Part 26

Vanni Kula Kshatriya.--A synonym of the Pallis, who claim to belong to the fire race of Kshatriyas.

Vanniyan.--A synonym of Palli. The name further occurs as a sub-division of Ambalakaran and Valaiyan. Some Maravans also are known as Vanniyan or Vannikutti. Ten (honey) Vanniyan is the name adopted by some Irulas in the South Arcot district.

Vantari.--See Telaga.

Vanuvan.--A name assumed by Vaniyans who have abandoned their hereditary occupation of oil-pressing, and taken to trade in grain and other articles.

Varakurup.--Recorded, in the Madras Census Report, 1901, as a title of Malayalam Paravans.

Varige (millet).--An exogamous sept of Kapu.

Variyar.--For the following note on the Variyar section of the Ambalavasis, I am indebted to Mr. N. Subramani Aiyar. The name is believed to be derived from Parasava, which, according to Yajnavalkya and other law-givers, is the name given to the son of a Brahman begotten on a Sudra woman, and suggests the fact that the Variyar is no Brahman, though the blood of the latter may course through his veins, and though such marriages were regarded as sacraments in early days. This is the derivation given by Pachumuttalu in his Keralaviseshamahatmya, who adds that the chief occupation of the Variyars is to sweep the floor of the temples. In some of the Asauchavidhis (works on pollution) of Kerala, the commentator explains the word Parasava as Variya. Many Variyars add the title Parasava to their name, when writing in Sanskrit. Some derive the word from varija or one born of water, in accordance with a tradition that Parasurama created from water a class of persons for special service in temples, and to take the place of Sudras, who, being meat-eaters, were ineligible for the same. Others again, like the late Professor Sundaram Pillay, would take Variyar as being derived from varuka, to sweep. Recently, some ingenuity has been displayed in splitting the word into two words, giving it a meaning equivalent to pseudo-Aryan. The title Asan, or teacher, is possessed by certain families, whose members have held the hereditary position of tutors in noblemen's houses. In mediæval times, many Variyar families received royal edicts, conferring upon them the privileges of being tutors and astrologers. These special rights are even now possessed by them.

The following legend is narrated concerning the origin of the Variyars. A Sudra woman removed a bone from within a temple in obedience to the wish of certain Brahman priests, and was excommunicated from her caste. The priests, on hearing this, were anxious to better her condition, and made her the progenitor of a class of Ambalavasis or temple servants, who were afterwards known as Variyars. According to another legend, the corpse of a Maran, which was found inside a Nambutiri's house, was promptly removed by certain Nayars, who on that account were raised in the social scale, and organised into a separate caste called Variyar. There is a still further tradition that, in the Treta Yuga, a Sudra woman had five sons, the first of whom became the progenitor of the Tiyatunnis, and the second that of Variyars. A fourth account is given in the Keralamahatmya. A young Brahman girl was married to an aged man. Not confident in unaided human effort, under circumstances such as hers, she devoted a portion of her time daily to preparing flower garlands for the deity of the nearest temple, and conceived. But the Brahman welcomed the little stranger by getting the mother thrown out of caste. Her garlands could no longer be accepted, but, nothing daunted, she worked as usual, and made a mental offering of the garlands she prepared, which, through an unseen agency, became visible on the person of the deity. Though the people were struck with shame at their unkind treatment of the innocent girl, they were not prepared to take her back. The Variyan caste was accordingly constituted, and her child was brought up by the Azhancheri Tambrakkal, and accommodated in the padippura or out-house at the entrance gate. In the Pasupata Tantra, the Variyars are called Kailasavasins, or those who live in Kailas, as they are supposed to be specially devoted to the worship of Siva. Kailasa is the abode of Siva, whither the blessed go after death.

The Variyars of Travancore are divided into four groups, called Onattukara, Venattukara, Ilayetattunad (or Ilayathu), and Tekkumkur. The Venattukaras have the privilege of interdining with the Onattukaras, and having their ceremonies performed by priests from that group. But the ceremonies of the Onattukaras appear to be performed without the Venattukaras being admitted into their midst. The third and fourth groups take food in the houses of the first and second, though the reverse seldom happens. The Variyars in British Malabar are divided into several other groups.

