"5 



In the Nilgiri hills, especially in Ootacamund, Konga 

 Paraivan women who have come from Coimbatore are 

 often to be met with wearing chank-bangles. Their sub- 

 division is considered one of superior standing and the 

 people belonging to it will not act as sweepers. The 

 bangle is always worn on the left wrist ; frequently two 

 are worn, always plain and massive, and about | inch in 

 width, exactly similar indeed to those worn by Chanku 

 (Puluva?) Vellalas. 



The women of the Kota hill-tribe in the Nilo-iri hills 

 have an allied custom, but instead of a massive bangle cut 

 from the entire shell, they wear around the left wrist a 

 bracelet of roughly-made chank beads strung on a thread. 

 When chank beads are not obtainable they wear a string 

 of white glass beads as near the colour and shape of the 

 usual chank beads as they can obtain. In answer to my 

 questions, the elders of a Kota village situated close to 

 Kotagiri informed me that all married women must 

 possess and wear one of these bracelets on the left wrist 

 together with two massive copper bangles on the right 

 w^'ist during- their husband's life. They are assumed 

 however before marriage and the putting on of the chank 

 bracelet is not a part of the marriage ceremonies. On 

 the death of the husband the widow discards this with 

 her other ornaments, but is permitted to resume them 

 after a decent interval of mourning — three months 

 according to my informant. It is to be noted that 

 the wife's ornaments are not broken or destroyed at the 

 husband's death as is the custom amono- the chank- 

 W'Caring Hinduised plains-people. At the woman's own 

 death they are put to burn with her body on the funeral 

 pyre. The Kotas can adduce no special reason for the 

 wearing of these bracelets, except that their god 

 Bhaorawani lono- aoo ordered that their women shonld 

 do so. 



The women of the Irulas, another of the Nilgiri tribes, 

 also occasionally wear chank-bangles. Thurston (II, 

 382) mentions seeing one on an Irula woman's right wrist 

 in company there with eight brass bangles and one of 

 iron ; on the other wrist were three lead and six glass 

 bangles and one composed of glass beads. My own 

 experience does not lead me to consider this as a detinite 

 custom. None of the Irula women whom I have seen 



8^A 



