Page:Castes and Tribes of Southern India.djvu/491

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365
BRAHMAN


The sub-divisions of the Telugu Brāhmans are as follows:—

A.— Vaidiki.
1. Murikinādu. 6. Vēginādu.
2. Telaganyam. 7. Konesime.
3. Velnādu. 8. Ārama Drāvida.
4. Kasalnādu. 9. Ārādhya.
5. Karnakammalu. 10. Prathamasāki.
B.— Niyogi.
1. Āruvela. 4. Pesalavayalu.
2. Nandavarikulu. 5. Prānganādu.
3. Kammalu.
C. — Tambala.
D. — Immigrants.

1. Pudur Drāvida. 2. Thummagunta Drāvida.

All these sections are endogamous, and will eat together, except the Tambalas, who correspond to the Gurukkals among the Tamil Brāhmans. Vaidikis are supposed to be superior to Niyōgis. The former do not generally grow moustaches, while the latter do. For srādh ceremonies, Niyōgis do not generally sit as Brāhmans representing the ancestors, Vaidikis being engaged for this purpose. In some places, e.g., the Nandigama tāluk of the Kistna district, the Niyōgis are not referred to by the name Brāhman, Vaidikis being so called. Even Niyōgis themselves point to Vaidikis when asked about Brāhmans.

Velnādu, Murikinādu, and Vēginādu seem to be territorial names, and they occur also among some of the non-Brāhman castes. The Āradhyas are dealt with in a special article (see Ārādhya). Among the Karnakammas are certain sub-sections, such as Ōgōti and