The Variyars are generally well-read, especially in Sanskrit, make excellent astrologers, and are also medical practitioners. A Variyar's house is called variyam, as the Pisharati's is known as pisharam.

Married women have the hair-knot on the left side of the head, like Nayar ladies. They cover the breast with a folded cloth, and never wear a bodice or other innovations in the matter of dress. The marriage ornament is called matra, and is in the shape of a maddalam or drum. Other neck ornaments are called entram and kuzhal. The todu, or ornament of Nayar women, is worn in the ear-lobes. Women mark their foreheads, like Nambutiri ladies, with sandal paste.

The Variyars, Pushpakans, and Pisharatis, are said to constitute the three original garland-making castes of Malabar, appointed by Parasurama. At the present day, in all the important temples, except in South Travancore, where Kurukkals perform that function, garlands can only be prepared by one of these castes. The technical occupation of a Variyar in a temple is called kazhakam, which is probably derived from the Dravidian root kazhaku, to cleanse. Kazhakam is of two kinds, viz., malakkazhakam or garland-making service, and talikkazhakam or sweeping service, of which the former is more dignified than the latter. Under the generic term kazhakar are included making flower garlands for the temple, preparing materials for the offering of food, sweeping the beli offering, carrying lights and holding umbrellas when the god is carried in procession, having the custody of the temple jewels, etc. The Variyar is at the beck and call of the temple priest, and has to do sundry little services from morning till evening. He is remunerated with some of the cooked food, after it has been offered to the deity. The Variyars are to Saivite temples what the Pisharatis are to Vaishnavite temples. Their prayers are prominently addressed only to Siva, but they also worship Vishnu, Subramanya, Sasta, Ganesa, and Bhadrakali. Their chief amusement is the farce called Kuttappathakam, the hero of which is one Vankala Nikkan, and the heroine Naityar. An Ilayatu is the stage-manager, and a Pisharati the actor. Parangotan is the buffoon, and Mappa his wife. In the eighteenth century, a grand festival lasting over twenty-eight days, called mamangam, was celebrated in British Malabar. The above characters are represented as proceeding to this festival, which came off once in twelve years on the Magha asterism in the month of Magha, and is hence popularly called Mahamagha.

The Variyar caste is governed in all matters by the Nambutiri Brahmans, but they have their own priests. The Ilayatus believe that they were the preceptors of all the Ambalavasi castes in former times, but were dislodged from that position owing to most of them employing priests from among their own caste men. Even at the present day, Ilayatus are known to express their displeasure when they are asked to drink water from a Variyar's well. As, however, consecrated water from the Nambutiris is taken to a Variyar for its purification, they entertain no scruples about cooking their food there, provided they carry with them the aupasana fire.

Inheritance among the Variyars of Cochin and British Malabar is in the female line (marumakkathayam). Among the Variyars of Travancore, chiefly these belonging to the Onattukara section, a kind of qualified makkathayam prevails, in accordance with which both sons and daughters have an equal right to inherit ancestral property. The eldest male member is entitled to the management of the estate in all undivided families. Partition, however, is largely followed in practice.

