Part 20

Ravulo.--It is recorded, in the Madras Census Report, 1901, that "there are three castes of temple servants among the Oriyas, the Ravulos, the Malis and the Munis. The Ravulos blow conches (shells of Turbinella rapa) in the Saivite temples and at Brahmans' weddings, sell flowers, and regard themselves as superior to the other two. The Malis do service in Saivite or Vaishnavite temples and sell flowers, but the Munis are employed only in the temples of the village goddesses. Among the Ravulos, infant marriage is compulsory, but widow marriage is allowed, and also divorce in certain cases. A curious account is given of the punishment sometimes inflicted by the caste panchayat (council) on a man who ill-treats and deserts his wife. He is made to sit under one of the bamboo coops with which fish are caught, and his wife sits on the top of it. Five pots of water are then poured over the pair of them in imitation of the caste custom of pouring five pots of water over a dead body before it is taken to the burning-ground, the ceremony taking place in the part of the house where a corpse would be washed. The wife then throws away a ladle, and breaks a cooking-pot just as she would have done had her husband really been dead, and further breaks her bangles and tears off her necklace, just as would have been done if she was really a widow. Having thus signified that her husband is dead to her, she goes straight off to her parents' house, and is free to marry again. Some Ravulos wear the sacred thread. They employ Brahmans as priests for religious and ceremonial purposes. They eat fish and meat, though not beef or fowls, but do not drink alcohol. Nowadays many of them are earth-workers, cart-drivers, bricklayers, carpenters and day labourers." It is further noted, in the Census Report, that Mali is "an Oriya caste of vegetable growers and sellers, and cultivators. Also a caste belonging to Bengal and Orissa, the people of which are garland makers and temple servants. The statistics confuse the two." In an account of the Ravulos, as given to me, Ravulos, Munis, and Malis are not three castes, but one caste. The Munis are said to worship, among others, Munis or Rishis, Sakti, Siva, and Ganesa. A Muni, named Sarala Doss, was the author of the most popular Oriya version of the Mahabharata, and he is known as Sudra Muni, the Sudra saint.

Ravulo occurs further as a title of Kurumos who officiate as priests in Siva temples in Ganjam, and Muni as a title of the Sipiti temple servants.

Ravutan.--Ravutan, or Rowthan, is a title used by Labbai, Marakkayar, and Jonagan Muhammadans. The equivalent Ravut or Raut has been recorded as a sub-caste of Balija, and a title of Kannadiyan.

Raya Rauturu.--The name of certain chunam [lime] burners in Mysore.

Rayan.--A title assumed by some Pallis or Vanniyans, who wear the sacred thread, and claim to be Kshatriyas.

Rayi (stone).--An exogamous sept of Mala.

Razu.--The Razus, or Rajus, are stated, in the Madras Census Report, 1901, to be "perhaps descendants of the military section of the Kapu, Kamma, and Velama castes. At their weddings they worship a sword, which is a ceremony which usually denotes a soldier caste. They say they are Kshatriyas, and at marriages use a string made of cotton and wool, the combination peculiar to Kshatriyas, to tie the wrist of the happy couple. But they eat fowls, which a strict Kshatriya would not do, and their claims are not universally admitted by other Hindus. They have three endogamous sub-divisions, viz., Murikinati, Nandimandalam, and Suryavamsam, of which the first two are territorial." According to another version, the sub-divisions are Surya (sun), Chandra (moon), and Nandimandalam. In a note on the Razus of the Godavari district, the Rev. J. Cain sub-divides them into Suryavamsapu, Chandravamsapu, Veliveyabadina, or descendants of excommunicated Suryavamsapu and Razulu. It may be noted that some Konda Doras call themselves Raja (= Razu) Kapus or Reddis, and Suryavamsam (of the solar race). "In the Godavari delta," Mr. Cain writes, "there are several families called Basava Razulu, in consequence, it is said, of their ancestors having accidentally killed a basava or sacred bull. As a penalty for this crime, before a marriage takes place in these families, they are bound to select a young bull and young cow, and cause these two to be duly married first, and then they are at liberty to proceed with their own ceremony."

