154 
The Roman Catholic Parawas of Tuticorin and the 
other Parawa strongholds on the Pescaria Coast have 
also been great believers in the virtue of chank amulets, 
and till recently all babies were given chank-bangles to 
protect from convulsions and from ched?. Even now 
the poorer and more ignorant continue to employ these 
amulets, keeping them on the wrists for about three years. 
The richer and better educated have either abandoned 
the practice or keep the bangles on for a much abbrevia- 
ted period. The Parawas formerly also employed 
pieces of the curious egg-capsule of the chank for the 
same purpose as the bangle, a fragment of the capsule 
(chanku-pu, literally ‘“‘chank-flower”) being tied by 
means of thread upon babies’ wrists. 
In Madura chank amulets are used even more freely 
than in Tinnevelly. In addition to bangles and rings 
used as amulets against the evil eye, or ailments such as 
chedi and pimples, very roughly fashioned and imper- 
fectly rounded fragments of chank-shells are used in the 
manner of beads to make necklaces which are used as 
amulets. Maravans, Paratyans, and Chakkiliyans are 
among the castes chiefly addicted to the wearing of these 
and other chank amulets ; these people often give their 
children both chank-bangles and necklaces of chank- 
beads with a view to multiplying the countervailing 
influences against the evil eye and against disease. 
Chank-bead necklaces (chanku matlazt) are also worn 
largely by children of the poorer Chettis and of the 
Vanniyans (oilmongers) who, though they do not yene- 
rally wear chank-bangles, will wear these chank-bead 
necklaces. The people of the lower castes also use the 
same rough beads to make bracelets (chaxku fasi) worn 
on the wrists for the same object as the bead necklaces. 
Similar customs in regard to rings and bead necklaces 
prevail in Tanjore and in South Arcot; where the low 
castes, especially Vanniyans, Koravans, Paratyans, Chak- 
kiliyans and wandering Lambadis, generally wear them 
as amulets against evil spirits, the evil eye and sickness. 
Koratti women appear to be the only ones in South 
Arcot who wear bead bracelets in addition to other 
bangles according to information kindly supplied by the 
Collector, Mr. Azizuddin. 
