146 



here have more regara for the magic flute than for the 

 divine voice issuing from the chank." 



In Beno-al the association of the chank with marriage 

 is more intimate and deep than elsewhere ; no Bengali 

 lady is properly or legally married unless chank bangles 

 which should be lacquered red be placed upon her 

 wrists. In the Madras Presidency, marriage bangles 

 are used only by a few sections of the agricultural and 

 pastoral castes (V^ellalans and Idaiyans). 



One of the most interesting facts brought to light 

 during the present research is the weighty evidence 

 we have that in former days the tali, the essential 

 marriage symbol among Tamils, was directly connected 

 with the chank, either composed of a piece of the shell 

 or of a metal ornament in the form of a miniature chank 

 shell. We find this marriage badge named specifically 

 sankhu tali among four castes widely separated both 

 geographically and in status and civihzation. P'irst are 

 the Chaiiku tali J^ellalans, a section of the great Vellalar 

 caste, who wear, according to Winslow (Tamil and 

 English Dictionary, Madras, 1862), a representation of 

 the chank on either side of a central svmbol. Unfortu- 

 nately apart from this reference I have been unable to 

 trace the location of these Vellalans at the present day, 

 or to obtain any details of the custom. 



Two other castes with the same marriage badge 

 occur on the West Coast, and it is sign'ficant that one 

 is undoubtedly of Tamil origin. This is an immigrant 

 branch of the Idaiyans known locally as Puvandans. 

 settled in Travancore. On ceremonial occasions the 

 women wear the Tamil Idaiyan dress while in ordinary 

 life they attire themselves after the fashion of Nayar 

 women. Their tali is known as sankhu tali and a small 

 ornament in the form of a chank is its most conspicuous 

 feature. (Thurston, II, 366.) 



The other West Coast caste using a sankhu tali is 

 that of the Thandan Pulayans, a small division of the 

 Pulayans w^ho dwell in South Malabar and Cochin. 

 The women dress in a leaf skirt made from the stems of 

 a sedge called thanda which are cut into equal lengths, 

 woven at one end and tied round the waist so that they 

 hanor down below the knees. 



