Dravidian Gods in Modern Hinduism 25 



goddess. The people then eat, and the festival closes with the 

 usual procession of carts about the teniple.^'^ 



MuTHYALAMMA. The worship of this goddess is much the 

 same as that of Poleramma, In the jatara for Muthyalamma 

 which the writer was able to observe/^ a temporary clay image was 

 used to represent the goddess, as her own temple and image were 

 at some distance. This temporary image was afterwards left 

 to be trampled under foot. The object of the worship at this 

 time was to bring rain. Three bufifalos and a large number of 

 sheep, goats, and chickens were offered. 



In a case like this, where more than one buffalo is offered, the 

 one first slain is the real buffalo sacrifice, which is so constant a 

 feature in the worship of these gods. The remaining buffalos, 

 like the other animals, are usually given by individuals in payment 

 of vows. The one main buffalo sacrifice in which the head is 

 placed before the idol, is an essential of a jatara. This sacrifice 

 is for the entire village. Other offerings are optional. 



DiLLi PoLASi. This goddess also is both a village and a house- 

 hold deity. As a household goddess she is represented by a 

 number of pots placed one on top of another, the largest at the 

 bottom, and hung in a network of rope. These pots are very 

 commonly seen in any village house. 



The household worship is simple. Usually the mother of the 

 wife of the household will send new clothes to her daughter and 

 son-in-law. They put these on, tie the ends together, and sit 

 near the household god, while the village story-teller, dressed 

 as a Brahman, gives a forecast of the coming year, the rain, the 

 crops, the prosperity of the farm and herds. He imitates a Brah- 

 man in reading their horoscopes, and the prophecy is usually a 

 favorable one. The husband and wife are then remarried. The 

 wife removes her tali bottu, or marriage symbol, which is worn 

 around her neck. The story-teller, now acting as priest, fur- 

 nishes a new string, and her husband again ties it around her neck 

 as he did on the first wedding day. They then worship Dilli 



'^'' Ankamma is also called Ankallamma. In Tamil she is Angaramma. 

 18 In Ramapatnam, May, 1907. Muthyalamma is the village goddess of 

 Ramapatnam. 



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