206 
ON THE ORIGINAL INHABITANTS 
graphical Compendium . . of Coorg ; but the Gazetteer of Mysore 
and Coorg hj Mr. Lewis Eice should also he consulted.^"^ 
had they any temple, but at a certain season they took ofierings of plantains 
to the Pujdri (a Tamil man) who attended on Maleswara (lord of the moun- 
tain) , the god who lived on a hill known by that name." — I take the Eda to 
be the lAa'xya Kiirumha, 
Compare with these extracts Colonel Ouehterlony's Geographical and 
Statistical Memoir . . of the Neilgherry Mountains, pp. 62, 63 in Dr. Shortt's 
Hill Ranges, Part I, and Mr. H. B. Grigg's Chapter on the Kurumbas in his 
Manual of the Ntlagiri District, pp. 208-217. 
About the Kurumbas of Kurg consult Eev. G. Kiehter's Ethnographical 
Compendium . . . of Coorg, pp. 11-15. " The Kurumbas of Coorg are closely 
connected with those of the jungles of South-Mysore and with the Kurumbas 
of the Nilgiries, . . but there is now no intercourse between them, nor have 
they any connexion with the shepherd caste of Mysore, the Kurubas who live 
in the open country in mixed villages and tend cattle, sheep and swine and 
also weave cimiblies, whence they are called Haht-, Kv.ri, Handi- and Camlti 
Ktmibas. The Kurumhas in Coorg are di^dded into two distinct sections, 
the Jenu and the Betta Ktmimbas. The Jenu Kurumbas are found in the north 
and south-east of Coorg scattered in the jungles. They have no fixed 
abode but wander about from place to place in search of honey, hence their 
name, Jenu meaning honey inKanarese. . In appearance the Jenu Kui-umhas 
are not imlike the Betta Kurumbas ; but the men do not tie their hair in a 
knot, and from careles-sness it often gets matted. . The women who dress like 
the Canarese Vokkaligas tie their rather cm-ly hair into a knot at the back of 
the head. Those I saw had regular features and might have been taken for 
Vokkaligas. . Also in their wedding ceremonies they conform to those of the 
Vokkaligas, but worship Kari Kali at Kutta like the Coorgs. . . The n;ime 
Betta or Kada Kurur,ibas is derived from their abode. . A short flat nose, which 
in the women is turned up with deep indentation at the root, prominent lips, 
small dark deep-set ej'es do not enhance the personal attractiveness of the 
Betta Knrumha, yet he is a hannless good-humoured fellow and industrious 
at his work as long as it pleases him. He loves above all things personal 
freedom and independence and is quite in is native element when ro:iming 
about on a hunting expedition as tracker of large game. . . In their religious 
practices they are devoted to deraon worship and once within three ye;u-s they 
bring the usual offering {Kanikc) of money, fowl, cocoanut and plantains to 
Kuttadamma or Karinhili (Black Kali) at Kiirchi near the south-east frontier 
of Coorg. The eatables are shared between the piijari who is a Yokkaliga, 
and the devotee. At the Kuttadamma Jatri (Maixh- April) the Bctin Kurum- 
bas perform a dance accompanied by drum and gong : they also wear small 
round bells {gcjjf) below the knee and in a stooping posture with outstretched 
arms and clenched fists they vigorously move round. They do not venerate 
snakes, but kill them, nor do they apply Vibhuti or sacred ashes. The 
Betta Kurumbas are divided into two sections or gotras, the Miindpadi, literally 
families belonging to three hamlets, and the Yclpadi or families belonging 
to seven hamlets, and as among the higher castes of Hindus, members of 
tho same gotra, do not ititcruiarry . . . Their principal Bhutan are Ajja and 
Kiida. . . In case of sickness what remedies are known to the elders are 
applied and vows made to the demon, Kuttadamma, and fulfilled on recovery. 
