OF BHARATAVAE3A OR INDIA. 
113 
*' officers in charge." The origin of the famous Mahaba- 
lesvara temple is ascribed to the Paulastya Ravana. He 
compelled 8iva, so runs the tradition, by his severe penance 
on the mountain Kailasa, to surrender to him his Prdna 
Lihga. The terrified gods tried every means to regain it, but 
their attempts were fruitless. At last Visnu raised his Cakra 
to prevent the sun-rays from descending to the earth, and 
Ravana, who was then at Grokarna, believing that the sun 
was setting prepared to perform his Sandhyavandanam. 
But the Prdna Lihga, which he carried in his hand, prevented 
him from performing properly his worship. He, therefore, 
requested Gana.pali to take temporary charge of the Linga. 
The god assented, but pretending that the Lihga was too heavy 
placed it on the ground. Once there, it remained fixed in 
spite of all the attempts of the Raksasa to remove it. When 
trying for the fifth time he cried as his strength was 
faiKng : "0 Mahdbala^'' 0 great power ! which expression 
is said to have given the name to the place.^^ 
deny all affinity with those of the hills. In the village establishment, the 
Koli is most generally associated with the occupation of a water-carrier, and 
the Kunhi drinks water from his hands. He is known by his chumli, or 
twisted cloth which he wears on his head in order to rest the waterpot ; but 
he is often a good farmer, or is engaged as a musician, handicraftsman, 
■weaver, palanquin bearer, fisher, labourer . . . They upe meat, drink spirits, 
bury their dead, worship Khandob^, BairobS., and Bhavini, and employ 
Br4hmans for religious ceremonies, but have also priests of their own." 
See Historical and Descriptive Sketch of IT. H. the Nizam'' s Dominions, compiled 
by Syed Hossain Bilgrami, b.a., and C. Willmott, Bombay, 1883, vol. I, p. 
310 : "At one time they (the Kolis) acted as guards in the hill passes on the 
northern frontier and in the Ajanta hills ; there is a tribe of Kolis who had 
charge of the Ghaut passes." The Kambali Kurumbas make and wear 
chamlis (kambalis) in the same manner ; see p. 205, n. 107. 
I agree with Sir George Campbell so far as their relationship with the 
Bhils is concerned, the latter I have proved to be Dravidians, see Part I, 
pp. 47, 107-113. 
^'^ See " The Shrine of the Kiver Krishna at the Village of Mahibales- 
vara," by R&o Saheb Vishvan&th N&rayan Mandliek in the Journal of the 
Bombay Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, vol. IX, pp. 250-261. 
See ibidem, pp. 257, 258. Compare also Archceohgical Survey of hidia, 
vol. VIII, pp. 143, 144, about Eavaua'a connection with the linga of 
"Mahadeo Kavaneavaia." 