The tali-kettu ceremony of the Variyars generally takes place before a girl reaches puberty, and, in the case of boys, after the ceremony of Sivadiksha has been performed, that is between the twelfth and sixteenth years. If the marriage is in the kudi-vaippu form, or, in other words, if there is an intention on the part of both parties to treat the marital alliance as permanent, no separate sambandham need be celebrated afterwards; and, in all cases where marriages are celebrated between members of the same section, the kudi-vaippu form is in vogue. If a girl is unmarried when she reaches puberty, she is not permitted to take part in any religious ceremonies, or enter any temple until she is married. The first item of a Variyar's marriage is ayani-unu, when the bridegroom, decked in new clothes and ornaments, dines sumptuously with his relations. He then goes in procession to the bride's house, and, after bathing, puts on clothes touched by the bride. After this some prayers are recited, and a sacrifice is offered. The bride is then brought to the marriage hall, and, all the Brahmanical rites are strictly observed. After sunset, some grass and a leopard's skin are placed on the floor on which white cloth is spread. The bridegroom, who is seated on the northern side, worships Ganapati, after which the couple take their seats on the cloth bed spread on the floor. Lights are then waved in front of them. This ceremony is known as dikshavirikkuka. In the kudi-vaippu form of marriage, the bride is taken to the house of the bridegroom, where the dikshavirippu is observed. Otherwise the marital rite becomes a mere tali-kattu ceremony, and the girl, when she comes of age, may receive clothes in token of conjugal connection with another person. When the first husband dies, clothes may be received from another Variyar, or a Brahman, whose wife the woman becomes.

Most of the ceremonies observed by Malayali Brahmans are also performed by the Variyars, the vratas and upanayana being among those which are omitted. Sivadiksha, as already indicated, is observed between the twelfth and sixteenth years. The festival lasts for four days, though the religious rites are over on the first day. At an auspicious hour, the priest and the Variyar youth put on the tattu dress, or dress worn for ceremonial purposes, and worship a pot full of water with incense and flowers, the contents of which are then poured by the priest over the youth. The priest and a Maran then perform the tonsure, and the youth bathes. Some Nambutiris are then engaged to perform the purificatory rite, after which the Variyar wears the tattu as well as an upper cloth, marks his forehead with ashes and sandal paste, and decorates himself with jewels, rudraksha (Elæocarpus Ganitrus) beads, and flowers. Alms are received by the young Variyar from his mother, and he takes seven steps in a northerly direction which symbolise his pilgrimage to Benares. It is only after the performance of this rite that the Variyar is believed to become a grihastha (married person, as opposed to a bachelor). The funeral rites of the caste have been elaborated in many places. Death pollution lasts for twelve days, and the sanchayana (milk ceremony) is observed on the seventh or ninth day. Anniversary ceremonies are celebrated in memory of close relations, and others are propitiated by the performance of sradh, and the feeding of a Variyar on a new-moon day.

In an account of a royal wedding in Travancore in 1906, I read that "a number of Variyars left the thevarathu koikal, or palace where worship is performed, for a compound (garden) close by to bring an areca palm. It is supposed that they do this task under divine inspiration and guidance. One man is given a small rod by the Potti or priest in the palace, and, after receiving this, he dances forward, followed by his comrades, and all wend their way to a compound about a furlong away. On reaching the spot, they uproot a big areca palm without the use of any implement of iron, and take it away to the thevarathu koikal without its touching the ground, to the accompaniment of music. They then plant it in front of the portico, and do some puja (worship) after the manner of Brahmans. The function is comparable to the dhwajarohanam, or hoisting of the flag during temple utsavams. The Variyars dance round the tree, singing songs, and performing puja. A piece of white cloth is tied to the top of the tree, to serve as a flag, and a lamp is lighted, and placed at the foot of the tree."

The Variyars are described, in the Gazetteer of Malabar, as "a caste whose traditional duty is to sweep the temple precincts (varuga). At the present day, some members of the caste are important land-owners or petty chieftains, occupying a very high social position. They generally follow the marumakkatayam principle, but they have also a form of marriage called Kudivekkal similar to the Brahman Sarvasvadhanam, by which the wife is adopted as a member of the family into which she marries, and her children also belong to it. The Variyar's names and ceremonies indicate Sivaite proclivities, just as those of the Pisharodi are tinged with Vishnavism. The Variyar's house is called a Variyam, and his woman-folk Varassiars. This class is perhaps the most progressive among the Ambalavasis, some of its members having received a Western education and entered the learned professions."

Varugu Bhatta.--A mendicant class, which begs from Perikes.

Varuna.--Some Pattanavan fishermen have adopted the name of Varunakula Vellala or Varunakula Mudali after Varuna the god of the waters.

Vasa (new).--A sub-division of Kurubas, who are said to weave only white blankets.

