Page:Castes and Tribes of Southern India, Volume 2.djvu/347

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309
GURUKKAL

of qualification for, and skill acquired by training when young in enchanting by music, dancing, etc.

Gunta (well). — A sub-division of Bōyas, found in the Anantapūr district, the members of which are employed in digging wells.

Guntaka (harrow). — An exogamous sept of Kāpu.

Guntala (pond). — An exogamous sept of Bōya.

Gupta.— A Vaisya title assumed by some Mūttāns (trading caste) of Malabar, and Tamil Pallis.

Guri. — Recorded, in the Vizagapatam Manual, as a caste of Paiks or fighting men. Gurikala (marksman) occurs, in the Madras Census Report, 1901, as a sub-division of Patra.

Gurram (horse). — An exogamous sept of Chenchu, Golla, Māla, Padma Sālē, and Togata. The Gurram Togatas will not ride on horseback. Kudirē, also meaning horse, occurs as a gōtra or exogamous sept of Kurni and Vakkaliga.

Gurukkal. — For the following note on the Gurukkals or Kurukkals of Travancore, I am indebted to Mr.N. Subramani Aiyar. The Kurukkals are priests of castes, whose religious rites are not presided over by Ilayatus. They are probably of Tamil origin. Males are often called Nainar and females Nachchiyar, which are the usual titles of the Tamil Kurukkals also. In the Kēralolpatti the caste men are described as Chilampantis, who are the adiyars or hereditary servants of Padmanābhaswāmi in Trivandrum. They seem to have been once known also as Madamūutalis or headmen of matts, and Tēvara Pandārams, or Pandārams who assisted the Brāhman priest in the performance of religious rites in the Mahārāja's palace. It is said that the Kurukkals originally belonged to the great Vaisya branch of Manu's fourfold system of caste, and migrated from the Pāndyan