Page:Castes and Tribes of Southern India, Volume 7.djvu/482

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
YANADI
420
Pāmula, snake. Udamala, water-lizard.
Tenkayala, cocoanut. Jandayi, flag.
Totla, garden. Marrigunta, pond near a
Tupakala, gun. fig-tree.
(b) Challa Yanadi —
Nerigi Mekala, a kind of goat.
Elugu, bear.
Thirlasetti, name of a Balija Chetti.

All these names represent exogamous septs. In every case, the house-name was known only to old men and women, and they, as a rule, did not know the house- names of their neighbours or relations. Many of the names are derived from villages, or persons of other castes, on whose land they may. live, and are probably new names adopted instead of the original ones. For the purpose of their register. Forest officers invent prefixes by which Yānādis with the same family name can be distinguished, e.g., Kee Chenchugadu, Permadu Budthagadu, to distinguish them from other Chenchugadus, and Budthagadus. The same practice is resorted to by planters, who give "estate names" to their coolies.

Yānādis will not eat with Mādigas or Paraiyans, and observe some principle in partaking of the refuse of the table. Thus, for a Chinna Yānādi to eat the refuse of the Mondis, Oddes, or Yerukalas, would involve excommunication, which is always pronounced by a Balija Chetti, whose decision is final and binding. Restoration to caste can be secured by undergoing a personal ordeal, by giving a feast, and promising good behaviour in the future. The ordeal takes the form of scalding of the tongue with hot gold by the Balija Chetti. It is curious that there has recently grown up a tendency for members of other castes to join the Yānādi community. There