Of the Razus, Mr. H. A. Stuart writes [125] that "this is a Telugu caste, though represented by small bodies in some of the Tamil districts. They are most numerous in Cuddapah and North Arcot, to which districts they came with the Vijayanagar armies. It is evident that Razu has been returned by a number of individuals who, in reality, belong to other castes, but claim to be Kshatriyas. The true Razus also make this claim, but it is, of course, baseless, unless Kshatriya is taken to mean the military class without any reference to Aryan origin. In religion they are mostly Vaishnavites, and their priests are Brahmans. They wear the sacred thread, and in most respects copy the marriage and other customs of the Brahmans." The Razus, Mr. Stuart writes further, [126] are "the most numerous class of those who claim to be Kshatriyas in North Arcot. They are found almost entirely in the Karvetnagar estate, the zemindar being the head of the caste. As a class they are the handsomest and best developed men in the country, and differ so much in feature and build from other Hindus that they may usually be distinguished at a glance. They seem to have entirely abandoned the military inclinations of their ancestors, never enlist in the native army, and almost wholly occupy themselves in agriculture. Their vernacular is Telugu, since they are immigrants from the Northern Circars, from whence most of them followed the ancestors of the Karvetnagar zamindar within the last two centuries. In religion they are mostly Vaishnavites, though a few follow Siva, and the worship of village deities forms a part of the belief of all. Their peculiar goddess is called Nimishamba who would seem to represent Parvati. She is so called because in an instant (nimisham) she once appeared at the prayer of certain rishis, and destroyed some rakshasas or giants who were persecuting them. Claiming to be Kshatriyas, the Razus of course assume the sacred thread, and are very proud and particular in their conduct, though flesh-eating is allowed. In all the more well-to-do families the females are kept in strict seclusion."

In the Vizagapatam district Razus are recognised as belonging to two classes, called Konda (hill) and Bhu (plains) Razu. The former are further divided into the following sections, to which various zamindars belong:--Konda, Kodu, Gaita, Muka, Yenati. The Konda Razus are believed to be hill chiefs, who have, in comparatively recent times, adopted the title of Razu.

For the following note on the Razus of the Godavari district, I am indebted to Mr. F. R. Hemingway. "They say they are Kshatriyas, wear the sacred thread, have Brahmanical gotras, decline to eat with other non-Brahmans, and are divided into the three classes, Surya (sun), Chandra (moon), and Machi (fish). Of these, the first claim to be descended from the kings of Oudh, and to be of the same lineage as Rama; the second, from the kings of Hastinapura, of the same line as the Pandavas; and the third, from Hanuman (the monkey god) and a mermaid. Their women observe a very strict rule of gosha, and this is said to be carried so far that a man may not see his younger brother's wife, even if she is living in the same house, without violating the gosha rule. The betrothal ceremony is called nirnaya bhojanam, or meal of settlement. Written contracts of marriage (subha reka) are exchanged. The wedding is performed at the bride's house. At the pradanam ceremony, no bonthu (turmeric thread) is tied round the bride's neck. The bridegroom has to wear a sword throughout the marriage ceremonies, and he is paraded round the village with it before they begin. The gosha rule prevents his womenfolk from attending the marriage, and the bride has to wear a veil. The ceremonies, unlike those of other castes, are attended with burnt offerings of rice, etc. Among other castes, the turmeric-dyed thread (kankanam), which is tied round the wrists of the contracting couple, is of cotton; among the Razus it is of wool and cotton. The Razus are chiefly employed in cultivation. Some of them are said to attain no small proficiency in Telugu and Sanskrit scholarship. Zamindars of this caste regard Kali as their patron deity. The Razus of Amalapuram specially adore Lakshmi. Some peculiarities in their personal appearance may be noted. Their turbans are made to bunch out at the left side above the ear, and one end hangs down behind. They do not shave any part of their heads, and allow long locks to hang down in front of the ears."

