OF MALABAR. 



187 



The Namburis exert great influence over the other inhabi- 

 tants of Malabar. The chief reason of this is their belonging 

 to the highest class of the Malayalis. The Sudras and 

 other castes treat them with great respect and veneration. 

 The more superstitious sometimes drink the water with 

 which the Namburis wash their feet at the ceremony called 

 KalkaMMchutu (feeding the Brahmins after washing their 

 feet). The Namburis are addressed in terms of the greatest 

 respect and sometimes servility. 



The Namburis are a quiet and peace-loving people. They 

 cannot be called an industrious race. They are all thorough 

 conservatives because they find it to be to their own advantage. 

 They are always very clean. They constantly bathe and 

 change their dress which consists of a piece of cloth worn 

 round the loins hiding the lower part of the body. 



We have thus cursorily glanced at some of the manners 

 and customs of the Namburis. On some future occasion we 

 shall return to the same subject. 



K. P. Sankara Menon, B.A. 

 (To be continued.) 



