacious and neat, where all the necessary arrangements are made for weaving purposes. The Patnulkarans live in streets. A male Patnulkaran resembles a Tamil Vaishnava Brahman in outward appearance, but the women follow the custom of the Telugu Brahmans alike in their costume and ornaments. Their jewels exactly resemble those of the Telugu Brahman women, and indicate a temporary residence of the caste in the Telugu country on the way from Gujarat to Madura. There is a Tamil proverb to the effect that, if a male Patnulkaran is seen without his wife, he will be taken for a Vaishnava Brahman, whereas, in the case of the Tatan caste, a woman without her husband will be taken for an Aiyangar. Children wear the karai round the neck. Tattooing prevails on a very large scale.
"The Patnulkarans may be divided into three classes on a religious basis, viz., (1) pure Vaishnavites, who wear the vertical Vaishnavite mark, and call themselves Vadakalas or northerners; (2) those who are mainly Smartas; (3) Sankara Vaishnavas, who wear gopi (sandal paste) as their sect-mark. It is to the last of these religious sects that the Travancore Patnulkarans belong, though, in recent times, a few Smartas have settled at Kottar. All these intermarry and interdine, and the religious difference does not create a distinction in the caste. The chief divinity of the Patnulkarans is Venkatachalapati of Tirupati. The month in which he is most worshipped is Kanni (September-October), and all the Saturdays and the Tiruvonam star of the month are particularly devoted to his adoration. One of their men becomes possessed on any of these days, and, holding a burning torch-light in his hand, touches the foreheads of the assembled devotees therewith. The Patnulkarans fast on those days, and take an image of Garuda in procession through the street. The Dipavali, Pannamasi in Chittiray, and the Vaikuntha Ekadasi are other important religious days. The Dusserah is observed, as also are the festivals of Sri Rama Navami, Ashtami, Rohini, Avani Avittam, and Vara Lakshmivratam. Formal worship of deities is done by those who have obtained the requisite initiation from a spiritual preceptor. Women who have husbands fast on full-moon days, Mondays, and Fridays. The serpent and the banyan tree are specially worshipped. Women sing songs in praise of Lakshmi, and offer fruits and cocoanuts to her. The Patnulkarans have a temple dedicated to Sri Rama at Kottar. This temple is visited even by Brahmans, and the priests are Aiyangars. The Acharya, or supreme religious authority of the Patnulkarans, in Travancore is a Vaishnava Brahman known as Ubhaya Vedanta Koti Kanyakadana Tatachariyar, who lives at Aravankulam near Tinnevelly, and possesses a large number of disciples. Once a year he visits his flock in Travancore, and is highly respected by them, as also by the Maharaja, who makes a donation of money to him. Elders are appointed to decide social disputes, and manage the common property of the caste. In Travancore there are said to be only three families of Patnulkaran priests. For the higher ceremonies, Brahman priests are employed.
"A girl's marriage is usually celebrated before puberty, and sometimes when she is a mere child of four or five. Great importance is attached to gotras or exogamous septs, and it is said that the septs of the bride and bridegroom are conspicuously inscribed on the walls of a marriage house. In the selection of an auspicious hour (muhurtam) for a marriage, two favourable planetary situations, one closely following the other, are necessary; and, as such occasions are rare, a number of marriages take place at one time. A man may claim his maternal uncle's daughter as his wife, and polygamy is permitted. The marriage ceremonial resembles the Brahmanical rites in many points. On the fourth day, a ceremonial observed by Telugu Brahmans, called Nagabali, is performed. The marriage badge, which is tied on the bride's neck, is called bottu. [From a note on the marriage ceremonies among the Patnulkarans of Madura, I gather that, as among Telugu and Canarese castes, a number of pots are arranged, and worshipped. These pots are smaller and fewer in number than at a Telugu or Canarese wedding. A figure of a car is drawn on the wall of the house with red earth or laterite. [88] On it the name of the gotra of the bridegroom is written. On the fourth day, the nagavali (or offering to Devas) is performed. The contracting couple sit near the pots, and a number of lights are arranged on the floor. The pots, which represent the Devas, are worshipped.]
"The namakarana, or name-giving ceremony, is performed on the eleventh day after birth. An eighth child, whether male or female, is called Krishna, owing to the tradition that Krishna was born as the eighth child of Vasudeva. Babies are affectionately called Duddu (milk) or Pilla (child). The annaprasana, or first feeding of the child, is sometimes celebrated at the end of the first year, but usually as a preliminary to some subsequent ceremony. Sometimes, in performance of a vow, boys are taken to the shrine at Tirupati for the tonsure ceremony. The upanayana is performed between the seventh and twelfth years, but neither brahmacharya nor samavartana is observed.
"The dead are burnt, and the remains of the bones are collected and deposited under water. Death pollution lasts only for ten days. The sradh, or annual ceremony, when oblations are offered to ancestors, is observed. Widows are allowed to retain their hair, but remove the bottu. Unlike Brahman women, they chew betel, and wear coloured cloths, even in old age."