A colony of Razus is settled at, and around Rajapalaiyam in the Tinnevelly district. They are said to have migrated thither four or five centuries ago with a younger brother of the King of Vizianagram, who belonged to the Pusapati exogamous sept. To members of this and the Gottimukkula sept special respect is paid on ceremonial occasions. The descendants of the original emigrants are said to have served under southern chieftains, especially Tirumala Naick. Concerning the origin of the village Rajapalaiyam the following legend is narrated. One Chinna Raju, a lineal descendant of the Kings of Vizianagram, settled there with others of his caste, and went out hunting with a pack of hounds. When they reached the neighbouring hill Sanjiviparvatham, they felt thirsty, but could find no water. They accordingly prayed to Krishna, who at once created a spring on the top of the hill. After quenching their thirst thereat, they proceeded westward to the valley, and the god informed them that there was water there, with which they might again quench their thirst, and that their dogs would there be attacked by hares. At this spot, which they were to consider sacred ground, they were to settle down. The present tank to the westward of Rajapalaiyam, and the chavadi (caste meeting-place) belonging to the Pusapatis are said to indicate the spot where they originally settled.

The Rajapalaiyam Razus have four gotras, named after Rishis, i.e., Dhananjaya, Kasyapa, Kaundinya and Vasishta, which are each sub-divided into a number of exogamous septs, named after villages, etc. They are all Vadagalai or Tengalai Vaishnavites, but also worship Ayanar, and send kavadi (portable canopy) to Palni in performance of vows. Their family priests are Brahmans.

The betrothal ceremony of the Razus of Rajapalaiyam is generally carried out at the house of the girl. On a raised platform within a pandal (booth), seven plates filled with plantain fruits, betel, turmeric, cocoanuts, and flowers are placed. A plate containing twenty-five rupees, and a ravike (female cloth), is carried by a Brahman woman, and set in front of the girl. All the articles are then placed in her lap, and the ceremony is consequently called odi or madi ninchadam (lap-filling).

