File:Castes and tribes of southern India. Assisted by K. Rangachari (1909) (14587302079).jpg

Identifier: castestribesofso06thuruoft (find matches)
Title: Castes and tribes of southern India. Assisted by K. Rangachari
Year: 1909 (1900s)
Authors: Thurston, Edgar, 1855-1935 Rangachari, K
Subjects: Caste -- India Madras (Presidency) Ethnology -- India Madras (Presidency) India -- Social conditions
Publisher: Madras Government Press
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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eities,commonly called devata, have been identified by Hinduswith the feminine energy of Siva, and thus the Paraiyanswho worship them have received the sectarian epithet.As a matter of fact, the wearing of the namam of Vishnu,or the smearing of the ashes of Siva, is of no meaning toa Paraiyan. They are neither Saivites nor Vaishnavites.Like all other Dravidians, the Paraiyans acknowl-edge the existence of a supreme, omnipresent, personalspiritual Being, the source of all, whom they call Kadavul(He who is). Kadavul possesses no temples, and isnot worshipped, but he is the highest conception ofParaiya thought. Paraiyans worship at least threeclasses of godlings or devata, generally called themothers (amma). Sometimes they are worshipped asthe virgins (Kanniyamma) or the seven virgins. Thesemothers may be worshipped collectively in a group.They are then symbolised by seven stones or bricks,perhaps within a little enclosure, or on a little platform * Gazetteer of the South Arcot district.
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I05 PARAIYAN in the Paralya hamlet, or under a margosa (MeliaAzadirachta) tree, or sheltered by a wattle hut, or evenby a small brick temple. This temple is universallyknown as the Amman Koil. More usually, one parti-cular mother is worshipped at the Paraiya shrine. Sheis then called the grama devata, or village goddess, ofthe particular hamlet. The names of these goddesses arelesfion. Each villasfe claims that its own mother is notthe same as that of the next village, but all are supposedto be sisters. Each is supposed to be the guardian ofthe boundaries of the cheri or gramam where her templelies, sometimes of both gramam and cheri. She isbelieved to protect its inhabitants and its livestock fromdisease, disaster and famine, to promote the fecundity ofcattle and goats, and to give children. In a word, sheis called the benefactress of the place, and of all in itwho worship her. The following are a few of the namesof these village tutelary deities :— Ellamma, goddess of the boundary

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