ABSTRACT
The Saurashtras, Mudaliars, Salias and Patariyars of Kanyakumari District have specific behaviors in their social lives. Each community differs because of their living conditions.The social behavior of each community also differs accordingly. The four communities earn their livelihood through different economic perspectives. In religious sphere also these communities worship different deities and follow different religious sects of Hinduism. A microscopic group of these communities has embraced Islam and Christianity. They have participation in political arena also. On the whole these communities show different approaches in social, economic, religious and political spheres.
The Patunulkarans are generally handsome with an yellowish tinge. They are intellectual features when compared to other Tamil castes from which they may be easily differentiated by a casual observer. They live in Travancore. They are aloof from other castes and live independently, though they speak a foreign language. They have a astonishing attachment towards their language and recently a Saurasthra alphabet has been invented. The elementary books are written in the dialect. They belong to a conservative class, religious enthusiasts of a very remarkable order, skilful and industrious workmen. They take a peculiar pleasure in music and many of them are excellent singers. There are many kinds of amusement for both men and women, who generally spend their leisure time in singing devotional songs.The Patunulkaran’s house has a courtyard, spacious and neat where all the necessary arrangement are made for weaving purposes.
The mother tongue of the Saurastrians is Saurastri. They also speak Tamil and use Tamil script. The women wear the sari in the Gujarati style, which is quite distinctive. They have their own community priest, who performs their ceremonies. Generally, the Saurastrians are vegetarians but some of them now eat non vegetarian food occasionally. Their staple food is rice. They eat pulses, vegetables and fruits. They consume milk and milk products also. They use vegetable fat or groundnut oil for cooking. They are trained by the Vedhsa Dhyana school which is run by Saurashrians. The Saurastrians are divided into three classes on the religious basis pure Vaishnavites, Smarthas and Sankara Vaishnavas. All these intermarry and inter dine and the religious differences do not create a distinction in the community.
After their migration to Tamilnadu, the people were divided into four heads, called Goundans (chiefs), Saulins (elders) Voyddoos (physicians) and Bhoutuls (religious men). Some traces of the divisions still survive in the now-neglected institution of Goundans. The Goundans are supposed to be responsible for the activities of their. The masses enjoyed the property under the joint undivided hindu family system as prescribed in the code on Manu. The chiefs were the judges in both civil and criminal affairs. They were aided in deciding cases by the Saulins. The office of the Saulins is to make enquiries and bring for trial in all cases connected with the community, and ensure the decision of the chiefs is obeyed. The Voyddoos (pundits) and Bhoutuls who participate on all important occasions,are of the same rank as the elders. The Karestuns are the commoners. Their voice is necessary on certain important occasions, such as during the ceremonies of excommunication, Prayascittas (to admit renegades) and the periodical meetings of the community. The Goundans at present do not exercise any of their powers, except in some religious matters . They originally led a purely religious life, but now they are in agriculture, trading, dyeing and weaving. These new professions interfere in no way with their religious beliefs and ceremonies.The Saurastra use such titles as Ayyangar, Achari, Sharma and Rao, as do Tamil Brahmans. In the social hierarchy, they consider themselves equal to the Brahmans. The Saurastrians are again divided into 64 exogamous gotras..
These are: Agasthya, Ankirasa, Aruni, Asida, Athreba, Aurva, Bharatvaja, Bharkeva, Chyavana, Devala, Dhurvasa, Harida, Itmavaha, Jaimini, Jamadagni, Janhi, Japhali, Kalava, Kartheya, Kasyaba, Kaudama, Kaudsa, Kaumanda, Kaundinya,Kausika, Kavasa, Khanva, Kubitha, Maithreya, Mandabala, Madanga, Mandavya, Marisi, Markhandeya, Matsa, Maunjayana, Mauthkalya, Medadidi, Paghirada, Pailava, Parasara, Pippala, Pramathi, Sakthi, Salihotra, Salikha, Sandilya, Sarabanka, Saubari, Ssadudai, Srivadhsa, Summands, Tathisa, Udnja, Uphamanyu, Usena, Ushnisha, Vaisamparajam, Valmiki, Vamadeva,Vasishta,Vatsayana,Visvamitra and Vyasa. Generally, the family priests keep the individual’s gotra identity. Most of them live in joint families but there are nuclear families also, where the sons live separetly after marriage. But they get their share in the property only after all their siblings got married. The eldest son becomes the head of the family after the death of the father. The Saurastra respect their women and they are consulted in every family activity. They do not have a right to share their parental property. But they get ornaments and cash as dowry at the time of their marriage.