The girl's hair is decked with flowers, and she is smeared with sandal and turmeric. A certain quantity of paddy (unhusked rice) and beans of Phaseolus Mungo are given to the Brahman woman, a portion of which is set apart as sacred, some of the paddy being added to that which is stored in the granary. The remainder of the paddy is husked in a corner of the pandal, and the beans are ground in a mill. On the marriage morning, the bride's party, accompanied by musicians, carry to the house of the bridegroom a number of baskets containing cocoanuts, plantains, betel, and a turban. The bridegroom goes with a purohit (priest), and men and women of his caste, to a well, close to which are placed some milk and the nose-screw of a woman closely related to him. All the women sprinkle some of the milk over his head, and some of them draw water from the well. The bridegroom bathes, and dresses up. Just before their departure from the well, rice which has been dipped therein is distributed among the women. At the bridegroom's house the milk-post, usually made from a branch of the vekkali (Anogeissus latifolia) tree, is tied to a pillar supporting the roof of the marriage dais. To the top of the milk-post a cross-bar is fixed, to one arm of which a cloth bundle containing a cocoanut, betel and turmeric, is tied. The post is surmounted by leafy mango twigs. Just before the milk-post is set up, cocoanuts are offered to it, and a pearl and piece of coral are placed in a hole scooped out at its lower end. The bundle becomes the perquisite of the carpenter who has made the post. Only Brahmans, Razus and the barber musicians are allowed to sit on the dais. After the distribution of betel, the bridegroom and his party proceed to the house of the bride, where, in like manner, the milk-post is set up. They then return to his house, and the bridegroom has his face and head shaved, and nails pared by a barber, who receives as his fee two annas and the clothes which the bridegroom is wearing. After a bath, the bridegroom is conducted to the chavadi, where a gaudy turban is put on his head, and he is decorated with jewels and garlands. In the course of the morning, the purohit, holding the right little finger of the bridegroom, conducts him to the dais, close to which rice, rice stained yellow, rice husk, jaggery (crude sugar), wheat bran, and cotton seed are placed. The Brahmanical rites of punyahavaachanam (purification), jatakarma (birth ceremony), namakaranam (name ceremony), chaulam (tonsure), and upanayanam (thread ceremony) are performed. But, instead of Vedic chants, the purohit recites slokas specially prepared for non-Brahman castes. At the conclusion of these rites, the bridegroom goes into the house, and eats a small portion of sweet cakes and other articles, of which the remainder is finished off by boys and girls. This ceremony is called pubanthi. The Kasiyatra (mock flight to Benares) or Snathakavritham is then performed. Towards evening the bridegroom, seated in a palanquin, goes to the bride's house, taking with him a tray containing an expensive woman's cloth, the tali tied to gold thread, and a pair of gold bracelets. When they reach the house, the women who have accompanied the bridegroom throw paddy over those who have collected at the entrance thereto, by whom the compliment is returned. The bridegroom takes his seat on the dais, and the bride is conducted thither by her brothers. A wide-meshed green curtain is thrown over her shoulders, and her hands are pressed over her eyes, and held there by one of her brothers, so that she cannot see. Generally two brothers sit by her side, and, when one is tired, the other relieves him. The purohit invests the bridegroom with a second thread as a sign of marriage. Damp rice is scattered from a basket all round the contracting couple, and the tali, after it has been blessed by Brahmans, is tied round the neck of the bride by the bridegroom and her brothers. At the moment when the tali is tied, the bride's hands are removed from her face, and she is permitted to see her husband. The pair then go round the dais, and the bride places her right foot thrice on a grindstone. Their little fingers are linked, and their cloths tied together. Thus united, they are conducted to a room, in which fifty pots, painted white and with various designs on them, are arranged in rows. In front of them, two pots, filled with water, are placed, and, in front of the two pots, seven lamps. Round the necks of these pots, bits of turmeric are tied. They are called avareti kundalu or avireni kundalu, and are made to represent minor deities. The pots are worshipped by the bridal couple, and betel is distributed among the Brahmans and Razus, of whom members of the Pusapati and Gottimukkala septs take precedence over the others. On the following day, the purohit teaches the sandyavandhanam (morning and evening ablutions), which is, however, quite different from the Brahmanical rite. On the morning of the third or nagavali day, a quantity of castor-oil seed is sent by the bride's people to the bridegroom's house, and returned. The bride and bridegroom go, in a closed and open palanquin, respectively, to the house of the former. They take their seats on the dais, and the bride is once more blindfolded. In front of them, five pots filled with water are arranged in the form of a quincunx. Lighted lamps are placed by the side of each of the corner pots. On the lids of the pots five cocoanuts, plantains, pieces of turmeric, and betel are arranged, and yellow thread is wound seven times round the corner pots. The pots are then worshipped, and the bridegroom places on the neck of the bride a black bead necklace, which is tied by the Brahman woman. In front of the bridegroom some salt, and in front of the bride some paddy is heaped up. An altercation arises between the bridegroom and the brother of the bride as to the relative values of the two heaps, and it is finally decided that they are of equal value. The bridal pair then enter the room, in which the avireni pots are kept, and throw their rings into one of the pots which is full of water. The bridegroom has to pick out therefrom, at three dips, his own ring, and his brother-in-law that of the bride. The purohit sprinkles water over the heads of the pair, and their wrist-threads (kankanam) are removed. They then sit in a swing on the pandal for a short time, and the ceremonies conclude with the customary waving of coloured water (arati) and distribution of betel. During the marriage ceremony, Razu women are not allowed to sit in the pandal. The wives of the more well-to-do members of the community remain gosha within their houses, and, strictly speaking, a woman should not see her husband during the daytime. Many of the women, however, go freely about the town during the day, and go to the wells to fetch water for domestic purposes.

The Razus of Rajapalaiyam have Razu as the agnomen, and, like other Telugu classes, take the gotra for the first name, e.g., Yaraguntala Mudduswami Razu, Gottimukkala Krishna Razu. The women adhere with tenacity to the old forms of Telugu jewelry. The Razus, in some villages, seem to object to the construction of a pial in front of their houses. The pial, or raised platform, is the lounging place by day, where visitors are received. The Razus, as has been already stated, claim to be Kshatriyas, so other castes should not sit in their presence. If pials were constructed, such people might sit thereon, and so commit a breach of etiquette.