Vasishta.--A Brahmanical gotra adopted by Khatris and Toreyas. Vasishta, one of the seven great Rishis, was the son of Mitra and Varuna, whose quarrels with Viswamitra are narrated in the Ramayana.

Vastra.--One division of the Koragas is called Vastra, meaning cloths such as are used as a shroud for a corpse, which were given to them as an act of charity, the wearing of new cloths by them being prohibited. Vastrala (cloth) further occurs as an exogamous sept of the Karna Sale and Devanga weavers.

Vattakadan.--Recorded as a sub-division of Nayar, the occupation of which is expressing oil, chiefly for use in temples. Mr. F. Fawcett writes [117] that, in North Malabar, he has frequently been told by Nayars of the superior classes that they do not admit the Vattakadans to be Nayars. According to them, the Vattakadans have adopted the honorary affix Nayar to their names quite recently. In the Madras Census Report, 1891, Vattakadan is stated to be a synonym of Vaniyan; and in the report, 1901, this name is said to mean a Native of Vattakad, and to be given to the Chakkans.

Vatte (camel).--A gotra of Kurni.

Vatti.--Vatti or Vattikurup has been recorded at times of census as a sub-division of Nayar, and a synonym of Kavutiyan and Tolkollan. Vatti is said to mean one who prays for happiness.

Vayani.--The Vayanis, Vayinis, Vaguniyans, or Pavinis, are a section of Madigas, the members of which play on a single-stringed mandoline, and go about from village to village, singing the praises of the village goddesses. Each Vayani has his recognised beat. He plays a prominent

## part in the celebration of the annual festival of the village goddess,

and receives a sacred thread (kappu), which is usually tied to his mandoline, before the commencement of the festival. He regards himself as superior in social position to ordinary Madigas, with whom he will not marry. The name Vayani is said to be a corruption of varnane, meaning to describe. In some localities, e.g., the Chingleput district, the Vayani enjoys mirasi rights in connection with land.

Vedan.--The Vedans are described by Mr. H. A. Stuart, in the North Arcot Manual, as having been "formerly hunters and soldiers, and it is this caste which furnished a considerable and valuable contingent to the early Hindu kings, and later to the armies of Hyder and Tippoo. They are supposed by some to be the remnants of the earliest inhabitants of the peninsula, and identical with the Veddahs of Ceylon. They are also called Valmikulu, which means those who live on the products of ant-hills (valmikum)." It is noted, in the Census Report, 1891, that the two castes Bedar (or Boya) and Vedan were, "through a misapprehension of instructions, treated as identical in the tabulation papers. The two words are, no doubt, etymologically identical, the one being Canarese and the other Tamil, but the castes are quite distinct." It may be noted that the name Valmika or Valmiki is assumed by the Boyas, who claim descent from Valmiki, the author of the Ramayana, who did penance for so long in one spot that a white-ant hill grew up round him.

In the Madras Census Report, 1901, the Vedans are described as "a Tamil-speaking labouring and hunting caste, the members of which were formerly soldiers, and subsequently dacoits. The name means a hunter, and is loosely applied to the Irulas in some places (e.g., Chingleput). There is some connection between the Vedans and Tamil Vettuvans, but its precise nature is not clear. The Vettuvans now consider themselves superior to the Vedans, and are even taking to calling themselves Vettuva Vellalas. Marriage (among the Vedans) is either infant or adult. Widows may marry their late husband's brother or agnates. Some employ Brahmans as priests. They either burn or bury their dead. They claim descent from Kannappa Nayanar, one of the sixty-three Saivite saints. Ambalakarans also claim to be descended from Kannappa Nayanar. In Tanjore, the Valaiyans declare themselves to have a similar origin. The title of the Vedans is Nayakkan." In the Madura Manual, the Vedans are described as a very low caste, who get their living in the jungles. They are not numerous now. They appear to have been naked savages not very long ago, and their civilisation is far from complete. They are held in the greatest contempt by men of all classes. They are described further, in the Coimbatore Manual, as "a very degraded, poor tribe, living by basket-making, snaring small game, and so on. They speak a low Canarese, and are as simple as savage. The delight of a party at the gift of a rupee is something curious." In the Salem district some Vedans are said [118] to be "known by the caste name Tiruvalar, who are distinguished as the Kattukudugirajati, a name derived from a custom among them, which authorises temporary matrimonial arrangements."

