72 Wilher Theodore Elmore 



human sacrifice was made. There may be some doubt, however, 

 as to the willingness of the victims. Verdatchamma later built 

 herself a temple on the island in the tank and is said to have died 

 there. The people believing her to be a goddess, built another 

 temple on the tank bank, and erected two stones to the murdered 

 boys. The usual bloody offerings are made at this second temple 

 and before the stones representing the boys. 



Such deities rise and fall. Bandlamma is an example of one 

 whose worship is evidently passing away. She appears to be a 

 purely local deity. The word bandlu means carts, and she ap- 

 pears to be the goddess of the carts. The story is told that she 

 was originally a goddess in the village of Chandaluru, Nellore 

 District, but one day she followed some carts which were going 

 on the road to Madras. At night they camped at the village of 

 Ravuru, near Ramapatnam. That night she appeared in a dream 

 to one of the cartmen who was a native of that place, and told 

 him that she desired to change her residence, and would protect 

 them if they built her a temple and worshiped her. 



Bandlamma soon became a usual village goddess. The out- 

 standing feature of her worship is the hook-swinging ceremony .^^ 

 On the last day of her worship a live goat is swung from a frame 

 placed on a cart, the iron hooks being placed in the flesh of its 

 back. This cart leads the procession. The goat swung from a 

 cart appears intended for the propitiation of the goddess of the 

 carts. It is said that the goat greatly enjoys the experience, and 

 that it bleats with pleasure. Furthermore it does not die, but is 

 turned loose after the ceremony, and comes again of its own 

 accord for the next jatara! 



The worship of Bandlamma has practically ceased. Only the 

 older people can remember when it took place. The growing sen- 

 timent against such cruelties as hook-swinging may have had 

 some influence, and the coming of the railway, which put an end 

 to extensive cart traffic, may have been another cause for the 

 neglect of Bandlamma. 



Such are some of the local stories relating to the origins of 



^1 For further information about hook-swinging see pp. 35 sq. 



72 