In the Madras Census Report, 1901, Rajamakan is given as a Tamil synonym for Razu, and Razu is returned as a title of the Bagata fishermen of Vizagapatam. Razu is, further, a general name of the Bhatrazus.

Reddi.--See Kapu.

Reddi Bhumi (Reddi earth).--A sub-division of Mala, Mangala, and Tsakala.

Rela (fig. Ficus, sp.).--A gotra of Medara.

Relli.--See Haddi.

Rendeddu.--A sub-division of Ganigas or Gandlas, who use two bullocks for their oil-pressing mill.

Rokkam (ready money).--An exogamous sept of Komati.

Rolan.--Rolan, or Roli Cheruman, is a sub-division of Cheruman.

Rona.--The Ronas are a class of Oriya-speaking hill cultivators, who are said [127] to "hold a position superior in the social scale to the Parjas (Porojas), from whom, by compulsion and cajolery, they have gotten unto themselves estates. They are not of very long standing (in Jeypore). Every Parja village head is still able to point out the fields that have been taken from him to form the Rona hamlet; and, if he is in antagonism with a neighbouring Parja village on the subject of boundaries, he will include the fields occupied by the Rona as belonging de jure to his demesne." In the Madras Census Report, 1891, it is noted that "the Ronas are supposed to be the descendants of Ranjit, the great warrior of Orissa. In social status they are said to be a little inferior to the so-called Kshatriyas. Some of them serve as armed retainers and soldiers of the native chiefs, and some are engaged in trade and cultivation."

For the following note I am indebted to Mr. C. Hayavadana Rao. The word rona means battle. According to a tradition current among the Ronas, their ancestors, who were seven brothers, came many generations ago to Nundapur, the former capital of the Rajas of Jeypore, and made their first settlement in Borra.

The caste is divided into four endogamous divisions, viz.:--

(1) Rona Paiko. (2) Odiya Paiko, said to rank a little higher than the preceding. (3) Kottiya Paiko, the descendants of Rona Paikos and women of hill tribes. (4) Pattiya Paik, the descendants of Kottiya Paikos and women of hill tribes.

As examples of septs among the Ronas, the following may be cited:--Kora (sun), Bhag (tiger), Nag (cobra), Khinbudi (bear), and Matsya (fish).

When a girl reaches puberty, she is placed apart in a portion of the house where she cannot be seen by males, even of the household, and sits in a space enclosed by seven arrows connected together by a thread. On the seventh day she bathes, and is presented with a new cloth. It is customary for a man to marry his paternal uncle's daughter. At the time of marriage, the bridegroom's party repair to the house of the bride with a sheep, goat, rice, and a female cloth with a rupee placed on it, and four quarter-anna bits inserted within its fold. The cloth and money are taken by the bride's mother, and the animals and rice are used for a feast. On the following day, the bride goes to the house of the bridegroom, in front of which a pandal (booth), made out of nine poles of the neredu tree (Eugenia Jambolana) has been set up. At the auspicious hour, which has been fixed by the Desari who officiates, in the absence of a Brahman, at the marriage rites, the bride and bridegroom take their seats in the pandal with a curtain between them. The Desari joins their hands together, and ties to the ends of their cloths a new cloth to which a quarter-anna piece is attached, betel leaves and nuts, and seven grains of rice. The curtain is then removed, and the pair enter the house. The knotted new cloth is removed, and kept in the house during the next two days, being untied and re-tied every morning. On the third day, the couple again come within the pandal, and the new cloth is again tied to them. They are bathed together in turmeric water, and the cloth is then untied for the last time. The rice is examined to see if it is in a good state of preservation, and its condition is regarded as an omen for good or evil. The remarriage of widows is permitted, and a younger brother usually marries the widow of his elder brother.

There is for all the Ronas a headman of their caste, called Bhatho Nayako, at Nundapur, who decides offences, such as eating in the house of a man of inferior caste, and performs the ceremonial cleansing of a man who has been beaten with a shoe. Divorce and civil suits are settled by a caste council.