The Kāppiliyans are one of the nine Kambalam castes, who are so called because, at their caste council meetings, a kambli (blanket) is spread, on which is placed a kalasam (brass vessel) filled with water, and decorated with flowers. Its mouth is closed by mango leaves and a cocoanut. According to the Gazetteer of the Madura district, they are "split into two endogamous sub-divisions, namely the Dharmakattu, so called because, out of charity, they allow widows to marry one more husband, and the Mūnukattu, who permit a woman to have three husbands in succession." They are also said to recognise, among themselves, four sub-divisions, Vokkiliyan (cultivator), Mūru Balayanōru (three bangle people), Bottu Kattoru (bottu tying people), Vokkulothōru, to the last of which the following notes mainly refer.
They have a large number of exogamous septs, which are further divided into exogamous sub-septs, of which the following are examples:—
Sept.
Sub-sept.
Basiriyōru
Hennu (female) Basiri.
Gandu (male) Basiri.
Lodduvōru
Loddu.
Palingi Loddu.
Kolingi Loddu.
Uddudhōru (Phaseolus Mungo, var. radiatus).
Huniséyōru (tamarind people).
Mottuguni.
Manalōru, sand people.
One exogamous sept is called Ānē (elephant), and as names of sub-septs, named after animate or inanimate objects, I may mention Hatti (hamlet), Aranē (lizard) and Puli (tiger).
