20 Wilber Theodore Elmore 



outside. The remainder of the food is taken home by the one 

 offering it, and is eaten there. When smallpox has appeared in 

 a village, many of the people besides the afflicted family perform 

 these ceremonies as a precautionary measure. 



If the smallpox appears to be spreading, a general jatara^ is 

 arranged for. First the announcement of the coming jatara is 

 made, and offerings solicited. This is done as follows. After 

 bathing the image of Poleramma, a procession is formed, led by 

 the Madiga asadi or story teller, a village servant called a yetti, 

 and a washerman. Taking new pots these three go about the 

 village from house to house announcing the coming jatara. At 

 each house they receive a small amount of food and buttermilk, 

 which later they divide among themselves. They then go to the 

 centre of the village, and taking a new pot they place in it one- 

 fourth of an anna,^ some turmeric, charcoal, and rice. The asadi 

 now tells the story of Poleramma, describing her powers and the 

 dangers which may come from neglecting her. The people become 

 much wrought up, and make vows to her to be fulfilled at the time 

 of the jatara. The pot is then tied to a tree and left until the 

 time of worship. 



The jatara itself, or festival, usually occupies four days. '^ On 

 the first day the pot is taken from the tree and carried in proces- 

 sion through the village, accompanied by the beating of drums. 

 As it is carried past each house the inmates come out and bow 

 in worship before it. All the people then bring pots of food, and 



^ Jatara is a Dravidian word meaning originally a tumult or noisy dis- 

 turbance. Tirunalla is also a Dravidian word meaning literally " good 

 days." It is used also for the festivals of the gods. I find that there is 

 much confusion in the minds of the people as to the use of these words. 

 One will say that the festival is a jatara, and another that the same festival 

 is a tirunalla. The most common distinction is that a tirunalla is the 

 general merry-making part, and the jatara is the time of bloody propitia- 

 tion. Tirunalla is often used of the worship of the Hindu gods, but jatara 

 never is. 



® An anna is equal to one penny or two cents. 



■^ For a full description of the worship of Peddamma, which is very 

 similar, see Bishop Whitehead's account in Madras Government Museum, 

 Bulletin, V, no. 3, pp. 129 flf. ; also Kurnool District Manual, 1880, Sec. II, 

 pp. 150-156. 



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