The following story in connection with bears and Vedans is worthy of being placed on record. The bears are said to collect ripe wood-apples (Feronia elephantum) during the season, and store them in the forest. After a small quantity has been collected, they remove the rind of the fruits, and heap together all the pulp. They then bring honey and petals of sweet-smelling flowers, put them on the heap of pulp, and thresh them with their feet and with sticks in their hands. When the whole has become a consistent mass, they feed on it. The Vedan, who knows the season, is said to drive off the bears by shooting at them, and rob them of their feast, which is sold as karadi panchamritham, or bear delicacy made of five ingredients.

The Vedars of Travancore are summed up by the Rev. S. Mateer [119] as "living in jungle clearings or working in the rice fields, and formerly sold and bought as slaves. They have to wander about in seasons of scarcity in search of wild yams, which they boil and eat on the spot, and are thorough gluttons, eating all they can get at any time, then suffering want for days. Polygamy is common, as men are not required to provide for the support of their wives. Some, who have been converted to Christianity, show wonderful and rapid improvement in moral character, civilisation and diligence."

For the following note on the Mala (hill) Vedans of Travancore, I am indebted to Mrs. J. W. Evans. [120] "They live in wretched huts amid the rice-flats at the foot of the hills, and are employed by farmers to guard the crops from the ravages of wild beasts. The upper incisor teeth of both men and women are filed to a sharp point, like crocodile's fangs. One ugly old man, Tiruvatiran by name (the name of a star), had the four teeth very slightly filed. On being pressed for the reason why he had not conformed to Mala Vedar fashion, he grinned, and said 'What beauty I was born with is enough for me.' Probably the operation had been more painful than he could bear, or, may be, he could not afford to pay the five betel leaves and areca nuts, which are the customary fee of the filer. Any man may perform the operation. A curved bill-hook, with serrated edge, is the instrument used. On being asked whether they had any tradition about the custom of tooth-filing, they replied that it was to distinguish their caste, and the god Chattan would be angry if they neglected the custom. It may be noted that tooth-filing is also practiced by the jungle Kadirs (q.v.). Both males and females wore a cotton loin-cloth, mellowed by wear and weather to a subtle greenish hue. Red and blue necklaces, interstrung with sections of the chank shell (Turbinella rapa) adorned the necks and chests. One woman was of special interest. Her neck and breasts were literally concealed by a medley of beads, shells, brass bells, and two common iron keys--these last, she said, for ornament. Around her hips, over her cloth, hung several rows of small bones of pig and sambar (Cervus unicolor). The Mala Vedans find these bones in the jungle. An aged priest said that he used to perform devil-dancing, but was now too stiff to dance, and had to labour like the younger men. The Mala Vedans apparently possess no temples or shrines, but Hindus permit them to offer money at the Hindu shrines from a distance, at times of sudden sickness or during other seasons of panic. Their god Chattan, or Sattan, has no fixed abode, but, where the Mala Vedans are, there is he in the midst of them. They bury their dead in a recumbent posture, near the hut of the deceased. The Mala Vedans practice the primitive method of kindling fire by the friction of wood (also practiced by the Kanakars), and, like the Kanakars, they eat the black monkey. Their implements are bill-hooks, and bows and arrows. They weave grass baskets, which are slung to their girdles, and contain betel, etc."

The more important measurements of twenty-five Mala Vedans examined by myself were--

Max. Min. Average.

Stature (cm.) 163.8 140.8 154.2 Cephalic index 80.9 68.8 73.4 Nasal index 102.6 71.1 85.0

The figures show that, like other primitive jungle tribes in Southern India, the Mala Vedans are short of stature, dolichocephalic, and platyrhine.