168 On the Creeds Customs and Literature of the Jangams. [Jan. 



Regarding these temples the Jangams profess to have no opinion. 

 They neither approve nor condemn him who worships there: for the 

 sanctity of these sh.ines rests on the braminical purans. 



They themselves profess to hold in honour five other lingams. I. 

 That of Chenna Mallikeswar at Sri Sailam. 2. That of Cu:luli San- 

 gameswara, so named from the village where Basava died, or, as tliey 

 say, vanished, 3. That of Gocarneswar, at a village of that name. 4. 

 That of Bhimeswar at Draxaram, in the Rajahmundry district. 5. One 

 which is described in Professor Wilson's Essay and said to be at Be- 

 nares but of this the accounts differ. 



In these five places the priests are Jangams: not Aradhyas. At Sri 

 Sailam Jangams pay nothing, though a fee of five rupees is exacted 

 from every wor^hippe^ in the other castes (including Aradhyas). It 

 would sepm that this was originally a braminical shrine, for there is an 

 image of Parvati. This goddess, however, sits opposite to ihe image 

 of Siva: and a Smarta Bramin is her priest while a Jangam is priest to 

 the god. So heartily do these sects detest one another that the 

 (tirtham) holy water offered to one image is not touched by those who 

 come to adore the other. 



The Jangams acknowledge that they have no business to celebrate 

 such worship, and in excuse say that these are customs derived from 

 Bramins. 



The odd conjunction of rival gods under the same roof, or at least 

 within the same temple wall, is exemplified at the well known pagoda 

 at Tiruvattoor, close to the town of Madras : where Siva is adored un- 

 der the name Adi-Pur-iswaray ''thus called (to use Homeric phrase) 

 ameng gods : but known among men as" — Teagaraya Swami. One 

 corner of his pagoda has been taken possession of by aSacti or plebeian 

 goddess, cbXltdi Tripura Sundari (Venus): but vulgarly jTa/Zajow-naw- 

 chdru. The god has a Siva Bramin as his priest, and has his spouse 

 Parvaii with him. But the Sacti or paria goddess (who is a much 

 dreaded fiend) has for priest an ocAe-man : this is tlie Tamil name 

 of a low caste, called panasa in Telugu, who are tumblers and w rest- 

 lers : and are employed to blow the trumpets at funerals. So de- 

 graded are they that no Sudra will eat with them. The sacrifices he 

 oflfers are buffaloes, goats and the like. This lady's feast lasts ten 

 days, during which the luckless Siva and his spouse receive no wor- 

 ship. The doors are shut upon him and he is left alone till the feast 

 terminates. 



All Hindus, even those of the most respectable classes in the town 

 of Madras flock to this pagoda, to gain the favour of these wretched 



