14 Wilber Theodore Elmore 



It is probable that these temples were built by local kings at 

 public expense, under the direction of Brahmans at court. They 

 were built in the fields to satisfy the customs of the people, and 

 the style was Dravidian rather than Aryan. With the coming of 

 political changes support by the government disappeared, except 

 in cases where lands had been given to the temples, and the small 

 Siva temples seem not to have been thus endowed. As now the 

 burden of keeping up the worship fell upon the people themselves, 

 they found the Siva worship too much Brahmanized to suit their 

 tastes, and they soon went back to their unchanged Dravidian gods. 



Although Siva has been deserted, the village demonesses are 

 usually said to be his wives. His sons, Hanuman and Ganesa, 

 also seem to be nearer to the hearts of the people. The image of 

 Hanuman is commonly worn around the necks of the children, 

 being drawn on a small piece of metal, while a large stone image 

 of Ganesa is often found beside the shrine of the Dravidian vil- 

 lage goddess, and at times is even placed in the temple beside the 

 goddess. 



It is evident, therefore, that although much of the aboriginal re- 

 ligion and many of the gods have been adopted into Hinduism, 

 working great changes in Hinduism itself, there has been but very 

 little assimilation in the thoughts and customs of the people. In 

 many ways an artificial connection has been found between the 

 original Dravidian worship and Hinduism, and the people are clas- 

 sified as Hindus, but the connection is to a great extent in name 

 only. The same strange rites, the same basal beliefs and ideas, 

 which these Dravidians possessed tens of centuries ago, seem no 

 less powerful to-day. The Dravidians have been conquered polit- 

 ically and socially, but religiously the contact of Aryans and Dra- 

 vidians has resulted in not more than a drawn battle.^^ 



1'^ Gazetteer of Madura District, I, 84, states that in many places in this 

 district the influence of the Brahmans is comparatively weak, and that 

 weddings are performed without the help of these intermediaries. The 

 fact is very unusual, and shows that Brahmans have not secured complete 

 control. In the Madura District they are only 18 in every 1000 of the 

 population. The Manual of Administration of the Madras Presidency, I, 

 p. 71, gives a story to the effect that to subdue Vishnu, Siva placed himself 

 at the head of the demoniacal aborigines. This story indicates some early 



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