Dravidian Gods in Modern Hinduism 23 



Later the outcastes remove the body of the buffalo, which comes 

 to them as a part of their pay for the work of the day. 



At the close of the worship of Poleramma, a sheep is offered to 

 Potu RazLi, and some of the food is poured out before him. He 

 is then requested to guard the village, and the ceremonies come 

 to an end. 



Potu Razu is represented by a small stone placed at some dis- 

 tance from the shrine of Poleramma. Bishop Whitehead says 

 of him :^2 " Potu Razu is a mysterious person in the Telugu coun- 

 try; sometimes he is described as the brother, sometimes as the 

 husband of the village goddess, and sometimes as only an attend- 

 ant. Once I was told that he was the devil's younger brother, 

 and occasionally the villagers seem to think that the less said 

 about him the better. But I have never met with him as an inde- 

 pendent deity, and have always been told that sacrifice is never 

 offered to him alone, but always in conjunction with one or more 

 of the goddesses." 



Ankamma. This goddess has much in common with Poler- 

 amma. She is usually represented by a stone image in a little 

 temple outside the village. Sometimes the image has some re- 

 semblance to a human form, but often it is an unhewn stone. 

 In addition to this usual position, Ankamma is often a household 

 god.^^ When she is worshiped as a household goddess she is rep- 

 resented by a pot in which are some shells, little earthen mugs, 

 and other similar articles. The shells represent the teeth of devils, 

 and the pots represent the food which they desire. 



The worship of Ankamma as a village goddess is much the 

 same as that of Poleramma, and so need not be described in detail. 

 It is more bloody, however, and seems to increase in fervor and 

 cruelty during the five days which it usually continues. On the 

 first day three buffalos and three sheep are sacrificed, the blood 

 being poured out before Ankamma. At this time the drum beaters 

 and horn blowers make a great tumult. The excitement increases 



^^ Madras Government Museum, Bulletin, V, no. 3, p. iii. 

 13 Any god may become a household god, but Ankamma seems to be 

 the one most commonly chosen. 



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