184 



ON THE CASTES 



As soon as the Upandyanam or the " ceremony of the cord" 

 is performed (which is generally done before the boy attains 

 his 11th year), the boy wears a belt made of the skin of a 

 black antelope. This is removed in his 16th year, when he 

 is supposed to enter his manhood. Until this time he wears 

 no cloth and has all the privileges of a Brahmachari. 



The Namburi females, like their sisters of the other parts 

 of India, are an illiterate class of people. They cannot even 

 count more than 20, for they have only 20 fingers and toes. 



The name of a Namburi female before she comes of age is 

 Unnikidavu ; from this time to her marriage she is known 

 as Penkidavu. If she remains unmarried after she has 

 come of age she is called Nangapillai. After her marriage 

 she is called Akayilullavar or Athenmar or Akathullalukal. 



When these females attain the age of puberty they are not 

 allowed to see anybody except their immediate relatives. 

 Whenever they go out they are attended by a Sudra maid 

 " Vishali " and they cover, like the Mahomedan women, their 

 whole body except the face, which is hidden from the view 

 of strangers by a, large kadjan umbrella. 



There is no special age for marriage. They are allowed 

 to marry after they attain their womanhood. This is one 

 of the marked distinctions between the Brahmins of Mala- 

 yala and Paradesa. 



The marriage of a female after she has attained her 

 womanhood is always attended with great loss to the father 

 or to her relatives who are her guardians ; for, a large dowry 

 should always be given to the bridegroom, if the female has 

 come of age. Many females die unmarried on account of 

 this custom. Though certain provisions have been made to 

 meet a question of this nature, yet on account of poverty 

 there is many a Namburi family where there are grown up 

 unmarried females. 



The Namburis do not allow widow marriage. The custom 

 of Sati does not prevail amongst them. There is not a single 