They help their men in weaving, dyeing the cloth or thread and stitching labels. Thus, they too support their families economically. Pre-delivery rituals are observed among the Saurastrians. Post delivery pollution is observed for 11days. On the 11th day, both the mother and child are given purificatory baths. Their community priest performs the necessary puja and blesses the child and pronounces its name. A yellow thread is tied around the waist of the child by the child’s grand mother and sweets are distributed to all the relatives. A small feast is arranged for close relatives. The child is given gifts by its grandparents and other relatives. The annaprasana (first feeding of the child) is celebrated, sometimes, at the end of the first year. The upanayanam(thread wearing ceremony) is performed between the seventh and twelfth month. usually in the month of Avani (August- September). They perform the tonsuring ceremony either in the month of Purattasi (September to October)or Chittirai (April-May). Relatives are invited to this function and a small feast is arranged.
The major source of income for the Saurashtra is weaving. Some of them have their own looms and take yarn from the weaver’s society or from private businessmen and supply the finished goods. For this they are paid according to the items woven, such as sari, towel, plain cloth and dhoti. Some of them work in private looms of their community, others work in handloom factories. The women also weave and their children assist them. Girls generally stitch the borders of the towels or the labels and also help with dyeing. Of late, many are opting for other jobs and have also started other business, because working in the handloom industry is not remunerative. Also, people from other communities, are also seeking employment in the weaving industry.
The Patunulkarans have a secret trade language 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 stigmatized as a rikhta khandu,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 to winding the thread upon spindles. which makes a most unpleasant creaking noise. Kapiniker from kapini a technical term used for cutting loom off, means to make short work of an undesirable person. A man who has past middle age is called as prokut phillias which in weaver’s parlance means that half the loom is turned.
The Patunulkarans may be divided in three classes on a religious basis, pure Vaishnavites who wear the vertical Vaisnavite mark, and call themselves Vadakalas or northerners those who are mainly Smaratas, Sankara Vaisnavas, who wear gopi (sandal paste)as their sect- mark. It is to the last of these religious sects that the Travancore Patunulkarans belong though in recent times a few Samatas have settled at Kottar. The Pattariya are Hindus and profess Hindusim. They do not have family or regional deities. They worship siva, parvathi,Vishnu, Subramanya etc. dharma Sasta, Bhagawathi are the village deities. Their sacred specialists to officiate in the marriage ceremony and to worship in temples. They observe festivals like Sivarathri, Vishu and Onam, which have got socio religious significance. The major sacred centres of the community are Guruvayur, Sabarimalai etc.
The Saurashtra have a caste association named the Saurastra Madhya Sabha which was established 100 years ago. Its head quarters is in Madurai. The association runs schools and a college. They have their own vedha dhyana school to teach the sastras and mandras to their children. The association settles some of their disputes. They have their representatives in the municipal councils and in the local and district boards.
– K.Baby
Research Scholar, Women’s Christian College, Nagercoil.
References
1. Edgar Thurston, K Rangachari, Castes and Tribes of Southern India,Vol-V, Asian Educational Services, Madras, 1993.
2. K.S.Singh,(ed.), People of India,Tamil Nadu, Vol-XL, Part-II, Anthropological Survey of India, New Delhi, 2001
3. K.S.Singh,(ed.), People of India, Kerala, Vol-XXVII,Part-III, Anthropological Survey of India, New Delhi, 2002.