318 



JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [Vol. VIII. 



is called misupali* The measuriDg of the heap is then 

 proceeded with, and the land- owner gives the cultivators or 

 servants their proper shares, and his tithe to the renter. 

 Sometimes the blacksmith, carpenter, barber, dhoby, 

 and tom-tom beater — the kudimakkal\ employed by the 

 land-owner — are called, and their dues paid to them in kind ; 

 and paddy is also dealt out to beggars.! After this, at 

 a lucky hour, he has the rest of the paddy removed to his 

 house, and stored in the loft in large ola baskets, which are 

 closed at the tops by being stitched with palmyra olas. 

 The paddy required for seed is kept exposed to the sun for 

 three successive days, and then placed in a corner of the 

 house to cool. On an auspicious day it is stored in ola 

 baskets. 



The harvest having thus been concluded, the farmer 

 performs a poiikal at a neighbouring temple in honour of 

 Pillaiyar, Indra, and other deities, and lastly in honour of his 

 k&niyalar, the ancestors from whom he inherited his 

 lands. 



When any of these ceremonies are performed, everything 

 must be done strictly according to ancient precedent ; and, as 

 I have said before, any accident, however trivial, is looked 

 upon as a bad omen, and therefore every precaution is taken 

 to prevent the occurrence of one. After any ceremony has 

 been performed, the chief actor in it takes care not to give 

 anything away from his house the same day, such as paddy, 



* Literally, " grain abundance," a euphemistic word. See my 

 Paper on the Language of the Threshing-floor. It is the akydla or 

 Deviyanne-vi of the Sinhalese which is offered to the gods, and more 

 especially to the goddess Pattini and to Kataragama Deviyd. (C. A. S. 

 Journal, 1880, p. 50; 1883, p. 58.) It seems also that some of this 

 new rice goes to Buddha, or rather to the vihdre. (/d., 1880, p. 50; 

 1883, p. 56.) 



f There is an accurate account of the eighteen Kudimakkal by 

 the late Jaffna Kachcheri JVIudaliyar, printed with the Administration 

 Report of the Government Agent of the Northern Province for 1883, 

 p. 144 a. 



% The Kandyans observe the same custom. (See Journal, 1880, 

 p. 50, and Journal, 1883, p. 55, extract from Knox.) 