The Patnulkarans have a secret trade language, concerning which Mr. C. Hayavadana Rao writes as follows. "The most remarkable feature about it is the number of terms and phrases borrowed from the craft, to which special meanings are given. Thus a man of no status is stigmatised as a rikhta khandu, i.e., a spindle without the yarn. Similarly, a man of little sense is called a mhudha, the name of a thick peg which holds one side of the roller. Likewise, a talkative person is referred to as a rhetta, or roller used for winding the thread upon spindles, which makes a most unpleasant creaking noise. Kapiniker, from kapini, a technical term used for cutting the loom off, means to make short work of an undesirable person. A man who is past middle age is called porkut phillias, which, in weavers' parlance, means that half the loom is turned."
Patra.--The Patras are an Oriya caste, which is divided into two sections, one of which is engaged in the manufacture of silk (pata) waist-threads, tassels, etc., and the other in weaving silk cloths. The members of the two sections do not interdine. The former have exogamous septs or bamsams, the names of which are also used as titles, e.g., Sahu, Patro, and Prushti. The latter have exogamous septs, such as Tenga, Jaggali, Telaga, and Mahanayako, and Behara and Nayako as titles. The chief headman of the cloth-weaving section is called Mahanayako, and there are other officers called Behara and Bhollobaya. The headman of the other section is called Senapati, and he is assisted by a Dhanapati. Infant marriage is the rule, and, if a girl does not secure a husband before she reaches maturity, she must, if she belongs to the cloth-weaving section, go through a form of marriage with an old man, and, if to the other section, with an arrow.
The Telugu Patras are summed up, in the Madras Census Report, 1901, as "a Telugu caste of hunters and cultivators, found chiefly in the districts of Cuddapah and Kurnool. It has two divisions, the Doras (chiefs), and Gurikalas (marksmen), the former of which is supposed to be descended from the old Poligars (feudal chiefs), and the latter from their followers and servants. This theory is supported by the fact that, at the weddings of Gurikalas, the Doras receive the first pan-supari (betel leaf and areca nut). Widows may not remarry, nor is divorce recognised. They usually employ Brahmans at marriages, and Satanis at funerals. Though they are Vaishnavites, they also worship village deities, such as Gangamma and Ellamma. They bury their dead, and perform annual sraddhas (memorial services for the dead). They will eat with Gollas. Their title is Naidu."
Patramela.--Patramela, or Patradeva, is the name of a class of dancing girls in South Canara. Patramela, Mr. H. A. Stuart writes, [89] is the name by which the Konkani Kalavants (courtezans) are known above the ghauts.
Patro.--The title of the head of a group of villages in Ganjam, and also recorded, at times of census, as a title of Alia, Kalinga Komati, Dolai, and Jaggala. The conferring of a cloth (sadhi) on a Patro is said to be emblematic of conferring an estate. The Patro, among other perquisites, is entitled to a fee on occasions of marriage. I am informed that, in the Ganjam Maliahs, if a Kondh was unable to pay the fee, he met his love at night beneath two trysting trees, and retired with her into the jungle for three days and nights.
Patrudu.--The title, meaning those who are fit to receive a gift, of Aiyarakulu and Nagaralu.
Pattadhikari.--A class of Jangams, who have settled head-quarters.
Pattan.--The equivalent of the Brahman Bhatta. A name by which some Kammalans, especially goldsmiths, style themselves.
Pattanavada.--A synonym for the Moger fishing caste, the settlements of which are called pattana.
Pattanavan.--The fishermen on the east coast, from the Kistna to the Tanjore district, are popularly called Karaiyan, or sea-shore people. Some Karaiyans have, at times of census, returned themselves as Taccha (carpenter) Karaiyans.
Pattanavan means literally a dweller in a town or pattanam, which word occurs in the names of various towns on the sea-coast, e.g., Nagapattanam (Negapatam), Chennapattanam (Madras). The Pattanavans have two main divisions, Periya (big) and Chinna (small), and, in some places, for example, at Nadukuppam in the Nellore district, exogamous septs, e.g., Gengananga, Peyananga, Kathananga (children of Ganga, Peyan, and Kathanar), and Kullananga (children of dwarfs). In the Telugu country, they go by the name of Pattapu or Tulivandlu.
Some Pattanavans give themselves high-sounding caste titles, e.g., Ariyar, Ayyayiraththalaivar (the five thousand chiefs), Ariya Nattu Chetti (Chettis of the Ariyar country), Acchu Vellala, Karaiturai (sea-coast) Vellala, Varunakula Vellala or Varunakula Mudali after Varuna, the god of the waters, or Kurukula vamsam after Kuru, the ancestor of the Kauravas. Some Pattanavans have adopted the title Pillai.
The Pattanavans are said to be inferior to the Sembadavans, who will not accept food at their hands, and discard even an earthen pot which has been touched by a Pattanavan.