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simplest, most childlike forms of worship is that practised 
by the Todas on the Nilgiri Hills of Western India. Almost 
the sole means of support possessed, by this tribe are their 
herds of buffaloes ; hence these, together with the implements 
and persons specially connected with them, have come to 
assume a sacred character. Certain old cow-bells, said to 
have come originally from heaven, are worshipped as gods ; 
and the priests or milkmen who tend the sacred buffaloes, of 
which several herds are specially set apart, are during their 
time of service also gods, and as such cannot be touched by 
any mortal. The duty of the priest is to perform a few 
simple rites daily before the cow-bells, and to care for his 
buffaloes, in which labour he is assisted by a semi-sacred 
herdsman. He can return at pleasure to ordinary human life, 
when, though no longer the embodiment of deity, he is treated 
with marked respect. The Todas believe in other gods, who are 
invisible, and whom the priest salutes as fellow-deities, but 
their ideas regarding them are extremely vague. 
The residence of the gods is sometimes localised by 
these aboriginal tribes as heaven, some distant and lofty 
mountain peak, a huge rock, or a grove of ancient trees. 
Spirits who. are likely to prove good neighbours are some- 
times enticed to take up their abode near a village by liberal 
offerings. Among the Kolarians of Central India every 
village has several sacred groves consecrated to tutelary gods. 
The trees in these groves must be left undisturbed on pain of 
divine displeasure. It is true, as a rule, that the Thibeto- 
Burman and Kolarian tribes construct no temples nor images 
of their gods, while images, or something answering to them, 
are common among the Dravidians. Still, among the former 
tribes, there is usually some spot where village or family 
worship is commonly performed, and which is marked by 
certain objects designed to suggest the sacredness of the 
place. The Garos set up before their houses bamboo poles, 
with fillets of cotton or flowers attached, and before these 
make their offerings. The same thing is done by the Limbus. 
The Kacharis, the Bodo, the Mishmis, and some of the tribes 
of Central India worship the 8ij (Euphorbia) plant as an em- 
blem of deity. The Juangs, Kharrias, and Korwas regard 
the ant-hill as a sacred place, and use it to take an oath, or 
to sacrifice upon. The Akas alone of these north-eastern 
tribes have images of their gods, and little huts to serve for 
temples ; but, as they are partly converted to Hinduism, this 
custom 1s probably derived from that source. In the villages 
of Dravidian tribes one finds some objects set up to represent 
the tutelary gods. These are often rude in shape—a lump of 
